Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Manatee County food-facility health permits run about $242–$273 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Florida DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants (restaurants/food service) and FDACS Division of Food Safety (groceries/markets/bakeries) - statewide agencies covering Manatee County / Bradenton 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 Florida DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants (restaurants/food service) and FDACS Division of Food Safety (groceries/markets/bakeries) - statewide agencies covering Manatee County / Bradenton issues the health permit.
About 709 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 441,095. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
State-administered, not county; Restaurants and other public food service establishments are licensed by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR), Division of Hotels & Restaurants; Fees are identical in every Florida county; The Florida Department of Health; Manatee County does NOT license restaurants
State DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants inspects; outcome is met-standards / warning / emergency closure with violations listed, no letter grade; searchable statewide online database.
Prepared-food trucks/carts are DBPR MFDVs; carts selling only packaged/grocery items are FDACS; A commissary/base that reports the vehicle is required; Florida law (state preemption) limits additional local regulation of MFDVs
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
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.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caterer | $263/yr ($136.50 half-year); DBPR Caterer license | Caterers are licensed by DBPR H&R statewide; same amount in every Florida county |
| Commissary / central preparation kitchen | not a separately priced DBPR category; a commissary is licensed as a nonseating Public Food Service Establishment ($242/yr) and serves as the base/report point for mobile food dispensing vehicles | DBPR treats the commissary as a food service establishment (nonseating tier) |
| Bakery / food processing | Retail Bakery $355; Retail Bakery with food service $440; Wholesale Bakery $465 (FDACS Rule 5K-4.020) | Bakeries and food processing are permitted by FDACS Division of Food Safety, NOT DBPR; a bakery with sit-down service may also need a DBPR seating license |
| Bar / limited food service | By seats (DBPR): Nonseating $242; 1-49 seats $262; 50-149 $273 (etc.) | A bar that serves food is a DBPR Public Food Service Establishment priced by seating; a bar serving only alcohol is licensed by DBPR Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco, not H&R |
| Grocery / market with deli | Grocery Store $465; Supermarket $500 (FDACS Rule 5K-4.020); statutory cap $650 (Ch; 500.12, F.S.) | Groceries/markets are permitted by FDACS; an in-store deli/seating food-service area additionally requires a DBPR seating license |
| Temporary / seasonal event | $91 (1-3 day event); $105 (4-30 day event); $456 annual temporary food service vendor (DBPR) | Temporary food service events are licensed by DBPR H&R (tied to the event/vendor) |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | $347/yr ($178.50 half-year) + $50 application; DBPR Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicle / hot dog cart; Packaged-food-only carts: FDACS Mobile Vendor $300 | Prepared-food carts/trucks = DBPR MFDV; carts selling only packaged/grocery items = FDACS |
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 Manatee 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 →