Kearny Mayor Alberto G. Santos and the Town Council introduced an ordinance at their meeting of June 9, 2020, that allows Kearny businesses to expand outdoor operations. As it pertains to outdoor dining, restaurants can apply to open sidewalk cafés and strEATERIES. An application is necessary for both of these types of expansion, and application fees have been waived for the remainder of the year to assist businesses affected by COVID-19. Additionally, the ordinance permits retail businesses to set up merchandise outside of their storefronts and conduct sales outdoors during specified times. An application is also necessary for retail businesses to expand in this manner.

A sidewalk café is defined as projecting a restaurant onto the public sidewalk immediately in front of the property. With the written permission of neighboring businesses and their property owners, restaurants may apply to expand sidewalk cafés in front of adjacent businesses. Limited outdoor seating will be allowed for New Jersey establishments with on-premises consumption licenses and permits to serve alcoholic beverages.  To accomplish this change, the New  Jersey Division of ABC created a temporary COVID-19 Expansion Permit, effective through November 30, 2020.

A strEATERY is a rented public parking space that is converted into a dining space. The rental fee for strEATERIES is $0.25 per linear foot per day, payable to the Town of Kearny monthly. Specific guidelines and application requirements of sidewalk cafés and strEATERIES can be found in the application documents. Restaurants interested in open in a sidewalk café or strEATERY should complete the application(s) linked below and mail/submit to the Kearny Town Clerk’s Office.

2020 Sidewalk Cafe Application
2020 StrEATERY Application
2020 Sidewalk Business Display Application