Is Your House in Order?

Excellent location. A perfect menu. Just the right color scheme in the dining room. It all adds up to the makings of a great restaurant … but only if all the business’s licenses and permits are in order.

From commercial alarm permits to server training certificates and alcohol licenses, determining just what’s needed for a new restaurant requires hours of research and paperwork. What’s more, making changes to a restaurant after it opens, such as adding rooftop seating or allowing dogs at the sidewalk cafe, may require even more licenses and permits.

If the right paperwork isn’t secured, business owners could face fines, a delayed opening, closure and even, in rare circumstances, jail time.

And it’s a common scenario, especially for those with multiple locations and without centralized compliance teams or regular audits of their existing or required permits. A quick search of the headlines turns up plenty of stories about restaurants facing consequences because the right…