Restaurant Checklist

The following are some of the structural requirements for setting up a new food service establishment in the City of Leavenworth. These are not all of the required regulations and are provided as a general checklist. Contact the applicable City Department for additional information.

• Plans must be submitted to the City Building Inspections office for review prior to construction. The plans and specifications shall indicate the proposed layout, arrangement, mechanical plans, and construction materials in work areas, intended menu, and type and model of proposed equipment and facilities. 
• All plumbing, electrical, and mechanical work must be performed by a licensed contractor and shall be inspected by the City Inspectors. 
• Floors, walls, and ceilings in all preparation, food storage, dishwashing, service areas, and restrooms shall be constructed of a material which is smooth and easily cleanable. Walls and ceilings shall be light colored. Carpeting is not allowed in any of these areas. 
• All lights over any food preparation, storage, service or dishwashing areas must be adequate and properly shielded to prevent broken glass from falling into food, on clean dishes, or single service items. Storage of food, single service items, and clean dishes are prohibited in locker rooms, restrooms, dressing rooms, garbage rooms, or near any other source of contamination. 
• Restrooms must have the following: Mechanical exhaust vents which are vented to the outside. Hand sinks with hot and cold running water, dispensed through a mixing valve or combination faucet. Self-closing faucets are not allowed unless they are of the time delay type that provide a flow of water for at least 15 seconds without the need to be reactivated. Soap and sanitary towels must be provided. Restrooms used by women shall have at least one covered waste receptacle. Doors are to be self-closing. 
• A sink with at least three compartments shall be provided for manually washing, rinsing, and sanitizing equipment and utensils. The sink compartment shall be large enough to accommodate immersion of the largest piece of equipment or utensils. Two self-draining drain boards shall be provided and be large enough to accommodate all soiled and cleaned items. Commercial type automatic dishwasher, that meets the codes, may be used in addition to the three-compartment sink. A grease trap or interceptor may also be required depending on menu items and food preparation methods. 
• Hand washing facilities shall be located to allow convenient use by employees in food preparation, food dispensing, and ware washing areas. Sinks used for food preparation or for washing equipment or utensils shall not be used for handwashing. 
• At least one service sink or one curbed cleaning facility equipped with a floor drain shall be provided and conveniently located for cleaning of mops or similar wet floor cleaning tools and for the disposal of mop water and similar liquid waste. 
• Ventilation must be provided to keep all rooms free of excessive heat, steam, condensation, vapors, obnoxious odors, smoke and fumes. Vent hoods must be installed and operated according to law. An automatic hood fire extinguishing system is required in all hoods that vent grease latent vapors. 
• All openings to the outside must be effectively protected against the entrance of rodents and insects. Outside doors must be self-closing or fitted with a screen door of a self-closing type. Screens should be of not less than sixteen mesh to the inch. 
• Sufficient hot and cold food holding facilities must be provided and be capable of holding product temperatures at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below or 135 degrees Fahrenheit or above and be equipped with accurate thermometers. 
• Suitable facilities must be provided for street clothing, and personal belongings such as coats, shoes, purses, etc. Separate storage areas must be provided for cleaning supplies and hazardous materials/chemicals.

Contact Information 

• Contact the City Inspections Department at 913-684-0378 to determine if a building permit will be required for the work being done. If you have a grease trap/interceptor, a grease trap permit is required.  You will need to contact the City Inspections Department to obtain the permit.
• Contact the Fire Department – City Health and Safety Officer at 913-682-3346 for inspection and advice on requirements for exits, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers, etc. 
• Contact Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) at 785-564-6767 or FSL@ks.gov if you have questions or to request a licensing inspection. A KDA inspection and license is required in addition to a City inspection and license. 
• Contact the City Clerk’s Office at 913-682-9201 to apply for your City Health Permit. The fee for the City Health Permit is $100.00 and the permit is good from May 1 thru April 30 each year and is not pro-rated or refundable. An inspection is required by the City Health and Safety Officer after all work is completed and before your City Health Permit can be issued and before your establishment operates.