what licenses are needed to open a coffee shop

Food Business License / Dept Of Health Permit

In many counties, operating an espresso machine is considered “food processing.” So as long as you are doing more than simply pouring black coffee into a cup and offering individual creamers on the side, you will need food business licensing. This distinction requires proprietors to provide local authorities with details regarding what type of products they plan on selling, as well as any food or drink prep that they intend to carry out in the shop. With this information, officials will determine what kind of health safety check they will perform on your establishment. Make sure that you are set up for success with correct refrigeration, storage, dishwashing set ups, and more.

Department of Health permit issuance generally comes from the county, and requires an annual fee. However, if you run into inspection issues, you can expect to pay hefty fines and follow up inspection fees in order to fix your permit situation. This license category is probably the most detailed and laborious, both for coffee shop owners and for state inspectors. 

As such, these food related license fees are more expensive. They typically cost at least $200. However, these fees can be much higher if inspectors feel the need to come back and revisit your establishment. To avoid these fines and shutdowns, be sure to obtain and review literature from your county health department pertaining to running a squeaky clean coffee shop.