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.
About 1,205 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 535,733. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
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).
| 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 →