Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Extending Permissions for Outdoor Dining to Support Restaurant Industry.

Outdoor dining options used out of necessity to keep bars and restaurants in business during the coronavirus crisis won’t fall by the wayside in New Jersey even as people have long returned to pre-pandemic routines.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law Wednesday that will extend the use of outdoor dining in the state until November 2024. Currently, the ability to serve customers outside was slated to end later this year.

“What was born out of necessity … we are now continuing,” Murphy said during a ceremony under a massive tent set up in the parking lot of Vesta Fired in East Rutherford.

According to the law, restaurants, bars, distilleries and breweries would be allowed to utilize tents, canopies, umbrellas, tables, chairs, and other fixtures on the properties on which their establishments are located.

It passed in both chambers of the state Legislature with without any opposition.

Murphy first signed a law that allowed the practice in early 2021, when bars and restaurants were only allowed to have 35% indoor capacity.

It also allowed the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control to offer breweries, distilleries and wineries permits to sell their drinks at farmers markets.

“We want this to continue,” Murphy said.

The state dropped capacity limits in May 2021.

“We realized that outdoor dining is really cool,” state Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, said. “We are now providing these small business owners around the state of New Jersey with flexibility.”

He added the extension could also let businesses “recoup” money lost during the pandemic by adding capacity to their businesses.

Sarlo said he’d be open to making the measure permanent after it sunsets in 2024.

“Color me open-minded,” Murphy added.

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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.

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