Permits

Permits

Contact the health department early to introduce yourself and the company. You may want to engage with a Health Consultant to complete the Health Application and manage any pre-inspections and final inspections. It is important to understand early on what your local Health Department will need from you to submit your application.

In most counties, obtaining the Health Department permit is your responsibility (in some states and/or counties, stores will have to apply with the Department of Agriculture instead). When you speak with the Health Department be sure to ask the following questions:

• What paperwork you need to fill out for your health permit.
• If you are required to have a Food Handler's license.
• If you do, ask what the procedure is to receive this license.
• If you will be required to have architectural plans.
• Is there anything else that is needed?

Your General Contractor will most likely handle all your building permits. Please be sure to confirm. (the Architect of Record may also be able to handle your permits)

Please find below some general building permits* our stores are required to obtain. These include but are not limited to:

• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Mechanical
• Fire Department and Hood Suppression
• Signage
• Final Building

* See local city department for any other permits needed; make sure everything is in writing.

It is important to be aware of all permits needed regardless of whether your general contractor will handle permitting.

You will receive the following types of permits for each above category:

• Initial Permits - These permits allow for you to start construction.
• Rough Permits - These permits are required after your contractor has installed all the rough electrical, plumbing and mechanical items and before he/she seals up the floor and walls. An inspector will come out to review the work done before allowing the floors and walls to be sealed up and construction can proceed.
• Final Permits - You will receive final permits after you pass all final inspections before you open your store. You will need to get a Certificate of Occupancy after you pass all inspections.

*Per ROTI requirements, you will need to email your Certificate of Occupancy & Health Inspection Approval to the Construction Team 10 days before your scheduled opening week.

Please note that if you fire your contractor mid-construction and have to a hire a new one, he/she cannot just start where the previous contractor left off. The new contractor must apply for initial permits and/or rough permits all over again. You will not receive final permits or your Certificate of Occupancy if you have one set of permits done by one contractor and another set of permits done by another contractor. The same contractor's name must be on all permits issued to be able to officially open your store.

Certificate of Occupancy

All stores must receive a Certificate of Occupancy (or the equivalent) ten (10) days prior to a planned opening and before any on-site support will be scheduled for that store's opening. In extreme cases, a C of O can be submitted withing 10 days prior to open but the restaurant cannot sell to the public without the C of O. The C of O is issued from either the Health Department or Building Department, depending on the county. It is issued after the store has passed all final inspections from, but not limited to, the following departments:

• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Fire
• Building
• Health
• Agriculture (if applicable)

Once you get your permits, we will start our "Countdown to Openings" calls. These calls will be scheduled as needed and will be to make sure the franchisee is doing everything they are supposed to be doing.