The Environmental Health Services (EHS) division of the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) wants to help food-related businesses thrive.
EHS regulates all retail food sales in Marin, and we want to hear from businesses and consumers, so we can review our food permitting process to make it easier for businesses to keep customers safe and healthy.
We want to make sure we’re making improvements that Marin communities need, so we’re giving people multiple chances to share their ideas.
Green is Our Favorite Color
What's your favorite color? Food Environmental Health Services (EHS) Specialist Mike Marthinsen, who conducts food inspections for the Marin County Community Development Agency, tells us why he likes green best.
Our Job is to Help You Stay in Business
Have you ever wondered what Marin County's food inspectors do? If you eat or sell food, watch this video. Then make plans to come to our 2025 community workshop, where the Environmental Health Services (EHS) division of the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) is offering local businesses, entrepreneurs, and the public a chance to help streamline the food permitting process.
Community Engagement
This is your opportunity to help shape the process to ensure that the changes we make positively impact businesses and consumers.
October 10 Community Workshop
Do you own, operate, or work for a restaurant, grocery store, or catering business? Are you a vendor at a farmers' market or event? Do you manage a food truck or a coffee cart? Do you live or work in Marin and eat at any of our food facilities?
Whether you're a food business owner or enjoy dining at one of our many restaurants and food facilities, we want to hear from you!
Date:
Friday, October 10, 2025
The Public is welcome! Free Admission! Free Parking!
Where:
San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael (next to Safeway)
When:
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- 9:15 - 9:50: Welcome | Opening Remarks
- 10:00 - 10:50: Session 1
- Constructing and Operating a New Food Business in Marin
- Owning a Mobile Truck, Trailer or Cart that Sells Food + Tour
- 11:00 - 11:50: Session 2
- Change of Ownership 1: Have You Recently Gone Through This
Process? - Food Inspection Demonstration
- Meet the Experts
- Change of Ownership 1: Have You Recently Gone Through This
11:50 - 12:50 Lunch and Lunch Activities
- 1:00 - 1:50: Session 3
- Change of Ownership 2: Thinking About Buying an Existing
Business in Marin? - Food Safety and Foodborne Illnesses: What Everyone Should Know
- Change of Ownership 2: Thinking About Buying an Existing
- 2:00 - 2:30: Session 4
- The Permitting Process: Working with County and Local Agencies
- 3:30 - 4:00: Closing Remarks and Next Steps
PLUS:
Enjoy lunch (available for purchase) from a variety of food trucks!
Questions: Call 415-473-6907 or e-mail the workshop organizers at EHS.
August 19 Board of Supervisors Presentation
- EHS gave a presentation at the Board of Supervisors on August 19, 2025, to demystify food business permits.
Frequently Asked Questions
EHS says it wants to help food-related businesses thrive. What are you doing to make things easier for business owners?
EHS has instituted the following changes to help businesses succeed:
- Conditional permitting
- Exemption permits for eligible compact mobile food operators (CMFOs)
- Free, in-person and virtual consultations
- Regular public counter hours
- Pre-application meetings for plan submissions
How does conditional permitting help business owners?
Our previous policy required individuals taking over an existing restaurant facility to demonstrate 100% compliance with all current codes before they could receive a food business permit to operate. This often meant the restaurant had to remain closed, causing significant distress to both the buyer and the seller.
To avoid this situation, prospective business owners should undergo a change of ownership inspection before taking over an existing restaurant, so they know how much work is needed to bring the restaurant up to current codes.
Conditional permitting is an interim solution that allows existing food businesses undergoing a change of ownership to continue operating, while the current or previous owner brings the facility up to code within a specified time frame. Finishing the upgrades by the deadline is key to securing a regular operating permit and preventing potential suspension of the conditional permit.
This new policy gives prospective business owners an important tool in their negotiations to purchase existing restaurant facilities and brings greater clarity to the process of buying and selling food-related businesses.
Why are exemption permits for eligible compact mobile food operators (CMFOs) needed?
Vendors who sell commercially pre-packaged, non-potentially hazardous food from a space less than 25 square feet (e.g., tables, carts, shelves, etc.) can now operate by receiving an exemption health permit.
While this may be less profitable than selling prepared food, exemption permits allow previously unpermitted vendors to operate legally, while working toward the purchase of a code-compliant compact mobile food cart.
The exemption permit also helps us track the operations of eligible CMFOs and shows other public agencies and community members that these food vendors have been sanctioned to operate by EHS.
How do free, in-person and virtual consultations help business owners?
EHS wants to help your business succeed. Through in-person and virtual consultation, we can guide you through the permitting process and help you start your business off on the right foot. This is critical to anyone navigating complex code requirements, the permitting process, construction plan reviews, inspections, etc. Let us be your partner in safeguarding the health of your business and that of the public. Please come and talk to us. We are your resource.
What if I don’t have time or don’t want to make an appointment for a consultation?
Business owners and members of the public can always get help and advice from EHS during our regular counter hours from 8 AM-4 PM, Monday to Thursday, and from 8 AM-12 PM on Fridays. We want to provide you with opportunities for real-time communication and as much flexibility and support as we can.
How do pre-application meetings for plan submissions help business owners?
Applicants and business owners can pay for a one-hour appointment to have EHS review their construction plans before submitting them to us. This generally reduces the number of revisions needed during the plan review process, which shortens the plan review timeline, and leads to faster approvals.
What else is EHS doing to help businesses?
EHS is planning for improvement by making the following changes:
- Use information from surveys and community feedback to evaluate our processes;
- Provide training and education to increase knowledge of food safety and other technical skills; and
- Identify best practices and common challenges from other jurisdictions.