(TRENTON) – Helping small businesses in the food and beverage industry expand their dining options, Assembly members Roy Freiman, Gabriela Mosquera and Chris Tully sponsored legislation to extend permissions for outdoor dining. The bill was signed into law on Wednesday.
The permissions, enacted as a way to alleviate the financial burden on the restaurant industry and business community, were set to expire on November 30, 2022.
The law (formerly bill A-3708/S-2364) provides a two-year extension on the use of tents and other fixtures until November 30, 2024.
Upon the bill becoming law, Assembly sponsors Freiman (D-Somerset, Mercer, Middlesex, Hunterdon), Mosquera (D-Camden, Gloucester) and Tully (D-Bergen, Passaic) issued the following joint statement:
“Even with indoor dining back, residents still enjoy dining al fresco. Our businesses are on the road to recovery. Every resource must be available to them while they get back on track. It worked well during the peak of the pandemic and now, many have found this to be an expanded opportunity for restauranteurs and certain businesses. It’s good for small business.”