Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Food, Pools & Lodging Services - Metro District Office. MDH licenses and inspects food establishments directly in Dakota County; the county has NO delegation agreement, so it is not a local licensing authority. Grocery/retail food markets are licensed by the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture (MDA). · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Dakota County food-facility health permits run about $50–$1,025 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $400–$800. Confirm the exact amount with Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Food, Pools & Lodging Services - Metro District Office. MDH licenses and inspects food establishments directly in Dakota County; the county has NO delegation agreement, so it is not a local licensing authority. Grocery/retail food markets are licensed by the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture (MDA). before you budget.
Confirm the authority for your exact address. Some cities run their own health division, and building, planning, fire, sewer/grease and business-license approvals are separate even when Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Food, Pools & Lodging Services - Metro District Office. MDH licenses and inspects food establishments directly in Dakota County; the county has NO delegation agreement, so it is not a local licensing authority. Grocery/retail food markets are licensed by the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture (MDA). issues the health permit.
The restaurant market in Dakota County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
711
food & drink establishments
15,009
industry jobs
$354M
annual payroll
$23,566
avg wage / worker
260 full-service restaurants
296 limited-service & fast food
24 bars & drinking places
73 snack & coffee bars
11 mobile food & trucks
▲ 2.6% change in establishments since 2022 (693 → 711).
The average foodservice wage here is $266 above the Minnesota average ($23,300); Minnesota has about 10,937 food & drink establishments statewide.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 722, food services & drinking places) — establishments with paid employees. Some small-county payroll figures are withheld by Census for confidentiality.
Last verified: 2026-08-17 — we re-confirmed the serving authority, its contact, and that the fees below match the current published schedule. Fee schedules may carry an earlier effective date (shown per fee); local ordinances & amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date? Report an update →
Restaurant / food-facility permit
Food and Beverage establishment license (MDH), risk Category 1-3
MDH fee schedule effective July 1, 2025. Category 3 = high risk (e.g., extensive prep / large volume); MDH bills base fee + hospitality + technology fee on top of the per-category license fee; Dakota County has no MDH/MDA delegation, so the state licenses directly
Plan review — required
MDH food establishment plan review (eff; July 1, 2025):
Category 1 $550 new / $450 remodel
Category 2 $750 new / $500 remodel
Category 3 $800 new / $550 remodel
Mobile Food Unit $700 new / $400 remodel
Food Cart, Seasonal Temporary Food Stand and Seasonal Permanent Food Stand $500 new / $400 remodel
MDH/MDA (and delegated programs) inspect under the Minnesota Food Code; no letter grade or score. Minnesota generally does not post results online — reports available on request.
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
What it costs in permit fees to open here
The government permit & plan-review fees below total roughly $410–$2,525 for Dakota County:
$5–$1,025 — food-facility permit
$400–$800 — plan review
$5–$700 — food-truck permit
That’s the paperwork only. Add buildout, equipment, deposits and licenses with the cost-to-open calculator. Fees change — confirm current amounts with the department.
How Dakota County’s permit cost compares
At about $50/year, Dakota County’s restaurant health permit is about the Minnesota median ($50) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 19% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 13th-lowest of 81 Minnesota counties by permit cost.
Comparison uses the lowest published annual restaurant-permit figure in each county; confirm your exact tier with the department.
Local food-service market
About 693 food & drinking establishments serve ~447,440 residents in Dakota County — one per ~646 residents, sparser than the Minnesota average (one per ~519).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$50 annual health permit + $400 plan review.
Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.
Grease trap & FOG requirements
Under Minnesota Plumbing Code (Ch. 4714, based on 2018 UPC), food establishments here must control fats, oils & grease (FOG) with a grease interceptor or trap, and typically register with the local sewer/wastewater authority. Grease interceptors are required under the Minnesota Plumbing Code, with FOG limits set by the local sewer utility.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Food, Pools & Lodging Services - Metro District Office. MDH licenses and inspects food establishments directly in Dakota County; the county has NO delegation agreement, so it is not a local licensing authority. Grocery/retail food markets are licensed by the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture (MDA). (contact above).
Fire suppression & backflow
Hood fire suppression (Minnesota State Fire Code (Ch. 7511, based on IFC)): commercial cooking under a Type I hood needs a wet-chemical suppression system to NFPA 96, permitted and inspected by the local fire marshal. Commercial kitchen hood suppression follows NFPA 96 as adopted in the Minnesota State Fire Code and is inspected by the local fire authority. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Restaurants must install a testable backflow preventer (typically an RPZ) that is tested annually and reported to the local water utility. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.
Watch out for
Authority is STATE (MDH), not the county; Dakota County has no MDH/MDA delegation agreement, so restaurants are licensed by the MDH Metro District Office (651-201-4500)
$50 statewide hospitality fee is required annually from every food/beverage/lodging establishment in Minnesota, plus a $300 base fee and $5 technology fee
Additional MDH license line items (eff; July 1, 2025): Food Cart $150; Seasonal Temporary Food Stand $150; Seasonal Permanent Food Stand $150; Special Event Food Stand $75; Additional Food Service $250; HACCP $225; Additional Inspection Fee (K-12 schools) $350
Grocery stores / retail food markets and food processors are licensed by the MN Dept; of Agriculture (MDA) with fees based on gross annual food sales (non-refundable $50 application), not by MDH
Equipment your Dakota County plan review will check
Health-department plan review looks for specific, code-compliant fixtures. Compare spec-filtered options, then confirm counts and sizes with your local requirements. See the full list in what equipment a commercial kitchen requires.
Annual total = Base fee (food & beverage) $300 + Statewide Hospitality fee $50 + Technology fee $5 + category license fee: Category 1 $185, Category 2 $430, Category 3 $670. Example totals: Category 1 = $540; Category 2 = $785; Category 3 = $1,025 These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Dakota County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: MDH food establishment plan review (eff; July 1, 2025): Category 1 $550 new / $450 remodel; Category 2 $750 new / $500 remodel; Category 3 $800 new / $550 remodel; Mobile Food Unit $700 new / $400 remodel; Food Cart, Seasonal Temporary Food Stand and Seasonal Permanent Food Stand $500 new / $400 remodel; Additional Food Service $400 new / $400 remodel; HACCP $600 new; Special Event Food Stand: no plan review required
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Dakota County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. MDH fee schedule effective July 1, 2025. Food Cart is a separate MDH license type at $150 (plan review $500 new / $400 remodel); MDH-issued statewide
Who issues food permits in Dakota County?
Food permits here are issued by Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Food, Pools & Lodging Services - Metro District Office. MDH licenses and inspects food establishments directly in Dakota County; the county has NO delegation agreement, so it is not a local licensing authority. Grocery/retail food markets are licensed by the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture (MDA).. See the department site for current details.
Are city building and fire approvals separate?
Yes — building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals are always separate from the health permit and are often handled by different offices.