How to Start in Canada

How to Start a Bakery in Ottawa

Open a bakery in Ottawa: the City food premises licence, the Ottawa Public Health review, and the building and sign permits that come with it.

Written November 11, 2026 · 10 min read

Applies in: Ontario

The short answer

Ask the Business Ambassador for the Food Establishment package, send the health review plans before building anything, then get the building permit, certify the staff, and apply for the food premises licence. An Ottawa bakery needs a City of Ottawa food premises licence, an Ottawa Public Health (OPH) food premises review, and a building permit for the fit-up. The City's Business Ambassador Service bundles the five items — construction permit, Public Health review, permanent sign permit, food premises licence, and liquor licence documents if needed — into one package so the applications move together. This guide walks the Ottawa application only. It does not repeat the national bakery guide's general steps for picking a format or registering a business — those are in our How to Start a Bakery Business in Canada guide.

Step 1: Get the food premises licence

A food premises licence is required for any business that prepares food, including bakeshops, butcher shops, caterers, cafés, lunch counters, cafeterias, and restaurants. That is the rule on the City's Food premises licence page. It applies to free-standing structures; refreshment carts, trucks, and stands are covered by other licence categories. A licence is not required where grab and go foods are available and the customer does not prepare or heat the food, or for not-for-profit organizations that provide meals for the homeless or in residential care facilities that include meals.

The licence page gives an approximate cost of $298 annually. The licence is transferable and expires annually on March 31. The approximate timeline is 3 weeks. The permit requirements are: the applicant is 18 years of age; the business opening date is within four to six weeks of the application date; the building complies with zoning, building code, public health, fire code, and property standards requirements; the business has $1 million Commercial General Liability insurance, proved by a valid certificate rather than a quotation, binder, or renewal slip; proof of ownership or lease; and articles of incorporation if incorporated. Apply through the Food Premises Application tool on My ServiceOttawa, or complete a business application form request. The Business Information Officer can be reached at bio1stop@ottawa.ca or 613-580-2745.

Step 2: Send the health review plans to Ottawa Public Health

Floor and equipment plans of the food premises must be approved by a Public Health Inspector before construction. That is the first rule in the City's Business Ambassador page, which carries the full Food Establishment package. Contact Ottawa Public Health two weeks prior to opening to set up an inspection.

The health review application currently has no fee, and the first review takes 10 business days. The application needs three copies of the food premises facility plans, including the kitchen, equipment list and legend, and seating plan, plus a brief description of the proposed operation and a menu. The licence application process involves a series of inspections, including a Public Health and Fire Services inspection, and business licences must be renewed annually.

Step 3: Get the building permit for the fit-up

The Ontario Building Code requires a building permit before beginning construction, including renovating or demolishing all or part of an existing building. A building permit includes reviewing building plans before approval, followed by inspections during and following construction. The City gives an approximate fee for a fit-up, with no new gross floor area, of $12 per $1,000 or part thereof of the assessed valuation of the work, with a minimum fee of $110. The first review takes 10 to 15 business days, but could take longer if the application is incomplete or there are deficiencies noted in the plans. Construction and building plans must be drawn by an accredited professional — a BCIN designer, architect, or professional engineer — depending on occupant load.

Final inspections can only happen after construction. Once the required occupancy permit is given and the restaurant requirements are in place, such as working appliances and tables and chairs laid out, the Property Standards, Fire Services, and Public Health inspections can take place for the food premises licence.

Step 4: Certify the food handlers

Under Ontario Regulation 493/17, every operator of a food service premise shall ensure that there is at least one food handler or supervisor on the premise who has completed food handler training during every hour in which the premise is operating. That is the rule on Ottawa Public Health's Certified Food Handler Training page. OPH accepts certifications from in-class training at Algonquin College, in-class and online training programs recognized by the Ministry of Health, and the online program called In Good Hands, as well as certifications from any other health unit or authority in Ontario or Canada.

Re-certification may be available to people who are currently certified by any Ontario public health unit, an approved Ministry of Health course, or any public health agency from Canadian provinces and territories. You have one calendar year from the day of your certification expiry date to re-challenge the exam. Arrange the certification before opening day, so there is a certified person in place from the first day of trading.

Step 5: Get the sign permit if the shop needs one

Many permanent signs on private property need a permit, including new restaurant signs. The City gives an approximate fee of $399 for a permanent sign, with a first review of 10 business days. The application needs the form, the fee, elevation drawings, two copies of the site plan, installation, and construction details, and photos of the site. A bakery with a new exterior sign should budget for this alongside the licence; a bakery keeping the previous tenant's sign should still check whether the sign permit carries over.

Step 6: Apply through the Business Ambassador package

The Business Ambassador Service exists to bundle the applications and give the business a custom roadmap with estimated costs, times, and a checklist of steps for each application. The package covers the construction permit, the Public Health food premises review, the permanent sign permit if required, the food premises business licence, and liquor licence supporting documents if requested. The City gives an approximate timeline of 3 to 6 weeks for the business licence through the package, with an annual fee of $286 listed on the package page. That figure differs from the $298 on the dedicated food premises licence page; this guide uses the $298 figure from the licence page and flags the difference below.

The licence application needs the form, the fee, proof of ownership or lease, proof of insurance up to $1,000,000, and a Fire Services inspection with an approved fire safety plan depending on occupant load. The Business Information Officer acts as a case manager through the process and can help submit the application bundle to the right City staff.

