cleveland
Cleveland proposes outdoor drinking zone — a designated refreshment area that would let people carry alcohol in public
An emergency ordinance introduced at Cleveland City Council on April 24, 2026 would create a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) in the city, establishing regulations for public alcohol consumption within a defined zone. DORAs have become popular economic development tools in Ohio cities to support entertainment districts.
Cleveland may soon join a growing list of Ohio cities with a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area — a zone where patrons can carry licensed beverages from participating businesses and drink in public.
An emergency ordinance (File 557-2026) introduced April 24, 2026 would create a DORA in Cleveland, with rules to ensure public health and safety within the defined area. The legislation follows the state framework established under Ohio Revised Code that allows municipalities to designate outdoor refreshment areas.
DORAs have been a popular economic development tool in Northeast Ohio, with versions established in downtown Akron, Mentor, Strongsville, and elsewhere. They are typically tied to entertainment or business districts and require participating establishments to use DORA-specific cups that are easily identifiable to law enforcement.
The specific boundaries of Cleveland's proposed DORA have not been publicly disclosed in the legislation text. The ordinance is currently in Administrative Review.
If passed as an emergency measure, the law would take effect immediately, potentially opening the door for a summer launch.
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