Temporary Food Service Permits

All temporary concessions shall meet requirements for Temporary Food Service Permits and are subject to inspection and enforcement by Health Department Inspectors. Only those potentially hazardous foods requiring limited preparation shall be prepared or served unless specifically approved by the department.

A permit application and list of foods to be offered shall be submitted to this Department prior to the operation of any temporary food concession.
THE PREPARATION OF FOODS IN A HOME KITCHEN OR ESTABLISHMENT NOT SUBJECT TO HEALTH DEPARTMENT INSPECTION IS PROHIBITED.
See the resources below to learn more.

Your booth must be designed with Food Safety and Protection in mind. The booth should have an overhead covering and be entirely enclosed except for the serving window and have only 1 flap for entry. Clear plastic or screening on sidewalls will aid visibility. Only food workers may be permitted inside the food preparation area and animals are excluded.

You must contact our office at least 30 days prior to your event.

You must contact our office at least 30 days prior to your event. Temporary Food booths are to be inspected prior to opening. If a Temporary Food Booth operates without a valid permit, it will be closed immediately. Weekend events should be inspected and permitted prior to Friday at 3:00 PM. Be prepared to tell the department where you will hold the event, what you plan to serve, where the food will come from, how you will prepare or transport the food, and precautions that will be taken to prevent contamination.

Temporary Permit

Keep your menu simple and keep potentially hazardous foods to a minimum. Avoid using precooked foods or leftovers. Cook to order, so as to avoid the potential for bacterial contamination. Use only foods from approved sources, avoiding foods that have been prepared at home.

You must use a metal stem food thermometer to check the internal temperatures of both hot foods and cold foods. Hamburgers and ground beef should be cooked to at least 155° Fahrenheit, all other foods to at least 165° Fahrenheit.

Heat foods to above 165° Fahrenheit within 30 minutes. Do not attempt to reheat foods in crock-pots, steam tables, sterno, or other unapproved hot holding

Foods that require refrigeration must be cooled to 41° Fahrenheit as quickly as possible and held at that temperature until ready to serve. To cool foods down quickly, use an ice water bath (60% ice and 40% water), stirring the product frequently, or place the food in shallow metal pans no more that 4 inches deep and refrigerate. Pans should not be stored one atop another and lids should be off until the food is completely cooled. Check to internal temperature periodically to see if the food is cooling properly.

If food must be transported from one location to another, keep it well covered and provide adequate temperature controls. Use refrigerated trucks or insulated containers to keep hot foods hot (above 135° Fahrenheit) and cold foods cold (below 41° Fahrenheit)

Hand washing facilities must be separate from utensil washing sinks and shall be provided inside each booth. The hand washing area shall be equipped a turn valve dispenser or urn with warm water, soap and single use sanitary towels. A coffee or tea urn is often used for this. GLOVES must also be worn and kept in booth! A wastewater collector or bucket will be directly below the urn to collect waste. See diagrams below:

Gloves or tongs should be used for ready to eat foods. ALL produce and ready to eat foods must be properly washed. Only healthy workers should prepare and serve food. Anyone that shows signs or symptoms of illness or whom have open cuts, sores or abrasions should not be allowed in the food booth. Workers should wear clean outer garments and should never smoke in the booth or near food.

Avoid bare hand contact with raw, ready-to-serve foods and food contact surfaces. Use disposable gloves, tongs, or other tools to handle food.

Use disposable utensils for food service. Keep your hands away from food contact surfaces and never reuse disposable ware. Chemical test strips should be kept on site. Wash equipment and utensils in a 4 step sanitizing process: 1-washing in hot soapy water 2 – rinsing in hot water 3- Chemical sanitizing in cool water. 4- Air-drying. See diagram below:

Ice used to cool cans and bottles should not be used in cup-beverages and should be stored separately.

Rinse and store your wiping cloths in a bucket of sanitizer (1 capful of bleach for every 2 gallons of water) Change the solution every 2 hours.

Keep foods covered to protect them from insects. Store pesticides away from food and food contact equipment. Place garbage and paper wastes in a refuse container with a tight-fitting lid. Dispose of wastewater in an approved septic tank or public toilet. Grease waste should be disposed of in a grease tank.

Temporary Booth should either have a vomit clean-up kit or have a copy of the vomit/diarrheal event clean-up procedures.

Vomit Clean-up Procedure

Temporary Food Permit Fees:

1-3 days $60
4-7 days $90
8-14 days $125

****GLOVES AND HAIR RESTRAINTS!!!! ARE REQUIRED!!!!

Updated: Oct 31, 2024