Once you submit your application, you will receive an email with a reference number. City staff will keep you informed on your application’s status and notify you of missing documentation or required revisions. If there is incorrect or insufficient information in your submitted documents, this may extend the processing timeline.
City staff will review your application to ensure the requirements of Chapter 742 have been met, including traffic safety and construction impacts. City staff will also check for outstanding fees or fines, and review your past compliance with other applicable bylaws (e.g. Chapter 591 (Noise)) and legislation (e.g. Health Protection and Promotion Act and Liquor Licence Act).
An application will be refused if:
If your application is approved, City staff will email you with:
Once you receive this email, you will be asked to:
After receiving a Traffic Plan from City staff that informs you of your final café size and location, you must develop and submit your Temporary Accessible Platform Package by April 15 for review. Once approved, your temporary accessible platform must be installed by June 1. Please see the section below for more information.
Once the safety and traffic equipment has been set up you may open and operate your curb lane café.
All CaféTO operators are required to install platforms providing level access between the sidewalk and the café to increase the navigability of the curb lane, especially for cyclists; create safer and more accessible cafés; and improve the dining experience for customers.
To assist applicants with their platform submissions, The Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) has compiled helpful resources.
Once the Temporary Accessible Platform Package has been approved by the City, the platform must be installed by June 1.
City staff will communicate to you the date they close the curb lane and install the safety and traffic equipment. Temporary platforms are only permitted to be installed during the café season and must be removed before your scheduled curb lane café removal date. You are responsible for the disassembly, removal and storage of your platform, at your own cost, in the event of planned or emergency capital or utility work, as directed by the General Manager of Transportation Services, or their delegate.
You are able to operate your curb lane café without a platform until June 1, as long as you provide an accessible ramp and all the safety and traffic equipment is installed. Details are found in the Guidebook.
In 2023, Council approved a partial cost-recovery fee structure, with a three-year phase-in schedule, for application and permit fees.
In 2024, a one-time (non-refundable), flat rate application fee of $570.90 will be charged when a new application is made. This fee is not charged when a permit is renewed. This fee is also not charged if your curb lane café application is rejected.
Seasonal permit fees for curb lane cafés are based on a café’s size (measured in square metres). A seasonal permit fee must be paid each year. In 2024, the seasonal permit fee for a curb lane café is $87.40 per square metre (m²), or approximately 11 square feet (ft²). Fees will be determined upon application approval by the size of your curb lane café.
| Year | Cost per square metre |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $87.40 |
| 2025 | $132.42 |
In 2024, a one-time (non-refundable) transfer fee of $338.13 is charged each time a permit is transferred to another operator. For a permit transfer to be approved, it must meet the requirements set out in the Chapter 742. For more information and to initiate the permit transfer, contact City staff.
Proof of at least $2,000,000 of Commercial General Liability insurance against loss or damage resulting from bodily injury to or death of one or more persons, or from loss of or damage to property resulting from any one accident, with the City listed as additional insured. The Name of the Insured must match the Legal Name on your Municipal Business Licence.
The completed Certificate of Insurance must be signed and stamped by the insurer and uploaded onto the Permit Portal using your reference number and upload token provided by the City.
| Action | Time |
|---|---|
| Permit applications and renewals | Closed on March 1 at 11:59 p.m. |
| Platform designs due | March 15 to April 15 |
| 90% of curb lane cafés open | Victoria Day weekend (May 17 to 20) |
| Deadline for platform installation | June 1 |
| Removal of operators’ curb lane café patio and platforms | By October 15 |
It is the operator’s responsibility to ensure compliance with all Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) regulations as well as adhere to any conditions on their liquor sales licence. Restaurant and bar operators wishing to apply for permanent changes to liquor licences will still need to apply for approvals through the AGCO.
Permit holders must notify the AGCO of your approval, the duration of your approval and any conditions on the approval.
In 2022, the provincial government amended Regulation 746/21 to the Liquor Licence and Control Act to establish new options for approving temporary outdoor physical extensions, which took effect January 1, 2023. The new framework replaces the temporary AGCO policy that was in place between 2020 and 2022 and allows the City to approve temporary outdoor physical extensions if the establishment has an existing permanent liquor sales licence and the extended licensed area is adjacent 10 metres or less to the existing licensed establishment.
Learn about the New Framework for Temporary Outdoor Physical Extensions (Temporary Patios) at the AGCO.