Permits for Outdoor serving and licensed serving areas

Outdoor Serving

Establishing an outdoor serving area requires landowner permission, which is applied for via an electronic form. An outdoor serving area allows a restaurant, café, or other food service to serve food and drinks to customers outdoors. It may be located, for example:

• On a terrace
• In an inner courtyard
• Along a street or sidewalk, specifically designated for outdoor serving

Planning Requirements

When establishing an outdoor serving area, it is essential to ensure that sufficient space remains for pedestrian traffic. The design must leave at least 2/3 of the walkway’s width free, with a minimum of 1.2 meters. Measurements are taken from the inner edge of the curb, and if there are obstacles (e.g., traffic signs), the measurement is taken from the obstacle.

Furniture used in the serving area must be clean, well-maintained, and visually suitable for the urban environment.

Outdoor Alcohol Serving Areas

Establishing an outdoor alcohol serving area also requires landowner permission, after which a written land lease agreement is made.

As of July 1, 2018, new lease agreements for outdoor alcohol serving areas are generally made as open-ended contracts.

If a fixed-term lease is expiring, the operator may apply to continue the activity. A new lease agreement will then be made, requiring:

• A recent extract from the Trade Register (max. 6 months old)
• A written statement or consent from the housing company or property company leasing the business premises

If changes to the area size (e.g., expansion) are desired later, the lease agreement must be amended. Extending the operating season also requires a contract amendment. These changes can be requested using the same form as for establishing a new outdoor alcohol serving area.

Any structures in the outdoor alcohol serving area (e.g., patios, signage) require separate approval from the citys Building Control Unit. Replacing equipment or meeting specific requirements must also be approved by Building Control. 

City Center and Hämeenkatu

For café and alcohol-serving terraces on Hämeenkatu, the city aims for durable and long-term spatial solutions to avoid unnecessary changes during the permit period. The Hämeenkatu guidelines have been developed in cooperation with Urban Environment and Infrastructure Services and complement other published urban space guidelines. 

Applying for a Permit 

If the outdoor serving area does not include alcohol service, the application must include at least:

• A map attachment showing the dimensions, area, number of tables, and width of free walkways
• A visual or photo of the furniture to be used

For alcohol-serving terrace applications, the following must be included:

• A Trade Register extract (max. 6 months old)
• A written statement/consent from the housing or property company leasing the business premises
• A map attachment showing the area dimensions, scale relative to the street edge and building corner, and width of free walkways. The width of the curb separating the sidewalk/bike path and road/parking area is not counted in the free walkway width
• A visual of the planned terrace setup
  • If the restaurant has an existing concept, a photo of the current setup is sufficient. If the concept is still being developed, it must be described in detail in the application (furniture, layout, installation method)