What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Escambia County Fl?

Alcoholic Beverage Zoning Compliance Confirmation (Unincorporated Escambia)

The state alcoholic beverage license is issued by DBPR's Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco; the county's part is a zoning check. Land Development Code Sec. 2-2.5 states that "Confirmation of alcoholic beverage zoning compliance is required by the State of Florida for licensing the sale or on-premises consumption of alcoholic beverages" and that the application goes to the planning official. Under Sec. 4-7.5(a), regardless of zoning district, no vendor may sell alcoholic beverages for on- or off-premises consumption within 1,000 feet of a place of worship, child care facility or K-12 educational facility; the rule does not apply to 1APS (beer only) or 2APS (beer and wine only) licenses or to one-, two- or three-day ODP temporary permits. Sec. 4-7.5(b) measures the distance along the shortest route of ordinary pedestrian travel within public rights-of-way, entrance to entrance (or to the nearest point of a school's grounds), and Sec. 4-7.5(e) lets the Board of Adjustment approve a conditional use for sales within 1,000 feet of a place of worship or child care facility. The Planning & Zoning Fee Schedule, October 2021, linked from the Division's current page, lists the Site Inspection Alcohol front counter fee at $85.00 and a Board of Adjustment conditional use at $1,530.00. This applies in unincorporated Escambia County.

Public Food Service Establishment License

Banded by seats, and each band is four separate charges added together — a basic fee, a capacity fee, an epidemiological fee and a HEP fee. 1 to 49 seats is $262; 50 to 149 is $273; 150 to 249 is $294; 250 to 349 is $315; 350 to 499 is $336; 500 or more is $357. On top of any of those, a first application or a change of ownership adds a $50 application fee, and a late renewal adds $50. A non-seating permanent establishment pays $242 and a mobile food dispensing vehicle $347 — a food truck costs more to license than all but the largest restaurant. Two things catch people: statute caps the aggregate license fee at $400 per establishment, but the $50 application and $50 delinquency fees sit outside that cap; and applying within six months of the annual renewal period halves the first year's fee, while applying earlier than that does not. A restaurant operating inside a hotel needs its own license.

Shared with other businesses in Escambia County Fl

• Dog-Friendly Outdoor Dining Permit (Unincorporated Escambia) — Escambia County Development Services, Planning and Zoning Division, The permit is obtained through the county's site plan review process (LDC Sec. 4-7.3); a separate dog-friendly dining fee is not published in LDC Sec. 4-7.3 or the Planning & Zoning Fee Schedule, October 2021. Contact Planning and Zoning at 850-595-3475 for the charge that applies., continuing while the approved site conditions are maintained; the approval binds current and later owners. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• ECUA Grease Interceptor (Fats, Oils and Grease) Permit — Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA), $25 per month, the Fats, Oils and Grease program administrative fee added to the food establishment's water bill, as published on ECUA's Fats, Oils & Grease page; a $100 re-inspection fee applies after a failed inspection, three years from the date of approval, except as specified by the ECUA (County Code Sec. 54-1). Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Food Service Employee Training and Manager Certification — Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, No fee, employee training 3 years; manager certification 5 years. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.