Innamorato Signs Executive Order to Improve Restaurant Permit Process

Published on March 23, 2026

PITTSBURGH – Today County Executive Sara Innamorato signed a new Executive Order, directing Allegheny County staff to assess and improve the permit process for businesses applying for a food permit. This will be a multi-departmental effort, led by the County Manager’s Office, with the goal of maintaining public health and safety while streamlining the wait times for businesses.

“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. At the same time, my office heard from small businesses that they were losing money while they waited for their permits. And we believe with a strategic approach and improved processes, we can easily maintain high health standards while making the process faster so food and beverage operators can open for business as soon as possible,” said County Executive Innamorato.

Previously the process for obtaining a permit was designed primarily with fairness in mind for food establishments and featured a “first come, first serve” queue. All permit inquiries were addressed at the order they came in regardless of complexity or permit type.

Across all categories of food and beverage permits, applications to the Health Department have increased by 26 percent since 2023, from 511 in 2023 to 647 in 2025. Specifically, Class 1 and 2 permits, which are for establishments only selling prepackaged food and not preparing fresh or hot food on site, applications increased from 101 in 2023 to more than 172 through the third quarter of 2025. Simultaneously, wait times for all classes of food and beverage permits increased from a maximum of approximately 49 days in 2023 to a maximum of 80 days in 2025.  

In recognition of the increased wait times and in anticipation of this Executive Order, the Health Department assessed its process for food permitting over the last several weeks. The Health Department has already implemented changes that have drastically reduced current wait times. Now Class 1 and 2 permit applications are reviewed in less than 3 days on average and the more complex Class 3 and 4 permits are being reviewed within 32 days so far in the first quarter of 2026

“With this Executive Order, the Health Department is empowered to act with purpose and data-driven strategies. 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. I want to thank our dedicated food team for working hard to engage the community and think creatively about how we can best deliver service while maintaining the highest food safety standards,” said Dr. Iulia Vann, Director of the Allegheny County Health Department.

The county will also introduce a new suite of communications and marketing materials to better introduce food and beverage businesses to the permitting process, answer frequently asked questions, and share information early in the process so they can more smoothly assess what they will need to do to be permitted. The County Manager will also assess other departments and opportunities for improving support to food and beverage providers, per the Executive Order.

County Executive Innamorato concluded, “It is a healthy sign that permit requests have increased so much over the last few years. We want to help businesses get to work expeditiously. 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.”

Media inquiries may be directed to the Communications Office.
For contact information, including email addresses and telephone numbers, visit the office website.