Business Hub

Downtown Dollars

All businesses located within the DDA district are invited to join and participate in the premiere community wide eGift card program. These gift cards do not require any special technology or administration to participate, rather any business using a Point of Sales system that accepts Mastercard and can manually key in transactions (similar to taking payment over the phone!) can accept the eGift. For more information on joining, review the merchant recruitment sheet by clicking the title above.

Social District

Social Districts allow for 'common areas' where two or more contiguous licensed establishments may sell alcoholic beverages in designated containers to be taken into the area for consumption. The Social District for Downtown Royal Oak was approved by the City Commission in April 2021, and is not set to expire until September 30, 2031. The Map and Social District Rules can be found on its landing page here. 

Businesses seeking to join the Social District should follow these steps:

1. Submit the following to the DDA Director, Isaac Kramer, at IsaacK@romi.gov.
   1. Completed 2025 Social District License Agreement
   2. Provide required Insurance Certificate (coverage amount outlined in Agreement)
   3. A copy of the business logo, that once approved will be used to sticker cups.
2. Once all items are received they will be considered by the City Commission for approval.
3. Following Commission approval, businesses then apply to the State of Michigan MLCC using this Social District MLCC Form. (Local Gov. Approval page would be completed by RO Staff)
4. Following MLCC Approval, the business then displays the Rules sign and would be eligible to receive Social District cup stickers from the DDA.
   1. DDA Staff will need to review one of the intended cups to ensure it meets statutory requirements.

Winter Sidewalk Cafés & Street Patios

Applications are now open for outdoor dining license agreements for the 2025-2026 winter season. The Engineering Division oversees the agreements of outdoor dining in the public right-of-way. Businesses looking to renew their seasonal license agreements or apply for a new license agreement should review the Outdoor Dining Guidelines and submit the following documents to the Engineering Division counter at City Hall or via email to engineering@romi.gov:

1. Completed application form
2. Insurance certificate covering duration of license
3. Site plan sealed by Engineer or Architect (if not already on file with city)
4. Affidavit from adjacent business (if required)
5. Signed license agreement
   • Sidewalk café
   • Street patio

Once all documents are received and fees are paid, the engineers will review and approve the license agreements. Businesses will be updated via email on the status of their applications. Winter sidewalk cafes and street patios can be installed beginning November 01, 2025 thru March 31, 2026 with an approved license agreement.

Placer Labs Reports

Downtown Royal Oak businesses have access to the DDA's Placer.Ai subscription by requesting visitor reports from the Downtown Manager. The DDA will provide businesses located in the downtown development district with up to two reports annually with no less than 90 days between requests. To make a request, simply email the DDA Director with the subject line "Business Placer Request - [Insert Business Name]" at IsaacK@romi.gov.

Businesses located outside of the downtown development district may request a report if the following requirements are met:

• The business is in serious consideration of migrating into the downtown development district; and
• The business purchases access to the report from the DDA at a rate of $250.00 per report.

Development Plan and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Plan

All Downtown Development Authorities are required by law to create a Development Plan and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Plan that describes potential projects and programs, and the resources needed for implementation. These plans are vital guides that demonstrate to our community the work we want to accomplish within the DDA boundary.   

Download the Development Plan and TIF Plan (PDF)