Pet-friendly restaurant statistics point to a clear pattern: outdoor dining is popular, many dog owners want to bring their companions, and approved patios operate under detailed food-safety rules. The available figures cover consumer behavior, OpenTable’s restaurant data, and requirements in several U.S. jurisdictions and British Columbia.
Table of contents
- Consumer demand for pet-friendly dining
- What OpenTable’s outdoor dining data measures
- How many pet-friendly restaurants and cities are featured
- Texas, Georgia, and federal food-code rules
- District of Columbia and Utah patio requirements
- Boston and British Columbia operating standards
- A local snapshot from Salt Lake County
Consumer demand for pet-friendly dining
OpenTable’s 2025 outdoor dining research provides the clearest consumer snapshot in this set of statistics. Its survey included 2,000 U.S. consumers. Among Americans surveyed, 55% said they prefer sitting outdoors when the weather is nice. Outdoor seating is not only a fair-weather preference for everyone: 34% said they would rather brave unexpected weather than give up an open-air table.
Dog owners show a direct connection between outdoor dining and pet-friendly restaurant demand. OpenTable reported that 54% of dog owners had shared a meal with their furry companion while dining out. At the same time, 65% of dog owners said that finding pet-welcoming restaurants was their biggest challenge. These figures describe survey responses from U.S. consumers, not a count of every dog owner or every restaurant.
The two dog-owner figures also show why patio availability matters. Sharing a meal with a dog was reported by more than half of dog owners in the survey, while nearly two-thirds identified restaurant discovery as the biggest obstacle. For readers planning a meal with a pet, a restaurant’s outdoor policy, entrance arrangement, leash rules, and local approval status can matter as much as the menu.
What OpenTable’s outdoor dining data measures
OpenTable’s 2025 outdoor dining list was built from more than 10,000,000 verified diner reviews. The ranking used dining metrics from April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025. Those dates define the measurement window for the ranking; they should not be read as a real-time count of current reservations or restaurant capacity.
OpenTable also analyzed city-level outdoor dining share for the summer period from May 1 through August 31, 2024. The city analysis required a minimum of 200,000 outdoor seated diners. That threshold means the comparison focused on cities with a substantial volume of outdoor dining activity rather than every location on the platform.
OpenTable says its platform powers reservations for more than 60,000 restaurant partners. The company’s press page also says those partners serve 1.9 billion people a year through its software. These are platform-reported figures and describe the company’s partner network and software reach, not the number of pet-friendly restaurants.
Measurement summary
| Measure | Figure | Period or scope | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. consumers in survey | 2,000 | OpenTable 2025 research | OpenTable outdoor dining research |
| Verified diner reviews used for list | More than 10,000,000 | OpenTable 2025 list | OpenTable |
| Ranking metrics | — | April 1, 2024–March 31, 2025 | OpenTable |
| City-share analysis | — | May 1–August 31, 2024 | OpenTable |
| Minimum outdoor seated diners for city analysis | 200,000 | City selection threshold | OpenTable |
How many pet-friendly restaurants and cities are featured
OpenTable’s dog-friendly outdoor dining guide highlighted 8 U.S. cities with the highest summer outdoor-dining share. Its featured pet-friendly outdoor dining list included 10 restaurants in each of Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. That produces a displayed total of 80 featured restaurant listings across the eight named city groups, assuming each listing is counted once as presented in the guide.
The guide is best understood as a featured selection rather than a national inventory. It does not establish that these are the only pet-friendly restaurants in those cities, and the source facts do not provide a nationwide total. The underlying city analysis used a minimum of 200,000 outdoor seated diners, while the featured city lists used 10 restaurants per city.
For a pet owner, these figures are useful as a discovery signal: large urban markets can have visible outdoor-dining activity and curated dog-friendly options. They do not replace checking a restaurant’s current policy, because patio permissions and operating conditions can vary by jurisdiction and season.
Texas, Georgia, and federal food-code rules
Texas Administrative Code section 228.172 lists 7 numbered conditions for allowing dogs in an outdoor dining area. The rule requires a conspicuous sign stating that dogs are allowed and requires direct exterior access to the outdoor dining area. Dogs may not enter the interior of the establishment. Customers must keep dogs on a leash and under control.
