Restaurants and food trucks.
St. Louis County food-facility health permits run about $50–$1,025 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $450–$550. Confirm the exact amount with Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Food, Pools & Lodging Services - Duluth District Office (licenses St. Louis County incl. Duluth directly; not delegated to a local health department). Grocery/food markets are licensed by MN 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 - Duluth District Office (licenses St. Louis County incl. Duluth directly; not delegated to a local health department). Grocery/food markets are licensed by MN Dept of Agriculture (MDA). issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▼ 0.9% change in establishments since 2022 (425 → 421).
The average foodservice wage here is $1,998 below 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.
MDH licenses St; Louis County and the City of Duluth directly via its Duluth District Office; Category reflects food-handling complexity
MDH/MDA (and delegated Duluth program) inspect under the Minnesota Food Code; no letter grade. Reports not posted online — available on request.
Food Cart is a separate class ($150.00 license); Special Event Food Stand $250.00 license; Seasonal Temporary Food Stand $150.00 license
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 $460–$2,275 for St. Louis 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 Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Food, Pools & Lodging Services - Duluth District Office (licenses St. Louis County incl. Duluth directly; not delegated to a local health department). Grocery/food markets are licensed by MN Dept of Agriculture (MDA). (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary / seasonal event | Special Event Food Stand: $250.00 license; Seasonal Temporary Food Stand: $150.00 license (plan review $500.00 new / $400.00 remodel) (MDH, eff; 7/1/2025) | Special Event Food Stand requires no plan review |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | Food Cart: $150.00 license (plan review $750.00 new / $500.00 remodel); Mobile Food Unit: $75.00 license | MDH distinguishes Food Cart from Mobile Food Unit; add $300 base + $50 hospitality + $5 technology |
| Grocery / market with deli | grocery stores/food markets are licensed by the MN Dept of Agriculture (MDA), not MDH | MDH licenses food and beverage service (restaurants); retail food markets fall to MDA |
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 St. Louis 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 →