What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in Nassau County?

Food Service Establishment Permit — Mobile Food Service Establishment

A food truck or other mobile food unit operating regularly in Nassau County — as opposed to a one-off appearance at a single event, which uses the temporary permit recorded separately — needs its own mobile Food Service Establishment permit from the Nassau County Department of Health, priced in the county's 2012 fee schedule at $435 a year. Unlike a fixed establishment's discretionary term, a mobile permit's annual renewal cycle is set by a separate rule, NYS Sanitary Code Subpart 14-2, and is confirmed as a fixed annual term rather than the 2-year discretionary ceiling that applies to fixed establishments. A mobile unit that also uses LP gas for cooking equipment separately needs a Fire Marshal's Office LP-gas system permit, recorded under the Fire Prevention Ordinance entry for Nassau County, and is subject to a 200-pound aggregate LP-gas cap and NFPA 58 compliance regardless of where in the county it operates.

Liquor Licensing — New York State Liquor Authority (Nassau County)

A restaurant or coffee shop in Nassau County pursuing a beer, wine or full liquor license applies to the New York State Liquor Authority, and the Department of Consumer Affairs' Licensing & Registrations page lists no liquor category, so there is no county liquor license fee. The Liquor Authority's '500-foot rule' hearing-notice process, which applies in municipalities of population 20,000 or more, routes through the village, town or city clerk where the premises sits, not through any county office. Zoning and certificate-of-occupancy compliance for a licensed premises is likewise a town, city or village matter, consistent with the County's Building and Zoning Permits page, which refers building-permit applicants to their city, town or village.

Food Service Establishment Permit — Fixed (Standard) Establishment

Any restaurant, cafe, deli, tavern or other fixed establishment that prepares or serves ready-to-eat food for on- or off-site consumption needs a Food Service Establishment permit from the Nassau County Department of Health before opening, applied for in person at the Office of Food Protection, 200 County Seat Drive (North Entrance), Mineola. The permit's term is not a fixed annual cycle: NYS Sanitary Code §14-1.192 caps a permit at 2 years and leaves the actual term to the permit-issuing official's judgment based on the establishment's compliance record, its risk category, and its self-inspection program — some fixed establishments are issued shorter terms, and the county's own 2012 fee schedule itself lists a bar/tavern permit as a 'two year permit.' High-risk establishments must staff a Nassau County-certified food manager, and any location open more than 12 continuous hours needs a second certified manager. Application requires a corporate seal or EIN, officer names and addresses, and Workers' Compensation/Disability insurance certificates naming the Nassau County Department of Health. Mobile units use a separate permit and a confirmed annual term, recorded in the next entry.

Shared with other businesses in Nassau County

• Temporary Food Service Establishment Permit (fairs, festivals, special events) — Nassau County Department of Health, Set per event by the Office of Food Protection under NYS Sanitary Code Subpart 14-2; the application and fee are due at least 3 full business days before the event, a late application draws an additional late fee, and all fees are non-refundable and non-transferable once paid., per event. Also required for food trucks and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Food Service Establishment Permit — New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection, No fee, set by the permit-issuing official, not to exceed two years. Also required for restaurants, retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Food Worker Training — Local Option under 10 NYCRR 14-1.73 (New York) — New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection, No fee, set by the permit-issuing official where one is imposed. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.