The Texas conditions also protect dining surfaces and food areas. Dogs may not be on seats, tables, countertops, or similar surfaces. Food preparation is prohibited in the dog area, and open food is prohibited there except for food being served to a customer. Service animals and service animals in training are excluded from the dog-patio requirements.
Georgia’s 2025 Department of Public Health FAQ requires local health department approval before a restaurant provides a dog-friendly dining space. The space must be outside and accessible only from outside. Dogs are barred from indoor dining areas, where only service animals are allowed. Customers must keep dogs leashed and under control at all times.
Georgia also bars dogs from tables, chairs, and other furniture and prohibits contact with tableware or utensils. Restaurants with approved patios must have cleanup materials available for accidents. Georgia allows single-use disposable water bowls for dogs away from the dining area.
At the federal model-code level, the FDA Food Code page identifies the 2022 Food Code as the most recent full edition published by the FDA. The 2022 edition added an allowance for pet dogs in outdoor dining areas where approved. The update specifically amended section 6-501.115 to add a pet-dog exception for outdoor dining areas. The Food Code is a model code; the Texas and Georgia requirements above describe the named jurisdictional sources.
District of Columbia and Utah patio requirements
District of Columbia Code section 8-1865.02 allows food establishments to permit dogs in outdoor dining areas or unenclosed sidewalk cafés. Establishments may restrict dogs by size or temperament. Outside signage must state that dogs are permitted and list any restrictions.
D.C. also requires an entrance that avoids indoor dining and food storage or preparation areas. Patrons must receive waste bags and a sanitary disposal method. Food employees may not care for or handle dogs. Dogs must be in a carrier or on a leash at all times, and patrons may not leave them unattended.
Utah Administrative Code R392-100-4 requires a separate exterior entrance to the patio. Dogs must stay at least 8 feet from any entrance to an interior area, except when entering or exiting the patio. Patio and entrance signs must be at least 8 inches by 10 inches, with lettering at least 5/8 inch high and in high contrast.
Utah’s operational controls include self-closing doors at each patio door from inside the establishment. Food preparation is barred on the patio, except that staff may fill a beverage glass from a container prepared inside. Patios must remain continuously free of visible dog hair and dog-related waste or debris. Staff on duty may not care for or handle dogs.
Utah also requires dogs to remain on a leash under patron control and to wear a collar or harness with a rabies vaccination tag attached. Dogs may not be on chairs, tables, countertops, or similar surfaces, and may not contact condiments, equipment, or reusable utensils.
Boston and British Columbia operating standards
Boston Inspectional Services said in 2023 that all restaurants and beer gardens with outdoor space can apply for a Dog Friendly Spaces variance. Its checklist contains 18 numbered inspection items. The checklist requires employees not to touch dogs while working, tables to be cleaned and sanitized after every use, waterless hand sanitizer on every table in the dog-friendly area, and a designated trash can for dog waste.
Boston also requires dogs to have current licenses and rabies shots. Dogs must stay leashed at all times and may not be fastened to a table. They may not sit on chairs, benches, or tables. These requirements connect customer behavior, sanitation, and animal documentation within the same outdoor-dining approval process.
British Columbia’s Ministry of Health policy for outdoor dining with pet dogs, dated March 2020, lists 8 operator steps. Food and drinks may not be prepared, and utensils may not be stored, in outdoor dining areas. A separate entrance must let dogs reach the patio without passing through indoor areas.
The British Columbia policy requires dogs to be controlled with a leash, harness, or carrier and kept at ground level. A posted sign must tell patrons that dogs are permitted and that owners are responsible for control. Dogs may not eat or drink from reusable dishware or utensils.
If a surface becomes contaminated, it must be cleaned and sanitized immediately. Employees who contact dogs or related waste must wash their hands before returning to regular duties. These steps make the separation between pet access and food-handling work explicit.
A local snapshot from Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County Health’s approved list for the 2025 summer dining season showed 54 permitted dog-friendly restaurant patios. This is a local approved-list count for that season, not a national estimate and not a permanent total. Seasonal approval lists can be especially useful to pet owners because they identify permitted patios within a defined place and period.
Across the jurisdictions described here, the recurring pattern is measurable and practical: exterior-only access, control by leash or carrier, no dogs on dining furniture, separation from food preparation and utensils, visible signs, and procedures for waste or contamination. The exact requirements differ, so a restaurant’s current local approval and posted policy remain the most relevant facts for a specific visit.