PRESS RELEASE FROM THE CITY OF ASHEVILLE:
Opening a restaurant is no game. It’s a complicated enterprise that includes building permits and health inspections, for one. In fact, it takes multiple steps from concept to completion before a chef/owner can welcome his or her first diners.
To help Asheville restaurateurs navigate the ins and outs of needed permits and inspections, the City of Asheville’s Development Services Department recently developed a Restaurant Startup Guide. The tri-fold brochure, also available online, is colorfully designed and laid out like a board game to assist the user. The Restaurant Startup Guide also contains a QR code to aid in the user experience by redirecting the customer to all the necessary websites and links that are referenced in the brochure. The first step is Go! for folks who have a business plan and a location. Step 2: What permits do I need?
With more than 100 independent restaurants in Asheville — and more coming all the time — the new Restaurant Startup Guide is designed to help simplify the process for business owners.
“Restaurants are one of the harder projects to get off the ground because they’re complicated with multiple agencies involved beyond the City,” said Development Services Director Jason Nortz.
Take for example the need for ABC permits and health inspections. Within the City, an applicant needs approval from Zoning and Building inspectors as well as a fire inspection, all to ensure safety.
“Our hope is that the City’s new Restaurant Startup Guide will serve as an effective planning tool for people who have great culinary ideas and need guidance on how to make their vision a reality,” said Nortz.
Some 500 copies of the guide will be printed up and distributed to the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association as well as the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Asheville Board of Realtors. Of course, it will also be available at Asheville’s DSD Customer Service Counter, located in the Public Works Building, 161 S Charlotte St. Finally, this guide is printable for anyone who wants to use it. Find it on the DSD Permits & Applications webpage.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.