Licenses and permits to open a coffee shop in Atlanta
A coffee shop that prepares drinks or food on site is a food service business, licensed and inspected like a restaurant. Here are the 7 filings, in the order they're made.
Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Internal Revenue ServiceUS federal
Owners with an SSN or ITIN apply online. A company whose responsible party has neither (most China-based owners) faxes or mails Form SS-4, or calls the IRS international line.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Paper form, faxed or mailed
- Takes
- Fax: about 4 business days. Mail: about 4 to 5 weeks. Phone: issued on the call.
LLC formation
Georgia Secretary of State, CorporationsGA
Form the LLC or register a foreign company online.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed online
Sales tax registration
Georgia Department of RevenueGA
Register for sales and withholding tax online.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- After registering online in the Georgia Tax Center, you should get your tax account number by email within 15 minutes.
Certified food safety manager
Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental HealthGA
At least one employee with supervisory and management duties passes an accredited food safety manager exam, and is designated to this one place only. A new food service establishment has 60 days from its permit to employ one, and tells the county within 30 days if it loses its manager.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed online
- Renews
- Renewed as the exam's certifying body requires.
Atlanta business license
City of Atlanta, Department of Finance, Office of RevenueAtlanta
Every business location inside city limits registers. Apply on the city's ATLBiz portal with a government photo ID, the articles of incorporation, notarized SAVE and E-Verify affidavits and the EIN; the city runs the zoning review itself, and some kinds of business also upload a regulatory permit.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed on the agency's portal
- Takes
- Atlanta doesn't publish how long a new license takes; the zoning review is done inside the city as part of the application.
- Renews
- Every year: the certificate expires December 31; renew on ATLBiz from January 1 to February 15 ($500 late filing fee) and pay by April 1.
Food service plan review
Fulton County Board of Health, Environmental Health ServicesAtlanta
Before building or extensively remodeling, mail or bring the application, scaled plans, equipment specifications and the fee to the Environmental Health district office nearest the restaurant. An Atlanta address in DeKalb County applies to the DeKalb County Board of Health instead.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Paper form, mailed
- Takes
- The county doesn't publish a review time; Georgia's food service rules ask for plans at least 14 business days before construction starts.
Food service permit
Fulton County Board of Health, Environmental Health ServicesAtlanta
Issued by the county once the application and fee are in, the plans are approved and the place passes its pre-opening inspection; apply by mail or in person at the district office nearest the restaurant. An Atlanta address in DeKalb County gets its permit from the DeKalb County Board of Health instead.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Paper form, mailed
- Takes
- Georgia's food service rules ask for the permit application at least 10 business days before opening.
- Renews
- An inspection fee every year; the permit ends when the owner, location or type of operation changes.
More on opening in Atlanta
Questions people ask
Other businesses in Atlanta
Agency requirements change. Check each agency's page before you file.
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Get the plan for your coffee shop in Atlanta
This guide covers the city. Your exact address decides the county, the health district and the zoning. Placetta maps every filing for it, fills the official forms from your details, adds the deadlines and puts them up for your approval.
- The full list for your address, in filing order
- The official forms, filled line by line
- Renewal and inspection reminders