9 items, in order: articles of organization (llc) or an assumed business name, employer identification number (ein), illinois business registration (form reg-1) for sales tax, certificate of occupancy or occupancy approval, retail food establishment license and certified food protection manager on site, and 3 more.
How to open, Illinois
How to open a coffee shop in Illinois
9 licenses, permits and registrations, in the order to get them, each with the agency, the fee and the official page, and what the Census counts of coffee shops in Illinois say.
9 licenses, permits and registrations, in the order to get them
Every row checked against its agency’s page; the latest on Oct 17, 2026.
Set up the business
Articles of organization (LLC) or an assumed business name
An LLC keeps your personal assets apart from the business and is what landlords and lenders expect to see on a lease. A sole proprietor trading under any name but their own must file the assumed name with the county clerk and publish a notice in a local newspaper once a week for three weeks, within 15 days of filing.
Checked Oct 17, 2026
- Agency
- Illinois Secretary of State; county clerk for sole proprietors and partnerships
- Official page
- Members
- Fee
- Members
- Renewal
- Members
Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Needed to hire, to open a business bank account and for most state registrations. Issued at once online.
Checked Oct 17, 2026
- Agency
- Internal Revenue Service
- Official page
- Members
- Fee
- Members
- Renewal
- Members
Register for tax
Illinois business registration (Form REG-1) for sales tax
Register before the first sale or the first hire. The state Retailers’ Occupation Tax is 6.25% on general merchandise and on food prepared for immediate consumption; cities and counties add their own, so check the combined rate for the address in the MyTax Illinois rate finder. Online registration takes one to two business days.
Checked Oct 17, 2026
- Agency
- Illinois Department of Revenue, through MyTax Illinois
- Official page
- Members
- Fee
- Members
- Renewal
- Members
Approve the space
Certificate of occupancy or occupancy approval
Ask the building department whether your space’s last approved use matches yours before you sign. Turning a store into a restaurant or a warehouse into a studio is a change of occupancy, with plans, inspections and build-out to code. Outside Chicago, most cities require an occupancy inspection for every new tenant.
Checked Oct 17, 2026
- Agency
- Your city or county building department
- Official page
- Members
- Fee
- Members
- Renewal
- Members
Get the permits for your kind of business
Retail food establishment license
The health inspection comes before the license, so the kitchen has to be built to the Illinois Food Code first: hand sinks, a three-compartment sink, grease control, ventilation and finishes. Outside Chicago, find the county or city health department in IDPH’s directory and ask for its food establishment permit and plan review.
Checked Oct 17, 2026
- Agency
- Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, with a Chicago Department of Public Health inspection; elsewhere the county or city health department
- Official page
- Members
- Fee
- Members
- Renewal
- Members
Certified food protection manager on site
The Illinois Food Code requires a certified manager in charge; the certification is an accredited course and exam (ServSafe, NRFSP, Prometric, 360training and StateFoodSafety are accepted). Chicago keeps its own certificate on top of the state’s.
Checked Oct 17, 2026
- Agency
- Illinois Department of Public Health (exam from an ANSI-accredited provider)
- Official page
- Members
- Fee
- Members
- Renewal
- Members
Food handler training for every food employee
Every paid food handler needs the training within 30 days of hire, unless they hold a valid manager certification. Restaurants must use an ANSI-accredited course; other food businesses may use an IDPH-approved program.
Checked Oct 17, 2026
- Agency
- Illinois Department of Public Health (ANSI-accredited course for restaurants)
- Official page
- Members
- Fee
- Members
- Renewal
- Members
Allergen awareness training for certified managers
Every certified food protection manager working in a restaurant completes an approved allergen course within 30 days of starting. Restaurants also post the state’s allergy notice where customers see it.
Checked Oct 17, 2026
- Agency
- Illinois Department of Public Health (approved course)
- Official page
- Members
- Fee
- Members
- Renewal
- Members
Before the first hire
Unemployment insurance account (Form REG-UI-1)
Register within 30 days of starting the business. New employers pay contributions at a rate built on a 2.7% floor for the first three years. Report each new hire to the state directory within 20 days.
Checked Oct 17, 2026
- Agency
- Illinois Department of Employment Security, through MyTax Illinois
- Official page
- Members
- Fee
- Members
- Renewal
- Members
Coffee shops already in Illinois
- Establishments, County Business Patterns 2023
- 7
- Per 10,000 residents
- 0.0
- Change since 2018
- +4 (+133.3%)
Metro areas with the most
| Metro area | Coffee shops | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 2,197 | 2.3 |
| Peoria | 78 | 2.1 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 52 | 2.1 |
| Rockford | 47 | 1.4 |
| Springfield | 44 | 2.1 |
| Bloomington | 30 | 1.7 |
How they fare in Illinois
- Closed in 2023, accommodation and food services
- 8.4%
- Opened in 2023
- 9.8%
Then pick the place
- The free location checkWho lives and works around an address, the coffee shops already there and the traffic on its road, from public records.
- The full reportWhether the rules allow a coffee shop at that address, the rent it supports, what has opened and closed nearby, and the questions to settle before signing.
Have an address in mind?
Check the address freeNo account. The coffee shop check reads public records at the address itself.
Sources and dates
Illinois Secretary of State LLC pages; Form LLC-1.20; Cook County Clerk assumed business name page; IRS EIN page; Illinois Department of Revenue business registration page; City of Chicago Department of Buildings certificates of occupancy page and 2025 permit fee tables; City of Chicago retail food establishment license page; IDPH local health department directory; IDPH certified food protection manager page; IDPH food handler training page; IDPH food allergen awareness training FAQ; IDES new employer page; U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023; U.S. Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics. Fees are as published by each agency on the date checked; cities add their own.