Starting a new food venture? Before obtaining an operating permit, the layout of the food facility needs to be approved. If you're taking over an existing food business with and keeping the same menu, you will need a food facility evaluation. For new operations, if you are building a new restaurant or making changes to an existing one, a plan review is required. Besides being required before you will be eligible to operate the food facility, the facility evaluation and plan review focus on making sure that the facility meets the structural and equipment requirements of the California Retail Food Code. Sanitary designs promote safe practices and contribute to the safety of your food by focusing on:
Here's a brief overview of what each process entails.
Operating permits for food facilities are unable to be passed on to new owners. If you're taking over an existing food spot, it must be evaluated before you can get a new permit. This evaluation checks if the facility meets the latest California Retail Food Code standards, and no unauthorized changes were made to the site. If everything's up to code no changes are necessary, you can apply for an operating permit once the evaluation is complete. If not, you'll will need to make some minor updates or possibly go through a more detailed plan review for bigger fixes or modifications.
A plan review is needed in these situations:
After you have successfully completed one of these steps, you can file for an operating permit.
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