Amarillo Area Public Health District, Environmental Health (regulates food establishments across both Potter and Randall counties; formerly City of Amarillo Public Health / Environmental Health) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Potter County food-facility health permits run about $100–$773 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Amarillo Area Public Health District, Environmental Health (regulates food establishments across both Potter and Randall counties; formerly City of Amarillo Public Health / Environmental Health) 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 Amarillo Area Public Health District, Environmental Health (regulates food establishments across both Potter and Randall counties; formerly City of Amarillo Public Health / Environmental Health) issues the health permit.
The restaurant market in Potter County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
319
food & drink establishments
7,115
industry jobs
$149M
annual payroll
$20,923
avg wage / worker
123 full-service restaurants
123 limited-service & fast food
27 bars & drinking places
34 snack & coffee bars
▲ 0.6% change in establishments since 2022 (317 → 319).
The average foodservice wage here is $2,160 below the Texas average ($23,083); Texas has about 60,229 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 Hygiene Permit - tiered by gross annual food sales
A central preparation facility (commissary) is required for mobile units; Effective July 1, 2026, Texas HB 2844 shifts mobile food unit permitting to a statewide DSHS permit
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 $258–$150,773 for Potter County:
$0–$150,000 — food-facility permit
$258–$773 — 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 Potter County’s permit cost compares
At about $100/year, Potter County’s restaurant health permit is below the Texas median ($258) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 45% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 7th-lowest of 247 Texas 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 317 food & drinking establishments serve ~114,647 residents in Potter County — one per ~362 residents, denser than the Texas average (one per ~566).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$100 annual health permit.
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 2015 UPC and 2015 IPC (state-adopted minimum; municipality selects), food establishments here must control fats, oils & grease (FOG) with a grease interceptor or trap, and typically register with the local sewer/wastewater authority. Restaurants must install an approved grease interceptor under the state-adopted plumbing code, with discharge governed by the local sewer authority's FOG program.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Amarillo Area Public Health District, Environmental Health (regulates food establishments across both Potter and Randall counties; formerly City of Amarillo Public Health / Environmental Health) (contact above).
Fire suppression & backflow
Hood fire suppression: 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 must meet NFPA 96 and the locally adopted International Fire Code, enforced by the local fire marshal (no single mandatory statewide edition). See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Backflow prevention assemblies (typically an RPZ) require annual testing by a certified tester through the local water utility's cross-connection control program. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.
Watch out for
The Amarillo Area Public Health District regulates food establishments across BOTH Potter and Randall counties (city and unincorporated), not only inside the City of Amarillo
Amarillo Area Public Health District temporary and farmers-market fees; fee schedule effective Sept 1, 2025
Pushcart / mobile vending
Mobile units permitted under the same gross-annual-sales tiers as fixed establishments (Tier 1 $258 / Tier 2 $515 / Tier 3 $773); no separate mobile-unit line in the fee schedule; source https://www.amarillo.gov/environmental-health/fee-schedule/
A central preparation facility (commissary) is required; Effective July 1, 2026, mobile permitting shifts to a statewide DSHS permit under Texas HB 2844
Equipment your Potter 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.
$258 (Tier 1, $0-$49,999.99) / $515 (Tier 2, $50,000-$149,999.99) / $773 (Tier 3, $150,000+); Farmers Market (Tier 0) $100; non-profits & group care facilities serving food (Tier 0-NC) $0; fee schedule effective Sept 1, 2025; source https://www.amarillo.gov/environmental-health/fee-schedule/ These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Potter County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: the Environmental Health fee schedule does not list a separate plan review fee; plan review is conducted as part of the new-establishment permitting process; source https://www.amarillo.gov/environmental-health/fee-schedule/
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Potter County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. A central preparation facility (commissary) is required for mobile units; Effective July 1, 2026, Texas HB 2844 shifts mobile food unit permitting to a statewide DSHS permit
Who issues food permits in Potter County?
Food permits here are issued by Amarillo Area Public Health District, Environmental Health (regulates food establishments across both Potter and Randall counties; formerly City of Amarillo Public Health / Environmental Health). 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.