Spring Is In Full Swing. Hooray! Happy May, Outdoor Dining Community! Spring has officially sprung, and things are buzzing here in the Outdoor Dining Program. Renewal season is in full bloom, seasonal permit requests are pouring in, and the city's StreetSeats and Sidewalk Cafes are waking up after a long winter nap. This month's newsletter comes packed with fresh features, helpful tips, and a few new segments we think you'll really enjoy. So get out there, soak up the sunshine (or at least the slightly less‑rainy weather), and show some love to your fellow program participants around town. Cheers to a vibrant new season of outdoor dining! Design Tip of the Month: Bringing Your StreetSeat to Life with Plants and Greenery Looking to add a little extra charm, color, and comfort to your StreetSeat this season? Plants—both real and artificial—are one of the easiest ways to elevate your space and create an inviting outdoor dining experience your guests will love. Built‑in planters are a great starting point. They instantly soften the look of your structure and introduce natural texture and warmth. But you don't have to stop there. Stand‑alone planters and medium‑sized pots can bring even more personality to your setup. Tropical choices like banana trees, palms, or bird of paradise add a fun, bold flair, while favorites such as Japanese maples, crabapples, and flowering cherry offer seasonal color and elegance. Beyond their good looks, large pots can double as privacy screens, help guide foot traffic, or even block less‑than‑ideal street views. If you want to take things up a notch, consider adding a small fountain tucked inside a planter. The gentle bubbling sound creates a soothing atmosphere and helps mask city noise—turning your StreetSeat into a mini urban escape. For overhead accents, hanging baskets packed with vibrant blooms are an easy win. And whether you choose real or artificial vines, adding trailing greenery can give your space a sense of movement and lushness that's sure to catch the eye. Plants don't just decorate a space—they help shape the entire experience. A thoughtfully greened-up StreetSeat feels lively, welcoming, and uniquely yours.
Paadee
Cheese & Crack Snack Shop
Coquine Spotlight Opportunity: Improve Your Main Business Space with Support from Prosper Portland While our Outdoor Dining Program focuses on helping you create great StreetSeats and Sidewalk Cafés, we also want to share opportunities that can support upgrades inside your business. If you've been thinking about improving your indoor space—especially with energy‑efficient updates—Prosper Portland's Building Energy Efficiency (BEE) Grant may be a perfect fit. The BEE Grant provides funding for small businesses and property owners looking to reduce energy use, improve indoor comfort, and cut long‑term operating costs. It's designed specifically for improvements to your main building, not your StreetSeat, making it a great way to invest in your year‑round customer experience. Eligible businesses can use the grant for upgrades like efficient heating and cooling, improved lighting, and other building performance enhancements that benefit both staff and customers. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so you can apply whenever the timing works for you. If you're ready to refresh your indoor space, boost comfort, or move toward greater sustainability, this program is worth exploring. To learn more, visit: Building Energy Efficiency (BEE) Grant | Prosper Portland Maintenance Tip of the Month: Keeping Your Street Seat Windows Sparkling Your StreetSeat isn't just a spot for hungry customers to land—it's the curbside equivalent of a friendly wave hello. And to kick off our brand‑new Maintenance Tip of the Month series, we're shining a light on the clear plastic window panels that help keep diners cozy while still letting them enjoy the great Portland outdoors (rain included, of course). These panels work overtime during our famously soggy seasons, but with a little love, they can stay bright and clear for years. The golden rule: be gentle. Mild soap, warm water, and a soft microfiber cloth will keep things looking sleek without scratching. And here's an important one—stay far, far away from ammonia‑based cleaners. They may seem helpful, but they'll haze and damage plastic faster than you can say "surprise spring downpour." Since plastic scratches more easily than glass, a quick rinse before wiping helps avoid dragging little bits of grit across the surface. When you're storing extra panels, give them a soft buffer between layers—fabric, foam, or protective film all do the trick. And if you want to go the extra mile, a UV‑safe protectant applied a few times each season helps slow down yellowing and brittleness. A little TLC goes a long way. With the right care, your panels will keep the cozy vibes rolling all year long—rain, shine, and everything in between. Sustainability Spotlight: Giving Old Buildings a New Life Portland's Bureau of Planning & Sustainability has launched a new Commercial Deconstruction Pilot, a grant‑funded program that encourages property owners to dismantle buildings instead of demolishing them. By supporting City‑approved deconstruction done by trained contractors, the program helps recover valuable materials, reduce landfill waste, and promote reuse across the city. As more salvaged materials become available, Outdoor Dining Program participants may soon see new opportunities to incorporate them into their spaces. Items like structural lumber, decking, large timbers, and reusable fixtures—often recovered during deconstruction—are great candidates for use in building StreetSeat platforms and other outdoor dining structures. Future partnerships could allow approved deconstruction contractors to supply or even build components for StreetSeats using this reclaimed material. This approach would keep high‑quality materials in circulation, lower project costs for small businesses, support local jobs, and ensure professional‑grade construction. It's a simple idea with big potential: turning materials from older buildings into vibrant public spaces that support local businesses. To learn more about the Deconstruction Pilot Program, or to connect with a contractor who may be able to provide construction services using reclaimed materials, please contact the Deconstruction Team at deconstruction@portlandoregon.g… or by calling 503-823-6041. See the program website for more information: https://www.portland.gov/bps/garbage-recycling/decon/commercial-deconstruction-pilot/. Rec From A Tech: Hat Yai For the May 2026 relaunch of our newsletter, we're introducing a new segment where Outdoor Dining Program staff share a recommendation of one of our participating businesses. Since I'm new to the team—and this is our first installment—I'm kicking things off! This month's featured business is Hat Yai. They have two locations: - 605 SE Belmont
- 1605 NE Killingsworth
Both spots offer sidewalk café seating and serve incredibly delicious Southern Thai fried chicken. My go‑to order is the Hat Yai Combo, which comes with a leg, thigh, and wing, plus roti (a Thai pan‑fried flatbread), sticky rice, and a rich Malayu‑style curry for dipping. It's seriously good—and one of my favorite lunch stops in town. But you don't have to take my word for it… Kevin Gummer Development Services Technician III PBOT Outdoor Dining Program Please email us at OutdoorDiningPDX@Portlandoregon.gov if you have any questions. You can submit a new application for an outdoor dining permit using this link below: How to Apply for an Outdoor Dining Permit | Portland.gov For more information:
PBOT Outdoor Dining Team 503-823-4026 OutdoorDiningPDX@portlandoregon… | 
