The recent propane ban for outdoor dining in NYC has some restaurants fearing that they are going to see a drop in business as a result. These outdoor heaters make it possible for them to do business during the cold weather and without them it could mean a drastic reduction in outdoor dining options.

The city gave a waiver last year to help through the pandemic make those outdoor eating spaces possible but this order has expired and they are hoping that restaurants will turn to other options like electric heaters to maintain the outdoor dining services.

What is the reason for the ban?

Mostly safety concerns.

Despite the concern for safety many restaurants have operated with those heaters without incident and it's just one more way that people are being told what to do with their property. There is fear that this will mean a drastic fall in business now for those outdoor spaces and their business overall.

Many of those restaurants have not recovered from the pandemic yet and according to the NYC Hospitality Alliance this delivers another blow to those businesses that are still trying to get back on their feet.

This change comes after who knows how many restaurants last year invested in making those changes to get the propane heaters for their outdoor spaces. A significant portion of the sales for these restaurants is also coming in from those outdoor patio spaces and if they were to go away it could mean losing many more restaurants as a result.