Florida: official links to open a restaurant or bar

1. Alcohol licensing (bar or restaurant serving alcohol)

• Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco agency home page (the deeper link in the federal directory no longer loads)

Source: TTB: Alcohol Beverage Authorities (verified 2026-10-17). Some states list tax or enforcement divisions here; start at the authority that issues on-premise retail licenses.

2. Food service licensing, plan review and food code

• Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Food Safety agency home page (the deeper link in the federal directory no longer loads)
• Department of Business and Professional Regulations, Division of Hotels and Restaurants agency home page (the deeper link in the federal directory no longer loads)
• Department of Health Food Hygiene Program agency home page (the deeper link in the federal directory no longer loads)

Source: FDA: State Retail and Food Service Codes and Regulations by State (verified 2026-10-17). In many states the county or city health department issues the actual permit; ask the state program who does.

3. State business and tax registration

• IRS: Florida state government websites for businesses (links to the state's tax, business-registration and employer pages)

Source: IRS: State government websites (verified 2026-10-17).

4. Tipped-employee wage rules (for bar and restaurant staffing)

DOL note: DOL notes Florida's minimum wage rises $1.00 each Sept 30 until it reaches $15.00 on Sept 30, 2026, so check the current rate with the state.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees, document revised 2026-07-01, checked 2026-10-17. Local minimums and recent state changes may not be reflected. Confirm with your state labor agency.

Local reminder

Zoning, building, fire and occupancy approvals, local alcohol hearings and sometimes the health permit are handled by your city or county. Owners report that these steps depend on each other and that guidance is hard to find; see the opening roadmap.