Seattle officially extended the free outdoor dining permits until 2022

Just a few days ago we were speculating the future of patio dining in Seattle. It was rumored that patios might be here to stay for good. And in some exciting news today, it looks like that rumor is true. Seattle has officially extended free outdoor dining permits for restaurants and more until May 2022.

Yesterday, the Seattle city council unanimously voted to extend the popular outdoor patio dining program beyond its expected end date this fall. And to make matters even better, Mayor Jenny Durkan is expected to sign the patio dining program into law. That means restaurants, bars, and more can apply for and have free outdoor seating permits until the end of May 2022. Pretty sweet huh?

Related posts:
It looks like patio dining in Seattle might be here to stay
You can score a free drink at your favorite bar in Washington if you’re vaccinated

And while the long-term future of this program is still up in the air, its extension means that there’s more time to figure out how to make it a permanent part of dining in the city. After all, outdoor dining has been a lifeline for many restaurants and a great joy for many customers. We hope that the city can see the value in it for everyone and make it an accessible reality for years to come.

If patio dining becomes a permanent fixture in Seattle there will most likely be permitting fees for restaurants. But that’s pretty normal as opening and operating restaurants are full of permitting processes. If you’d like to learn more about the extension of patio dining you can click here. We’ll let this be a reminder to get out there and show your fave restaurants some love. Enjoy folks!