Outdoor Dining & Retail

coronavirus outdoor dining

The information listed below applies to businesses permitted to reopen per California’s four-stage reopening plan. To review information pertinent to Anaheim businesses, please click here.

To obtain information from the Orange County Health Care Agency, including guidance for restaurants, bars and breweries, you can visit their website at www.OCFoodInfo.com.

For additional information on the easing of city rules to operate outdoors, display signs, and sell alcohol to-go, please read our Coronavirus Business Relief Fact Sheet.

Order No. 10 of the City Manager (an extension of order No. 6) provides temporary relief from the City’s Special Event Permit requirements and Outdoor Dining standards to allow restaurants and other businesses to temporarily create or expand outdoor dining operations, as well as conduct other business operations outdoors in order to provide for the safe re-opening of businesses in compliance with public health directives. This order will remain in full force and effect until Jan. 31, 2021 or until expressly repealed or superseded by an ordinance of the City Council or by further Order of the City Manager.

Restaurants, retail stores, offices, and personal-service type businesses permitted to reopen are allowed to conduct dining and retail services in outdoor areas on private property. No permit is required if there is no sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages in the outdoor area. Restaurants, bars (with sit down, dine-in meals), and breweries (with sit down, dine-in meals) who wish to provide for the consumption of alcoholic beverages in outdoor areas must apply for a permit. 

The table below provides an overview of Order No. 10 of the City Manager. Any activities involving a tent need to be reviewed by Anaheim Fire & Rescue. For any questions regarding outdoor operations, business owners are encouraged to contact Planning Staff at Planning@anaheim.net. 

No Permit RequiredPermit Required
  • Restaurants without the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages in the outdoor dining area
  • Retail Stores (the sale of alcoholic beverages outdoors in not permitted)
  • Offices
  • Personal-service type businesses
Approval of a Special Event Permit is required prior to commencement of the following outdoor activities:
  • Restaurants with sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages in the outdoor dining area
  • Bars (with sit down, dine-in meals)
  • Breweries (with sit down, dine-in meals)
No Permit Application Required
Permit Application

Before commencing outdoor activity, you must review Order No. 10 of the City Manager, which includes the operating conditions listed below.


The application and supplemental information must be emailed to planning@anaheim.net. There is no fee associated with this application.

Click Here to Download
Permit Application 

Operating Conditions
  1. Outdoor activities shall be located so as not to obstruct line of sight of any pedestrian, bicycle or vehicle entering or exiting a property and shall be established in a manner that maintains safe pedestrian and vehicular movement which may include the placement of physical barriers or separation to protect customers from vehicle traffic.
  2. Any required permits for temporary structures and/or equipment, such as tents/canopies, lighting, fencing and generators shall be obtained from the Fire Department and/or Building Division prior to operation of the outdoor activity.
  3. Outdoor business activities shall comply with the California Department of Public Health "COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Dine-In Restaurants" criteria.
  4. Outdoor activities shall not obstruct any Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) required paths of travel, including required sidewalks, marked walkways, and/or parking stalls.
  5. Outdoor activities shall be conducted outside of the public right-of-way, unless otherwise authorized by the Public Works Department.
  6. The activities occurring in conjunction with the operation of the outdoor dining area shall not cause a noise disturbance to surrounding properties or businesses. Outdoor operating hours may not exceed the hours of indoor dining.
  7. Consent for the proposed outdoor activity must be obtained from the property owner/property management company.
  8. Should any outdoor activity area cause a disruption to the safe operations of the property or result in complaints from adjacent land uses, the City reserves the right to enforce the standards for "Special Event - Outdoor Activity’’ contained in Section 18.38.240.010 and "Outdoor Seating" and "Outdoor Dining" contained in Section 18.38.220, of the Anaheim Municipal Code.

Visualizing Outdoor Dining

Cafe Example