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Toronto · Food & drink

Licences and permits to open a café or coffee shop in Toronto

We found five licences, permits and registrations that can apply when you open a café or coffee shop in Toronto, starting with the Eating or Drinking Establishment licence. Three of them apply only in certain situations, noted on each item. They are handled by two different bodies: Municipal Licensing & Standards and Toronto Public Health.

Everything on this list is municipal, so the City of Toronto is your main point of contact. Published application-plus-licence totals on these pages range from $395.20 to $536.64. Two have no fee listed on the page we reviewed.

The notes mention a zoning review, proof of $2,000,000 in liability insurance, an inspection and a certificate or exam; those steps depend on other people's schedules, so they are worth starting early.

Requirements
5
Issuers
2
Provincial
0
Last verified
Oct 31, 2026

What you'll need

Last verified:

  1. 01Eating or Drinking Establishment licence

    If applicable Municipal

    Issued by: City of Toronto — Municipal Licensing & Standards

    If customers can eat or drink on-site. Required where food or drinks are prepared or served for immediate consumption on-site (take-out and limited entertainment may be included). An approved Zoning Review for Business Licence is needed before applying unless taking over a recently licensed business in the same category.

    Fees as published

    • Application fee: $268.32
    • Licence fee: $268.32
    • Total fee (Application fee + Licence fee): $536.64
    • Renewal fee: $362.96 (as listed on toronto.ca, page modified July 27, 2026)
    View on toronto.ca — City of Toronto page(opens in a new tab)

    Last verified:

  2. 02Take-out or Retail Food Establishment licence

    If applicable Municipal

    Issued by: City of Toronto — Municipal Licensing & Standards

    If everything is sold exclusively for consumption off-site. Required where prepared food/drinks or pre-packaged food/drink items are offered exclusively for consumption off-site; zoning approval is required for most new applications.

    Fees as published

    • Application fee: $197.60 (inclusive of GST)
    • Licence fee: $197.60 (inclusive of GST)
    • Total fee (Application fee + Licence fee): $395.20
    • Renewal fee: $261.04 (as listed on toronto.ca, page modified June 3, 2026)
    View on toronto.ca — City of Toronto page(opens in a new tab)

    Last verified:

  3. 03Notify Toronto Public Health of a new food premises (DineSafe inspection)

    Municipal

    Issued by: City of Toronto — Toronto Public Health

    Anyone intending to operate a food premises (fixed, mobile or home-based), including buying an existing one, must notify the Medical Officer of Health before starting; premises are inspected and results posted on DineSafe.

    No fee published on the source page.

    View on toronto.ca — City of Toronto page(opens in a new tab)

    Last verified:

  4. 04Accredited Food Handler Certification for staff

    Municipal

    Issued by: City of Toronto — Municipal Licensing & Standards

    Staff who handle food in licensed eating or drinking establishments — including servers, hosts, bartenders and cooks — must hold Accredited Food Handler Certification.

    No fee published on the source page.

    View on toronto.ca — City of Toronto page(opens in a new tab)

    Last verified:

  5. 05Sidewalk Café Permit (optional, for a patio on the City sidewalk)

    If applicable Municipal

    Issued by: City of Toronto — Municipal Licensing & Standards

    Only needed to put seating on a public sidewalk; applicants must already hold a valid municipal business licence where food and drinks are served, and must show $2,000,000 in liability insurance and a site plan.

    Fees as published

    • One-time application fee: $1,016.55 per application
    • Effective January 1, 2025 the square metre area permit fee is $44.14 + HST/sq m. No application or permit fees for small frontage cafés (no more than 0.8m x 5.5m with a 2.1 m pedestrian clearway) (as listed on toronto.ca, page modified June 3, 2026)
    View on toronto.ca — City of Toronto page(opens in a new tab)

    Last verified:

This is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with the municipality before opening.

FAQ

Café / Coffee Shop in Toronto: common questions

What licences do I need to open a café or coffee shop in Toronto?
Our list has five items: Eating or Drinking Establishment licence, Take-out or Retail Food Establishment licence, Notify Toronto Public Health of a new food premises (DineSafe inspection), Accredited Food Handler Certification for staff and Sidewalk Café Permit (optional, for a patio on the City sidewalk). Items marked "if" or "optional" apply only in certain situations — the notes explain when. Confirm with the City of Toronto before opening.
How much do the licences cost to open a café or coffee shop in Toronto?
Published fees: Eating or Drinking Establishment licence: Application fee: $268.32; Licence fee: $268.32; Total fee (Application fee + Licence fee): $536.64; Renewal fee: $362.96 (as listed on toronto.ca, page modified July 27, 2026) Take-out or Retail Food Establishment licence: Application fee: $197.60 (inclusive of GST); Licence fee: $197.60 (inclusive of GST); Total fee (Application fee + Licence fee): $395.20; Renewal fee: $261.04 (as listed on toronto.ca, page modified June 3, 2026) Sidewalk Café Permit (optional, for a patio on the City sidewalk): One-time application fee: $1,016.55 per application; Effective January 1, 2025 the square metre area permit fee is $44.14 + HST/sq m. No application or permit fees for small frontage cafés (no more than 0.8m x 5.5m with a 2.1 m pedestrian clearway) (as listed on toronto.ca, page modified June 3, 2026). Fees change; check the linked page for the current amount.
Who issues these licences and permits?
City of Toronto — Municipal Licensing & Standards (Eating or Drinking Establishment licence, Take-out or Retail Food Establishment licence, Accredited Food Handler Certification for staff and Sidewalk Café Permit (optional, for a patio on the City sidewalk)); City of Toronto — Toronto Public Health (Notify Toronto Public Health of a new food premises (DineSafe inspection)).
Do I need anything from the Province of Ontario?
The City of Toronto pages we reviewed don't list a provincial requirement for this type of business. Other registrations, such as registering a business name or a tax account, can still apply depending on how you set up.
How current is this information?
Each item was last checked against the linked page on October 31, 2026. Rules and fees change, so open the linked page and confirm with the issuer before you apply. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

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