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

Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License

A restaurant, coffee shop, grocery or other business that serves or sells food in DPHD's district needs this annual license from the Delaware Public Health District. DPHD's About Us page describes the district as 'serving Delaware County (except portions annexed to Westerville, Columbus, and Dublin), Delaware City and Powell,' so an address in an annexed part of one of those three cities is licensed by that city's health authority rather than DPHD. The figures are taken from DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026); the signed minutes of the December 9, 2025 Board of Health meeting record that 'Resolution 2025-09 was unanimously approved' and that the fees 'will take effect on January 1, 2026.' The schedule prints a DPHD fee, a state fee and a total for each line, and the amounts above are the totals. Risk level follows the highest-risk food activity the operation performs. ORC 3717.43(D) requires the renewal application by March 1 and sets the late penalty at 'twenty-five per cent of the renewal fee'; DPHD's application form also states the 25% penalty. Renewal amounts for the licensing period beginning March 1, 2027 are set by the fee schedule DPHD's Board of Health has in effect at that time. On child care: ORC 3717.42(B)(8) exempts 'a type A or type B family child care home' that prepares or serves food for the children in its care, and (B)(7) exempts 'a food service operation serving thirteen or fewer individuals daily'; child care centers are not among the listed exemptions. A gym that sells food or drinks falls under the same license.

Manager Certification in Food Protection

Ohio charges nothing for this. The Department of Health neither teaches the course nor sells the certificate — it approves providers, who set their own tuition, and the official application form carries no fee field at all. Two tiers exist and the names have changed: what was Level One is now person-in-charge certification, required for at least one person per shift at any operation first licensed after 1 March 2010, and what was Level Two is manager certification, required at risk level III and IV operations and needing an accredited exam as well as the course. Temporary, mobile and low-risk operations are exempt from the manager tier. Ohio has no food handler card in the California sense. The often-repeated claim that the certification lasts five years appears in neither the rule, the statute nor any Department page — the five-year term belongs to the third-party exam certificate, not to the Ohio certification, so no expiry is published here.

Shared with other businesses in Delaware County Oh

• Food Plan Review — Delaware Public Health District, New facility: $500 under 25,000 sq ft, $900 over 25,000 sq ft. Remodel: $300 under 25,000 sq ft, $600 over 25,000 sq ft. Expedited review (acted on within 5 business days): $1,000 plus the plan review fee. Paid in full at submission., per project; DPHD's Food Safety page states that plans 'will be acted upon within 30 days of receipt' and expedited plans 'within 5 business days'. Also required for restaurants, retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Mobile Food Service Operation / Mobile Retail Food Establishment License — Delaware Public Health District, $168–$308 a year per unit, combined DPHD + state fee: low risk (pre-packaged food only) $168 ($140 DPHD + $28 state); high risk $308 ($280 DPHD + $28 state), one licensing period, March 1 to the last day of February; ORC 3717.43(D) requires a mobile operation to renew before it begins operating in a new licensing period. Also required for food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Temporary Food Service License — Delaware Public Health District, $125 per day of the event; the 2026 schedule shows a $0.00 state fee for this line, the event period only; ORC 3717.43(C)(1)(b) provides that the license expires at the end of the period for which it is issued, and ORC 3717.43(D) makes it not renewable. Also required for food trucks and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
• Retail Cigarette Dealer's License — Delaware County Auditor, $125 a year for each physical place of business; prorated after June 1 with a $25 minimum; $5 for a duplicate and $5 for a transfer to another location in the county, one year from June 1; apply on or before June 1 each year. Also required for retail stores and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Vendor's License — Ohio Department of Taxation, $50 one-time, per fixed location, no renewal — stays in effect until cancelled. Also required for restaurants, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Food Service Operation License — Ohio Department of Health, Food Safety Program, $28 state fee for a commercial operation ($14 non-commercial, $6 per vending machine location), plus a license fee set independently by the local board of health, 1 March to the last day of February. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.