Temporary Restaurant Licenses

A temporary restaurant is any establishment operating temporarily in connection with any event where food is prepared or served for consumption by the public. Even food that is given away to the public can require a temporary food license. Examples of events include: fairs, carnivals, circuses, festivals, concerts or any other public gathering. They are commonly referred to as food booths. Even if you have a food license for a restaurant or other permanent food facility if you serve food to the public at another location you are required to get a temporary restaurant license.

In Oregon there are three types of temporary food licenses. They are:

Single Event licenses are valid for the length of a single event or up to 30 days whichever comes first. Fairs and fundraisers are examples of when you would obtain a single event license.

Intermittent licenses are valid for up to 30 days. It can span different events as long as the booth has the same menu, location and amenities (water, sewage, etc). An Operational Plan Review is required prior to obtaining the license. In addition to the license fee, a fee may be charged for the Operational Plan Review, and for recheck inspections that result in a separate visit. This type of license would be appropriate for the county fairgrounds where different events happen each week.

Seasonal licenses are valid for up to 90 days. The booth must have the same menu, location and amenities. This license requires the same affiliated oversight organization for all of the events under this license. This license is appropriate for long-term events such as the farmer’s market and little league operations. An Operational Plan Review is required prior to obtaining the license.

If you have never applied for a Temporary Restaurant License please familiarize yourself with the information contained in the Temporary Restaurant Operator Handout and Temporary Restaurant Operator Handout.