Restaurants and food trucks.
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 Philadelphia Department of Public Health - Office of Food Protection issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 1.4% change in establishments since 2022 (3,848 → 3,903).
The average foodservice wage here is $5,552 above the Pennsylvania average ($21,794); Pennsylvania has about 27,120 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.
$239/yr for up to 5,000 sq ft; $599/yr over 5,000 sq ft; A non-refundable $20 application fee is deducted from the total (remainder due on approval); Late renewal (>60 days past due) adds 1.5% of the license fee per month; A separate Commercial Activity License ($300) is also required for all Philadelphia businesses
Turnaround: ~30 business days for preliminary review + fee-assessment letter; expedited ~10 business days
State Dept of Agriculture (or the county health dept for Allegheny/Philadelphia/Bucks/Delaware/Montgomery) inspects to the PA Food Code; risk-based reports online, no letter grade posted.
$165/yr license; mobile plan review $150; initial health inspection (truck + commissary) $190; reinspection $100 if failed; expedited service +$380. Commercial Activity License ($300/yr) also required; Center City vending-zone parking (optional, via lottery) ~$2,750/yr
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
Check the health-inspection history and violation scores for any food establishment in Philadelphia County and Pennsylvania. The PA Department of Agriculture (eatSafePA) posts inspections for establishments under state jurisdiction plus participating local health departments, while some jurisdictions (e.g., Philadelphia, Allegheny) inspect on their own.
Pennsylvania inspection lookup →U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
A code-compliant kitchen in Philadelphia County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
Under IPC 2018 (PA UCC), 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 where grease-laden waste is produced, sized under the state plumbing code, with the FOG discharge permit issued by the local sewer authority.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Philadelphia Department of Public Health - Office of Food Protection (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (IFC 2018 (PA UCC)): 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 and is permitted and inspected by the local code/fire official under the PA UCC fire provisions. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: An annual RPZ/backflow assembly test is required under state cross-connection control rules and administered by the public water supplier. 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 | — | "Food Caterer License" (permanent-location food preparation for catering); $20 non-refundable application fee applied toward the license fee; balance due on approval |
| market/grocery with deli | $239 (up to 5,000 sq ft) + $20 application | "Food Establishment Retail, Permanent Location License" for grocery, drug store, or market |
| food processing/wholesale | — | "Food Manufacturer License" to manufacture, process, or wholesale food; $20 non-refundable application fee applied toward license fee |
| temporary/seasonal/special-event | — | Special-event food/beverage plan review and Farmers Market operation handled by Dept of Public Health; "Food Preparation and Serving License" covers restaurants/delis/caterers preparing or serving food |
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 Philadelphia 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 →