Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Olmsted County food-facility health permits run about $700–$1,490 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $85–$500. Confirm the exact amount with Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS), Environmental Health - operating under a delegation agreement with the Minnesota Dept. of Health (MDH). The food type and location determine whether OCPHS or the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture (MDA) issues the license and inspects (grocery/retail food is generally MDA). (507) 328-7500. 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 Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS), Environmental Health - operating under a delegation agreement with the Minnesota Dept. of Health (MDH). The food type and location determine whether OCPHS or the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture (MDA) issues the license and inspects (grocery/retail food is generally MDA). (507) 328-7500. issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 4.5% change in establishments since 2022 (331 → 346).
The average foodservice wage here is $1,587 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.
OCPHS 2026 license fee schedule; As an MDH-delegated agency, OCPHS licenses and inspects most restaurants (food service) within the county; state MDA licenses grocery/retail food handlers
Olmsted County (Rochester) runs its own inspection program under the Minnesota Food Code; no letter grade. Reports not posted online — available on request.
Seasonal Temporary Food Stand and School Concession Stand are also $331.00 each
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
The government permit & plan-review fees below total roughly $835–$2,321 for Olmsted County:
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.
Comparison uses the lowest published annual restaurant-permit figure in each county; confirm your exact tier with the department.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.
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 Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS), Environmental Health - operating under a delegation agreement with the Minnesota Dept. of Health (MDH). The food type and location determine whether OCPHS or the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture (MDA) issues the license and inspects (grocery/retail food is generally MDA). (507) 328-7500. (contact above).
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.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caterer | $700.00 (Caterer/Commissary, 2026) | OCPHS combines Caterer and Commissary into a single $700 category |
| Commissary / central preparation kitchen | $700.00 (Caterer/Commissary, 2026) | Same combined OCPHS category as Caterer |
| Bar / limited food service | $700.00 (Limited Food Establishment, 2026) | OCPHS 'Limited Food Establishment' covers limited-menu / limited food service operations |
| Temporary / seasonal event | Seasonal Food Establishment $400.00; Seasonal Temporary Food Stand $331.00; Special Event Food Stand $30.00; School Concession Stand $331.00 (2026) | From OCPHS 2026 license fee schedule |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | Mobile Food Unit $331.00; Food Cart $331.00; Special Event Mobile Food Unit/Cart $50.00 (2026) | OCPHS is MDH-delegated; mobile operations licensed by OCPHS within the county |
| Grocery / market with deli | grocery/retail food handlers in Minnesota are generally licensed by the MN Dept; of Agriculture (MDA), not OCPHS | Menu and location determine whether OCPHS or MDA is the licensing authority; confirm with OCPHS at 507-328-7500 |
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.
Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Olmsted County with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →