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

Retail Food Establishment – Serving Meals License

A restaurant, or a coffee shop that serves meals, located in Brown County outside the City of De Pere needs this license from the Brown County Health & Human Services Public Health Division, which issues it as the agent of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. County Code §37.02 covers all areas of the county except cities that have opted out of the countywide public health system; the Wisconsin DHS directory lists the DePere Department of Public Health as the county's other local health department, and De Pere's application sends applicants to that department, so a business in De Pere is licensed there. Under Wis. Stat. §97.41(5) the agent includes the State fee in its license fee, so each amount is the full amount paid to the county. The amounts are those in the "Rates and Fees" appendix of the Brown County 2026 Adopted Budget (adopted by the County Board on October 29, 2025), which County Code ch. 37 §37.07 makes the instrument for health license fees; health licenses run on a July 1 to June 30 license year. The 2027 Proposed Budget, published October 1, 2026, proposes a change to these health fees; the County Board votes on the budget in late October or early November. The license tier (prepackaged, simple, moderate or complex) is set by the food handled. The same budget lists a pre-inspection fee of 40% of the license total for a new establishment and 30% for an existing one, an additional food preparation area within an establishment at $125, a tavern license at $160 with $50 for each additional tavern area (a health license, separate from the municipal alcohol license), and a soft drink stand or frozen confection license at $154. The Public Health Division's Business Licensing page states that information about the 2026-2027 fee schedule is coming soon. Contact the Environmental Health Unit at 920-448-6400.

Retail Food Establishment – Not Serving Meals License

A grocery, convenience store or other shop that sells food without serving meals, or a coffee shop licensed in that category, located in Brown County outside the City of De Pere needs this license from the Brown County Health & Human Services Public Health Division, issued as the State's agent under County Code ch. 37 and Wis. Stat. §97.41. The tier depends on the food handled: prepackaged only, simple with time/temperature-controlled-for-safety (TCS) foods, simple without TCS foods, moderate or complex. Under Wis. Stat. §97.41(5) each amount includes the State fee. The amounts are those in the "Rates and Fees" appendix of the Brown County 2026 Adopted Budget (adopted by the County Board on October 29, 2025), which County Code ch. 37 §37.07 makes the instrument for health license fees; health licenses run on a July 1 to June 30 license year. The 2027 Proposed Budget, published October 1, 2026, proposes a change to these health fees; the County Board votes on the budget in late October or early November. The budget also lists the pre-inspection fee of 40% of the license total for a new establishment and 30% for an existing one. A business in the City of De Pere is licensed by the De Pere health department, which the Wisconsin DHS directory lists as the county's second local health department. Contact the Environmental Health Unit at 920-448-6400.

Retail Food Establishment License

Who licenses you depends on your address. The agriculture department licenses retail food across most of the state at $105 for prepackaged, $230 simple, $330 moderate and $540 complex, plus a one-off pre-inspection of $130 to $770 — but a local health department that has signed an agent contract licenses and prices in the state's place within its own jurisdiction. The spread is real: Oneida County charges $120 to $615 with identical pre-inspection fees, while Public Health Madison and Dane County charges an agency fee from $266.76 to $1,457.35 banded by food and drink sales, collects the state portion on top and remits it, and adds plan review of $562.50 to $1,200. So a single Wisconsin restaurant fee does not exist. Every license expires on 30 June whenever it was issued, though one granted after 1 April runs to the following June. Operating unlicensed adds a $749 surcharge. The department's restaurants and catering page states that organisations such as youth groups, churches and service clubs that prepare, serve or sell food to the public on no more than three days in any twelve-month period do not need a serving-meals license.

Shared with other businesses in Brown County Wi

• Public Health Re-inspection, Late and Penalty Fees — Brown County Health & Human Services, Public Health Division (Environmental Health Unit), Re-inspection for non-compliance: $150 (first), $300 (second), $450 (third). Certified Food Manager not on staff: $150 for the first offence; $255 if still out of compliance 12 months later. Operating without a valid Health Department license: $500. Licensed establishment closure / re-open: $107. Late penalty for establishment licenses not renewed by July 1: $150., per occurrence; charged when the triggering event happens. Also required for restaurants, food trucks, retail stores, fitness studios and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the salons and barbers page.
• Transient Retail Food Establishment License (events) — Brown County Health & Human Services, Public Health Division (Environmental Health Unit), $100–$250 license fee per stand (2026 Adopted Budget and the 2026-27 application): Temperature Controlled for Safety $200; Non-Temperature Controlled for Safety $150; Prepackaged $100; the application also offers the Retail Food Base – No Catering license at $250; amounts include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)), license year ending June 30; the county's application states that all transient licenses expire on June 30 annually. Also required for food trucks and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Certified Food Protection Manager — Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Division of Food and Recreational Safety, No fee, 5 years. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.