Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato on Monday signed an executive order aimed at streamlining the county’s restaurant permitting process. The effort will engage multiple departments to assess where the food permitting process could be improved while maintaining public health and safety.
A news release from her office states the order comes following increased wait times to receive food and beverage permits.
“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,” Innamorato said.
Applications to the Allegheny County Health Department have increased by 26% over the past two years, rising from 511 in 2023 to 647 in 2025, according to a news release. The increase caused wait times for food permits to increase from approximately 49 days maximum in 2023 to 80 days in 2025.
While permits previously were reviewed on a “first-come, first-served” basis, new changes to the permitting process — some of which recently were implemented by the Allegheny County Health Department in anticipation of Monday’s order — will now account for the complexity of each case and permit type.
According to Abigail Gardner, a county spokeswoman, the county manager’s office began working with the health department late last year to better understand permitting wait times, the volume of permits and staffing.
Over the past two years, applications for Class 1 and 2 food permits in particular have surged, increasing from 101 in 2023 to more than 172 through the third quarter of 2025. These permits cover commercially prepackaged foods, like candy sold at a theater, and facilities like grocery or convenience stores selling food that does not require time or temperature control.
Ronnie Das, a health department spokesman, told TribLive that Class 1 applications “take much less time” because facilities have less equipment and no food handling practices to review.
By contrast, Class 3 and 4 permits — which cover restaurants, bars and bakeries — “require extensive menu consideration,” Das said. These facilities use cooling, reheating and other specialized cooking methods, requiring “closer scrutiny” of refrigeration capacity, ventilation and plumbing. The size of each food facility also is a factor for how long it takes to issue a permit.
Recent changes already have reduced the backlog. Class 1 and 2 permits were reviewed three days or less on average in the first quarter of 2026.
In some cases, said Gardner, Class 1 and 2 permits can be issued with a “desk review” (rather than an on-site visit), expediting the process. Class 3 and 4 permits were reviewed in 32 days during the same time period.
“Some changes have already been implemented in that work, and more are coming but will take longer to dive into,” Gardner said. “We’re happy that already we’ve seen such a quickened timeline for permit review by ACHD making some changes to their process.”
The executive order calls for further assessment of the food permitting queue, including personnel needs and the “manner and method” of submission requests. Currently, five county staff members review permits.
With the executive order, the county will introduce new communication and marketing materials, website updates and more public-facing information to help operators applying for food permits. The order also calls for a review of current permitting software and to ensure public data reporting.
A report with recommendations will be issued to the county executive by June 30. Suggestions for additional legislation, including changes to the county’s health code, will be submitted by Sept. 30.
Innamorato said her office will provide updates throughout the review process, and she invited food industry professionals to contribute ideas.
“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,” she said. “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.”
In November, the city of Pittsburgh made a similar effort to streamline processes for mobile food vendors in anticipation of the 2026 NFL Draft.