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 Winnebago County Public Health, Environmental Health Division (DATCP agent) issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 1.9% change in establishments since 2022 (377 → 384).
The average foodservice wage here is $1,226 below the Wisconsin average ($20,340); Wisconsin has about 13,939 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.
Establishments assigned to simple (<=2.5 pts), moderate (>2.5-4.5 pts) or complex (>=4.5 pts) categories; prepackaged-only establishments have separate fees (ATCP 75 Table B); Licensing year runs July 1; June 30. Cities of Appleton and Menasha are licensed separately
Wisconsin DATCP/agent local health departments inspect under the Wisconsin Food Code (priority/core violations); no letter grade or score. Reports online via DATCP's inspection portal.
Mobile operations require a service base/commissary; Transient (temporary) mobile vending fees ARE published; see notable and category file
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 Wisconsin Plumbing Code (SPS 382), 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 Wisconsin plumbing code, with FOG limits set by the municipal 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 Winnebago County Public Health, Environmental Health Division (DATCP agent) (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (Wisconsin adopts the IFC via SPS 314): 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 through Wisconsin's fire and building codes, 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 | $209.00 (for-profit, TCS) | 2025/2026 Transient Retail Food Establishment fees: for-profit TCS (hot/cold food) $209.00; for-profit non-TCS/prepackaged $119.00; non-profit operating >3 days $112.00; non-profit 1-3 days = no permit needed ($0.00); internal-use temporary inspection fee $60.00. Licensing year July 1; June 30 |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | mobile retail food establishment licensed under ATCP 75 (requires a service base); annual fee not published on county site | Transient/temporary mobile vending uses the Transient Retail fees above |
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 Winnebago County with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.