Retail Food

Retail food establishments are typically separated into two categories. “Serving Meals” and “Not Serving Meals”.

“Serving Meals” is usually a restaurant, tavern, or bar that serves food that is ready for consumption at the facility, for take-out, or for delivery. The food requires no further preparation once it is served.

“Not Serving Meals” is usually a grocery store, gas station, or bakery that sells food that is intended to be taken home for further processing or consumption.

If you are opening a new retail food facility or there is a change in ownership, a new application must be filled out and submitted. The application for Retail Food Licensing can be found here:

Retail food establishments also have different levels of complexity that is determined by what type of food is sold, the food processing taking place, and/or how much food is sold.

To help you determine what level of complexity your license will be, you can use the complexity calculators found here:

MOBILE:

Mobile food establishment" means a food establishment operating from a movable vehicle, push cart, trailer or boat which periodically or continuously changes location and wherein meals or lunches are prepared or sold to the consumer for immediate consumption, excepting those vehicles used in delivery of pre—ordered food prepared in a licensed food establishment. "Mobile food establishment" does not include a vehicle which is used solely to transport or deliver food or a common carrier regulated by the state or federal government, or a movable concession stand designed to operate as a temporary food establishment or a traveling retail food establishment.
- Mobile food establishments (MFEs) are: Moveable vehicles, intrastate railway cars, pushcarts, trailers, or boats from which food is sold or served. It requires to hold two license: a service base license, and a MFE license.
Mobile Serving Meals
Not Serving Meals

New construction or remodeling of your kitchen area requires a plan review. The Plan Review Form can be found here:

Retail Food Plan Review

TRANSIENT:

Transient retail food establishment means a temporary retail food establishment that operates at a fixed location in conjunction with a special event and sells or serves food for a period of no more than 14 consecutive days or in conjunction with an occasional sales promotion.

"Packaged" means bottled, canned, cartooned, securely bagged, or securely wrapped, whether packaged in a food establishment or a food processing plant as defined in s. 97.01 (12) Stats.