DC Is Charging Thousands for Outdoor Dining. Is This a Good Idea?

Washington DC is charging restaurants thousands of dollars to keep their streateries — outdoor dining areas built during Covid-19. Are these fees fair compensation for public space, or will they kill the local businesses they were meant to save?

Guest host Norm Van Eeden Petersman dives into this question with Carlee Alm-LaBar, a former city official who helped bring streateries to her own city.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• "After five years, D.C. streateries hit with higher costs and more rules" by By Tim Carman and Rachel Weiner, The Washington Post (November 2025)
• Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
• Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

 

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