In October 2018, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed House Bill 263, which permits "the owner of a retail food establishment or food service operation to allow dogs in an outdoor dining area of the establishment or operation."
Basically, the bill lets you now legally hang out with your dog while you eat brunch/lunch/dinner/etc. outside.
Prior to the passing of the bill, Ohio restaurant patios and other outdoor areas with food service that allowed animals on the premises could have been held in violation of certain health code restrictions.
Well, no more.
House Bill 263 says that the director of the Ohio Department of Health and director of agriculture shall adopt rules which permit dogs in outdoor dining areas, adjusting current handling and sanitation laws as they apply to allowing dogs on site. The ODH is currently drafting those new rules, which should be available for public comment in April.
And this is for outside only. As far as health codes go, animals still arent allowed inside restaurants, unless theyre service animals. This aint Europe.
Note: This doesn't mean that restaurants have to let your dog on the patio its up to each individual restaurant. But if they do allow dogs, there are still some rules you must follow:
You must control your dog while in the outdoor dining area via a leash or other method.
You can't take your dog through the interior of the restaurant to reach the outdoor part.
Your dog must be properly vaccinated.
These drinking and dining destinations allow pets in portions or all of their establishments, as long as your pet is well behaved. Regardless, we recommend calling or checking with the business in advance before you bring your furry friend with you. As always, this is not a comprehensive list of every single place you can bring a pet with you.