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

Shared Use Kitchen / Commissary Review and Permit

The FY27 Fee Schedule adds a new Environmental Health line, 'Shared Use Kitchen/Commissaries for Kitchens', at $150.00 per application, described as the 'Fee charged to review and permit shared use kitchens/commissaries'; the schedule's list of FY2027 changes shows it as a newly implemented fee. The county's Starting a Food Business Guide explains that 'Shared Kitchens / Commissary Kitchens are used by mobile food units and pushcarts, but are also commonly used by TFE vendors for food preparation and small business or start-up businesses such as for catering', that 'These spaces have an approved agreement for shared use', and that 'multiple businesses must obtain individual permits to operate from the shared space.' A restaurant kitchen that serves as a commissary for food trucks, or a commercial kitchen offered for shared use, falls under this line; mobile units must report to an approved commissary under the mobile food unit application. The figure is from the Buncombe County Fee Schedule, Fiscal Year 2027, adopted June 2, 2026 under Section 8 of the county's Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget Ordinance and in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Under G.S. 153A-77(d)(1), as the schedule's introduction states, the Consolidated Human Services Board sets Environmental Health fees on the recommendation of the Human Services Director.

Temporary Food Establishment Permit (food vendor at a temporary event)

A restaurant, caterer, coffee vendor or food truck operator selling regulated food from a booth at a fair, festival or similar event in Buncombe County needs a Temporary Food Establishment (TFE) permit from Buncombe County Environmental Health. The fee is set by statute: G.S. 130A-248(d2) provides that a local health department 'shall charge each temporary food establishment ... a fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for each permit issued.' The county collects it, and the FY27 Fee Schedule lists the Temporary Food Establishment Permit at $75.00 per application with the note 'These fees are set by NC General Statute and charged for food vendors associated with temporary events/festivals.' The county's vendor application states that 'A TFE permit may only be issued in conjunction to a special event such as fair, carnival, circus, public exhibition or other similar gathering', that 'Applications must be submitted no later than 15 days prior to the event', that 'A fee of $75.00 will be required for each food service permit', and that the event organizer must file a separate Organizer Application. The Starting a Food Business Guide limits a TFE to 'a period of time not to exceed 30 days at one event/location'. The figure is from the Buncombe County Fee Schedule, Fiscal Year 2027, adopted June 2, 2026 under Section 8 of the county's Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget Ordinance and in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

Shared with other businesses in Buncombe County

• Food Service Plan Review (new, existing or renovated establishment) — Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division, Food Service Plan Review (new) $250.00; Food Service Plan Review (existing greater than 500 sq. ft) $150.00; Food Service Plan Review Renovation/Addition (less than 500 sq. ft) $100.00 (Buncombe County FY27 Fee Schedule)., one-time, per construction or remodeling project; plans must be approved before the project starts. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Off-Premise or Illuminated Sign Permit — Buncombe County Planning and Development, $100 flat fee (Buncombe County FY27 Fee Schedule, Planning & Development, 'Off-Premise or Illuminated Sign Permit'), one-time, per sign. Also required for retail stores, coffee shops, salons and barbers, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
• Certified Food Protection Manager — North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, No fee, not stated in North Carolina law — the certifying programme sets its own. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Food Establishment Permit — North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, $120 a year, statewide, the permit does not expire; the fee is reassessed annually. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.