What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in Grand Forks?

Food Establishment License

Code 21-0702 carries the requirement: 'No person shall operate a food establishment within the city limits of Grand Forks without first having obtained a license therefore as provided herein.' The structure splits license and inspection — the application goes to the city auditor under 21-0703 while Grand Forks Public Health enforces under 21-0709 and may 'without warning, notice or hearing, suspend any permit, license or certificate to operate a food establishment' for non-compliance. Code 21-0706 names three inspecting bodies: public health, the Fire Department and the Inspections Department. The City's own application confirms the term: 'LICENSE EXPIRES DECEMBER 31ST OF EACH YEAR' and 'There is no proration for partial-year licenses.' The criteria that assign an establishment to Level 1, 2, 3 or 4 are published: 21-0711(9)'s reference to 'Grand Forks Public Health's risk level assessment' points to Annex 5, Table 1 of the FDA Food Code, which the department itself submitted to City Council as 'Risk Level Information' in September 2022 when the 2017 Food Code was adopted. On that table, a coffee shop is squarely Category 1 — the FDA's own example list names 'convenience store operations, hot dog carts, and coffee shops' first — while a fast-casual counter service business is Category 2 and a full-service restaurant is Category 3, with Category 4 reserved for highly susceptible populations (preschools, hospitals, nursing homes) or specialised processes like smoking, curing or reduced-oxygen packaging. A caveat is worth stating plainly: this document shows what Grand Forks presented to its own Council as the operative framework, but it is the FDA's national table verbatim rather than a locally drafted one, and an inspector retains judgement to place a borderline establishment a level up or down based on its documented food safety history. A prospective restaurant or coffee shop can use the table to anticipate its likely fee tier, but the final assignment is still Grand Forks Public Health's determination at inspection. The food establishment application's printed $150.00 reinspection fee is the 2025 rate, superseded by $175.00 for 2026 on the City's own comprehensive fee list, which shows both years side by side under 'Food and Beverage (Continued)' with no 'Pending Ordinance Adoption' qualifier on that line. The $175.00 figure that does carry a 'Pending Ordinance Adoption' label on the same document is a different, unrelated fee — a Swimming Pool reinspection charge listed separately under the Building Inspections section — and does not apply to food establishments at all. $175.00 is accordingly recorded here as the current, adopted reinspection fee for 2026.

Food Establishment License

This fee schedule was rebuilt effective January 1, 2026, raising the restaurant base rate. A first-time applicant also owes a $100 license administration fee on top of the annual fee, plus half the annual fee again if a plan review applies. The state waives its own license for any establishment already licensed by an approved local health unit — Fargo Cass Public Health, Grand Forks Public Health and Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health each run their own delegated program with separate local fee schedules not reflected in the state figures above.

Shared with other businesses in Grand Forks

• Fire Operational and Construction Permit — Grand Forks Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division, Fire permits are $60.00 and construction permits are $60.00. Flammable and combustible liquid tanks are charged on a size schedule: $150.00 for a tank up to 1,000 gallons, $300.00 from 1,001 to 5,000, $400.00 from 5,001 to 12,000, $500.00 from 12,001 to 20,000 and $600.00 above 20,001. Pyrotechnic special effects materials are $120.00 plus $85.00 per hour with a two-hour minimum, and a fireworks display permit is $280.00. Fire protection outside city limits carries a $1,200.00 minimum fee, and a fire response outside city limits or arising from negligence or a violation of law is charged at $100.00 per hour per vehicle plus $50.00 per hour per person, with a $250.00 minimum., the Fire Marshal issues a permit for a specific period not exceeding one year. Also required for restaurants, retail stores, fitness studios, auto repair shops, veterinary clinics and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Sign Permit — City of Grand Forks Department of Building Safety, Charged on the sign's valuation: a regular sign is $21.00 per $1,000 of valuation and a neon sign is $40.00 per $1,000 of valuation. Portable signs carry no fee because they are not permitted at all., one-time per sign. Also required for restaurants, retail stores, fitness studios, auto repair shops, veterinary clinics and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
• Food Handler or Manager Certification — North Dakota Food Code position — North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging Division, No fee, not applicable statewide. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.