Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato signed an executive order Monday directing county staff to streamline the food permit application process for local businesses. The multi-departmental effort aims to reduce wait times for operators while maintaining current public health and safety standards.
The order follows a 26% surge in food and beverage permit applications, which rose from 511 in 2023 to 647 in 2025. This increase caused maximum wait times to jump from approximately 49 days to 80 days over the two-year period, prompting the county to seek more efficient processing methods.
County Executive Innamorato noted that her office received feedback from the local business community regarding the impact of these delays.
“The Allegheny County Health Department plays an important role in protecting public health and ensuring food and beverages are served to the public in a safe and healthy environment,” Innamorato said. “At the same time, my office heard from small businesses that they were losing money while they waited for their permits.”
The permitting process previously utilized a first-come, first-served queue that addressed all inquiries in the order they were received regardless of complexity. Applications for Class one and two permits, which are reserved for establishments selling only prepackaged food, grew from 101 in 2023 to more than 172 by the third quarter of 2025. These permit types are less complex than Class three and four permits, which involve fresh or hot food preparation on site.
In anticipation of the executive order, the health department assessed its permitting process over the last several weeks and implemented changes to reduce the backlog. Class one and two applications are now reviewed in an average of less than three days. The more complex Class three and four permits are currently being reviewed within 32 days during the first quarter of 2026.
Dr. Iulia Vann, director of the Allegheny County Health Department, said the department is now using data-driven strategies to deliver services.
“After years of progress following the Covid pandemic, including improved staff recruiting and retention, the Health Department’s Food Plan Review Office is now positioned to maximize available resources and work more efficiently,” Vann said.
She also thanked the food team for thinking creatively about maintaining safety standards while engaging the community.
To support food and beverage providers, the county plans to introduce new communication and marketing materials. These resources are designed to introduce businesses to the permitting process, answer frequently asked questions and help operators assess requirements early in the application. Additionally, the County Manager will assess other departments to identify further opportunities to improve support for the industry.
Innamorato said she intends to provide further information on the reform efforts as the year progresses.
“I look forward to sharing more updates throughout the year on the permit reform process and I want to stress our lines of communication are open for restaurants, bars, coffee shops and food trucks who want to share ideas for how we can improve the process for them as well,” Innamorato said.
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