Licensed Businesses

Food, Beverage and Lodging Facilities Inspections

• Types and number of food establishments Inspections
• Special Food Events/Itinerant Food Stands
• Plan Review
• Construction Inspections

Types and number of food establishments

A food establishment includes a restaurant, grocery store, concession stand, school, convenience store, or any establishment that sells, serves, produces, prepares, stores or gives away food to the public. Every retail food establishment is licensed and inspected by Brooklyn Park, while the Minnesota Department of Agriculture regulates wholesale and manufacturing facilities. Currently, we have 225 licensed food facilities and 5 lodging establishments in Brooklyn Park and we're still growing.  

Inspections

Food establishments are categorized based on their complexity of menu, ingredients, and preparation process. According to state law, most restaurants are required to be inspected once a year while other establishments, where the risk is minimal, are required to be inspected every two years. Our staff inspects most establishments yearly. Establishments that have numerous critical violations or fail an inspection are visited more frequently. Lodging establishments are inspected yearly.

Brooklyn Park Environmental Health Division uses a proactive, consultative approach with our establishments. The first routine inspection is announced to help achieve a comprehensive working relationship with and determine the level of knowledge of the manager. Managers are asked to do a self-inspection prior to our visit. Before the inspection, we review their observations and ask questions about their operation. Follow-ups and re-inspections are not announced. Further, additional routine inspections within the calendar year are not announced.

We provide educational materials for food establishment/restaurant management and staff during our visits to help them establish a safe food operation. Inspections focus on critical violations that are directly linked to contributing to food borne illness. Some key aspects of our inspection include, but are not limited to:

• Food safety knowledge of management and employees
• Safe food handling techniques
• Employee hygiene
• Critical cooking, cooling, and holding temperatures and procedures
• General sanitation of the establishment
• Sanitation and chemical control
• Backflow prevention and equipment safety

Special Food Events/Itinerant Food Stands

All special events where food is sold or given to the public are required to be licensed and inspected. Our staff visits these events to ensure that the food is safely stored, prepared and served. Private (invite only) events are not licensed or inspected, however, we will provide information and answer questions about food safety. Home-prepared food cannot be served at public events. Our city has many events every year including Tater Daze, Mississippi River Carp Festival, Corn Fest, the Wild Game Dinner, and many others.  For potluck events, please consult the MN Department of Health at:  www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/food/fs/potluck.htm.

If you are planning a special event, please contact our office to obtain the following, which you will need in order to follow city codes:

• The license application
• Safe food handling brochure
• A building permit (required for any tent)
• Temporary signs brochure, if you plan to advertise

Plan Review

We strive to help all licensed establishments start out on the right foot with the proper facilities and equipment. Our staff reviews all remodeling and new construction activities for food, beverage, lodging, and pool facilities. Addition of new equipment is also reviewed. Reviewing plans helps us ensure that establishments have approved equipment, durable and approved surfaces, and the proper facilities to safely operate their establishment.

If you plan on remodeling your existing establishment or opening a new facility within the city, there are a few steps you must follow:

1. Review the Construction Guide for food establishments. This guide provides basic standards for food establishments and is helpful in designing your establishment. A complete guide can be requested from our division.
2. Complete the Environmental Health Plan Review Permit Application and submit the application, plan to-scale, equipment specification sheets, and menu directly to the Environmental Health Division. The first page of the application lists the requirements regarding environmental health issues.
3. Check with the Building Inspections Division for their plan review requirements. Building permits can be printed from the website.