Opening a Restaurant

It is the responsibility of the applicant to meet the requirements of all the agencies with jurisdiction over this food and/or beverage establishment prior to opening. This may include, but is not limited to: zoning, plumbing, electrical, building, planning, sewer and water, fire marshal, FOG program for grease interceptors, utilities, public works, ODOT, OLCC, and/or Oregon-OSHA.

Check with the local city you wish to operate in and Community Development for permitting requirements. A sign-off will be required in order to be approved.

Licensing a Restaurant 

Restaurants are a stationary site (no wheels) where food is prepped, sold, and/or dispensed on-site for the general public. Restaurants can include hospital cafeterias, coffee shops, bars, diners, etc. A “Limited Service Restaurant” is a restaurant serving only individually portioned prepackaged foods prepared from an approved source by a commercial processor and nonperishable beverages. A license is required.

If you’re not sure if this is the correct type of license, please click here: What kind of license do I need?

Restaurant fees are based on the number of seats in the establishment (see fee list). License application packets must be submitted prior to remodeling, new construction, or a change in ownership.

Licenses are NON-TRANSFERRABLE, and you must pay the licensing fee prior to operating the facility. If you are a new owner to an already operating food facility and do not plan on remodeling, please fill out the Complete Restaurant Packet.

A facility that has been closed for 6 consecutive months or more must come into compliance with current rules and regulations prior to re-opening.

To complete the application electronically, please save the document to your computer and attach completed form to email. Form must be saved, scanned, or converted to PDF format – JPG or other image formats will not be accepted.