Restaurants, commercial kitchens, 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 Summit County Public Health (SCPH) - Food Safety Program, Akron issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▼ 0.1% change in establishments since 2022 (1,205 → 1,204).
The average foodservice wage here is $199 below the Ohio average ($20,628); Ohio has about 24,162 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.
FSO annual license fees are risk-based (Risk Level I-IV) and CPI-adjusted per Ohio law; the per-risk-level dollar amounts are published only in the SCPH EH Fee Schedule (not captured here); Call (330) 926-5600. SCPH at 1867 W; Market St, Akron, OH 44313
Ohio local health districts inspect under the Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code (risk-based, critical/non-critical violations); no letter grade or score.
Temporary food license (2025): commercial $160, non-commercial $80. Confirm against official SCPH fee schedule
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Under Ohio Plumbing Code (based on 2021 IPC), 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 Ohio Plumbing Code, with FOG discharge limits enforced 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 Summit County Public Health (SCPH) - Food Safety Program, Akron (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (Ohio Fire Code (based on 2021 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 Ohio 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 |
|---|---|---|
| market/grocery with deli | Retail Food Establishment, licensed on same Risk Level I-IV / commercial-vs-noncommercial / under-vs-over 25,000 sq ft scale as restaurants; Commercial under 25,000 sq ft: Risk I $284, Risk II $316, Risk III $580, Risk IV $728 (total); Commercial over 25,000 sq ft: Risk I $398, Risk II $418, Risk III $1,412, Risk IV $1,496 (total) | Ohio licenses grocery/markets as 'Retail Food Establishments' (RFE) and restaurants as 'Food Service Operations' (FSO) under one combined fee table; a grocery with a deli typically lands at Risk Level III or IV; Totals include the $28 state fee |
| temporary/seasonal/special-event | $160 (commercial) / $80 (non-commercial), each occurrence | Temporary Food Operations (Ohio: up to 5 consecutive days); Non-commercial (non-profit) rate is half |
| commissary/central kitchen | — | No standalone commissary category in the Summit County fee schedule; central kitchens are licensed as a Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment at the applicable risk level |
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 Summit 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 →