It became a way of life during the pandemic. N.J. just made it permanent.

Restaurants in New Jersey will permanently be able to seat customers outside with the adoption of a bipartisan law to continue the practice that became a fixture of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill (S3608) into law last week. It was sponsored by Democrats and Republicans in both chambers of the state Legislature.
Special permissions granted by the state for al fresco dining during the public health emergency were set to expire Saturday. The measures began in June 2020, about three months after the Garden State shut down indoor public spaces to curtail the spread of the coronavirus.
“Outdoor dining has proven to be an incredibly successful venture over the past four years, benefiting business owners and patrons alike,” Murphy said in a statement when he signed the bill Nov. 25.
“I’m proud to continue this popular measure and look forward to seeing our restaurant industry continue to grow.”
The rules written during the pandemic allowed eateries and certain restaurants serving alcohol to become holders of a temporary expansion permit, giving them access to sidewalks and streets to place tables. The law allows those permits to become permanent with local approval.
The bill swiftly made its way through the Trenton. It was introduced in September and cleared the statehouse in late-October, earning a unanimous vote in the Senate.
Murphy first expanded the provision in 2021. Advocates in the business lobby urged lawmakers to quickly move on the bill with the pressing deadline.
State Sen. Vince Polistina helped write the legislation, as one of the lawmakers who represents the Jersey Shore communities that earn most of their income during spring and summer.
“Some of our restaurants and bars were tremendously successful with the outdoor eating and ability to utilize the outdoors,” said Polistina, R-Atlantic. “It just made sense from the standpoint to give them more flexibility and hopefully increase economic activity.”
Outdoor dining was one of the first phases of New Jersey reemerging from the coronavirus shutdown. Erasing red tape for outdoor seating also coincides with the state bending rules of liquor license-holding businesses to expand their decks, patios, parking lots, sidewalks and other outside spaces near their properties.
The pandemic measure famously helped lead to the creation of outdoor seating plazas made from converted streets. The trend became so popular many towns continued allowing restaurants to host guests on public roads despite New Jersey ending its pandemic restrictions.
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Eric Conklin may be reached at [email protected].