How to Open a Restaurant in Saint Lucie, Florida
- 1). Obtain a business license. The licensing authority within the Port St. Lucie environs is St. Lucie County. You can get a business license by contacting the St. Lucie County Revenue Authorities via the County website listed in the Resource section.
- 2). Select a location. Port St. Lucie has three primary main avenues: W. St. Lucie, which runs between I-95 and the Atlantic Ocean; Dixie Highway, which runs north and south parallel to the ocean; and Highway A1A. There are a number of smaller streets or avenues, but restaurants depending on drive-by traffic will want to consider locating along one of these primary avenues.
- 3). Obtain a zoning clearance. The zoning authority depends on where your restaurant is located. There are four jurisdictions within the county, each of which handles its own zoning requirements. The zoning and permit authorities are St. Lucie Village, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, and for the unincorporated areas within the county, St. Lucie County Building and Zoning. You can find contact information for each agency in the Resource section.
- 4). Get an employer ID number. This is crucial if you plan to hire employees, because you must withhold payroll taxes from employees' paychecks and forward the proceeds, along with your employer contribution, to the Internal Revenue Service every quarter. To obtain an employer ID number, visit the Internal Revenue Services online application for a Federal Employer ID number (see Resource section).
- 5). Obtain a food service license from the State of Florida. You can obtain a license from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Department of Hotels and Restaurants. You can apply via the link in the Resource section.
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