Packaged goods and the label routine

A bakery that sells packaged goods — loaves in bags, boxed pastries, jars, and anything sold pre-packaged for consumption off site — also has to label them to federal rules, with a common name, net quantity, ingredient list, allergen declaration, and dealer name and address, in both official languages, plus a Nutrition Facts table unless an exemption applies. The full labelling routine is in our How to Start a Bakery Business in Canada guide. This guide does not repeat it. Build the label routine before the first packaged product goes on the shelf, because the label is part of the product, not an afterthought.

What the opened pages do not state

The City's business ambassador page lists the food premises licence at $286 a year, while the dedicated food premises licence page lists $298 a year. This guide uses $298, from the licence page, and the difference is flagged here rather than picked silently. The opened pages do not state a fee for a change of location or a change of owner on the licence page itself — the ambassador page lists $104 for a change of location and $52 for a change of owner, but those figures sit on the older package page, so confirm them with the Business Information Officer before relying on them. The opened pages do not state a processing time for the sign permit beyond the 10 business day first review. Confirm the current fees on the City's pages before paying, because the City updates them each year.

Related guides:

If the bakery will serve alcohol: the City documents for an AGCO licence

Serving liquor in Ontario needs a liquor licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). As part of that application, the City of Ottawa supplies a Municipal Information Form and three Agency Letters of Approval, from Building Code Services, Ottawa Public Health, and Ottawa Fire Services, and each agency letter requires an inspection. The City lists the Municipal Information Form at no fee, the Building Code Services letter at $481 plus HST, the Ottawa Fire Services letter at $193 plus HST, and the Ottawa Public Health letter at no fee, with an approximate timeline of 15 days. The application needs the AGCO forms, the fee, a floor plan with a seating plan and a site plan for Building Code Services, the Public Health food premises inspection, the Building Code inspection, the Fire Services inspection, and an approved fire safety plan for Fire Services. The Business Ambassador package can bundle these supporting documents with the food premises licence application.

Opening a bakery in Ottawa, in order

  1. Ask the Business Ambassador for the packageThe Food Establishment package bundles the construction permit, the Public Health review, the sign permit, and the food premises licence.
  2. Send the health review plansFloor and equipment plans must be approved by a Public Health Inspector before construction. The review costs nothing and the first review takes 10 business days.
  3. Get the building permitA fit-up costs $12 per $1,000 of the assessed valuation of the work, with a $110 minimum. First review takes 10 to 15 business days.
  4. Certify the food handlersOntario Regulation 493/17 requires at least one certified food handler or supervisor on the premises during every hour the bakery is operating.
  5. Apply for the food premises licenceAbout $298 a year, expiring March 31. Apply through My ServiceOttawa once the inspections are done.
  6. Get the sign permit if the shop needs oneA permanent sign costs about $399, with a first review of 10 business days.

Questions people ask

Does a bakery in Ottawa need a City business licence?

Yes. A food premises licence is required for any business that prepares food, and the City names bakeshops in that list. The licence covers free-standing structures, so a bakery shop needs one. It is not required where only grab and go foods are available and the customer does not prepare or heat the food.

How much does the Ottawa food premises licence cost?

The City's food premises licence page gives an approximate cost of $298 annually. The licence is transferable and expires annually on March 31. The application also requires $1 million in Commercial General Liability insurance, proof of ownership or a lease, and a building that complies with zoning, building code, public health, fire code, and property standards requirements.

What does Ottawa Public Health require before a bakery opens?

Floor and equipment plans must be approved by a Public Health Inspector before construction starts. The health review application costs nothing, and the first review takes 10 business days. Contact Ottawa Public Health two weeks before opening to set up an inspection. The application needs three copies of the facility plans, including the kitchen, equipment list and legend, and seating plan, plus a brief description of the operation and a menu.

Do bakery staff in Ottawa need food handler certification?

Yes. Under Ontario Regulation 493/17, every operator of a food service premise must ensure that at least one food handler or supervisor who has completed food handler training is on the premise during every hour it is operating. Ottawa Public Health accepts in-class training at Algonquin College, Ministry of Health recognized programs, and the online In Good Hands program.

How much is the building permit for an Ottawa bakery fit-up?

The City gives an approximate fee of $12 per $1,000 or part thereof of the assessed valuation of the work, with a minimum fee of $110. The first review takes 10 to 15 business days, but can take longer if the application is incomplete or there are deficiencies in the plans. Construction and building plans must be drawn by an accredited professional, depending on occupant load.

How long does it take to open a bakery in Ottawa?

The City gives an approximate timeline of 3 weeks for the food premises licence and 3 to 6 weeks for the licence through the Business Ambassador package. The health review first review takes 10 business days and the building permit first review takes 10 to 15 business days, so start the package early and expect the inspections to run after construction is finished.

Keep going

Sources

  • City of Ottawa, Food premises licence — bakeshops named as needing a licence, the approximate $298 annual cost, the March 31 expiry, the 3-week timeline, the $1 million insurance requirement, the proof of ownership or lease, and the My ServiceOttawa application route.
  • City of Ottawa, Business ambassador — the five-item Food Establishment package, the no-fee Public Health review with a 10 business day first review, the fit-up building permit fee of $12 per $1,000 with a $110 minimum, the $399 permanent sign permit, the 3 to 6 week licence timeline, and the $286 package-page licence figure.
  • Ottawa Public Health, Certified Food Handler Training — the Ontario Regulation 493/17 rule that a certified food handler or supervisor be on the premise during every operating hour, the accepted training providers, and the one-year re-challenge window after expiry.

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