How to Start in Canada

How to Start a Restaurant in Saskatoon

Open a restaurant in Saskatoon: the City Commercial Business Licence, Saskatchewan Health Authority food premises approval, and the SLGA restaurant permit.

Written November 10, 2026 · 10 min read

Applies in: Saskatchewan

The short answer

Zoning first, then the City licence, then the health authority — with the liquor permit on its own track. To open a restaurant in Saskatoon you need three separate approvals from three separate bodies: the City of Saskatoon for zoning and the Commercial Business Licence, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) for food premises approval and the provincial health licence, and the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) for a restaurant permit if you serve alcohol. This guide walks the Saskatoon mechanics only. The national restaurant guide covers the parts that are the same everywhere in Canada; nothing in this guide repeats it.

Step 1: Check zoning and the building permit question before you sign a lease

Zoning rules vary across the city and affect the type of business you are permitted to operate in a specific zoning district. Whether you are building a new structure or moving into an existing one, contact Planning and Development to determine if your proposed location is zoned for the type of business you want to establish. Do this before you sign a lease: a space that cannot be zoned for a restaurant is a dead end no licence can fix.

If structural alterations are planned, or the building will change use or occupancy, a building permit from Building Standards is required before construction starts. A business licence will not be issued until the appropriate building permits have been taken out, so settle the building question at the same time as the zoning question. The City's zoning rules for restaurants sit in the Zoning Bylaw (No. 8770).

Step 2: Apply for the City Commercial Business Licence

All businesses operating from commercial, institutional, and industrial zoned properties in Saskatoon require a City of Saskatoon Commercial Business Licence. If you have more than one business location in Saskatoon, you need a separate business licence application for each location.

The easiest way to apply is through the City's Business Licence Online service. You can also apply by mail: complete the commercial business licence application, gather the supporting documents that apply to your business, and mail the package with a cheque or money order payable to the City of Saskatoon to the Business Licence Program, City Hall, 3rd Floor, 222 3rd Avenue North, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J5.

The fees, as published on the City page, are:

  • New business licence: $135.00.
  • Change of business location: $135.00.
  • Annual renewal: $95.00.

All commercial business licence applications are reviewed for compliance with land use and building code regulations. If your application is approved, you receive written confirmation by mail, along with your business licence, in approximately two to three weeks. A business licence is valid for one year from the date it is issued, unless otherwise stated on the licence. Licences must be renewed annually, and a renewal notice is sent to the mailing address on your licence the month before it expires. You can renew online or by mail.

If you change your operations or move, notify the City office. You must report a change in gross leasable floor area, the type of business conducted, location, ownership, or business closure, and your account is reviewed to determine if a new business licence is required. For questions, the Business Licence Program can be reached at 306-975-2760.

Step 3: Get Saskatchewan Health Authority approval and the provincial health licence

Before opening a restaurant or any other type of food vendor service, you must contact the Saskatchewan Health Authority at 306-655-4605 to arrange for an inspection of the food preparation facilities and to obtain a provincial health licence. No person may operate a public eating establishment in Saskatchewan without a valid licence for it, under The Food Safety Regulations.

Floor plans of the business must be submitted to your local public health inspector's office, along with the food facility information and licence application forms. Send this information before you carry out any renovations, and several weeks before you plan to open — the SHA page is explicit that this timing matters if you want to avoid delays.

Public health inspectors inspect restaurant-type facilities for compliance with The Food Safety Regulations and the supporting Food Facility Standards. The SHA can issue three types of licence: a Licence, a Licence with Conditions (for example, limiting food service to take-out where public washrooms are not available, or restricting menu items where equipment is lacking), or a Probationary Licence that sets timelines for correcting infractions. Inspection reports for restaurant-type facilities are published through Inspection InSite, which covers more than 5,000 restaurant-type facilities across Saskatchewan, so a failed inspection is visible to the public.

One practical point from the City's own guidance: if you plan a sidewalk cafe or parking patio as an extension of the restaurant, it needs its own Sidewalk Cafe or Parking Patio Licence, applied for annually. No additional fee is charged for it — the licence is treated as an extension of your existing Commercial Business Licence — but the operator must carry a minimum of $2,000,000 in liability insurance, and the patio must keep the same operating hours as the restaurant.

Step 4: Apply for the SLGA restaurant permit, if you serve alcohol

Any food establishment serving alcoholic beverages needs a liquor permit from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority. SLGA issues several classes of commercial liquor permit; the one for a restaurant is the Restaurant permit. It is available where the primary business and source of revenue generated in the premises is the preparation and sale of food for consumption on the premises. The other classes — Tavern, Special Use, Retail Store, U-Brew/U-Vin, and Direct to Consumer Delivery — fit different businesses, so do not apply for a Tavern permit for a restaurant.

The restaurant permit has two conditions that shape how you run the room:

  • A food menu with a reasonable number of meal choices, enough to constitute lunch or supper, must be available at all times.
  • A sales ratio of at least one dollar of food sales for each dollar of beverage alcohol sales, calculated on a monthly basis, must be maintained.

The application package, last revised July 2025, states the money and timing plainly: attach a cheque or money order for $525.00 (non-refundable) made payable to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, or call to pay by credit card, and allow about 15 business days for processing after submitting all required items. Once SLGA has the package and the fee, a representative contacts you about any further requirements, including the total permit and endorsement fee due. The annual permit fee is separate from the $525.00 application fee, and it depends on where the restaurant is: in a city it is $525 a year, in a town $263 a year, and in a village, hamlet, resort, or seasonal location $158 a year. So a Saskatoon restaurant pays $525 a year for the permit, on top of the one-time $525.00 application fee. Permits may be issued for up to three years, and the permit and endorsement fees may be paid up front or annually — if you pay annually, the permit is only valid for years two and three once each year's fee is received. All applicants except Home Delivery and U-Brew/U-Vin permit holders must also apply for a Liquor Consumption Tax licence from the Ministry of Finance. For questions, SLGA's liquor licensing line is 306-787-5563, or toll-free at 1-800-667-7565.

The order that avoids rework

Confirm zoning and the building permit question with Planning and Development, then send your floor plans to the SHA before you renovate. Apply for the City business licence while the SHA inspection is arranged, and start the SLGA application early — it needs the $525.00 fee up front and about 15 business days once everything is in. The expensive mistake is signing a lease on a space that cannot be zoned for a restaurant, or renovating a kitchen the health authority has not seen on paper first.

What the opened pages do not state

Two figures a reader would reasonably want are not stated on the official pages opened for this guide, so they are not carried here. The SHA pages do not publish a fee for the food facility licence, so this guide states no SHA licence fee. The City's licence page does not publish a fee for a building permit, which depends on the work involved. Ask the SHA for its current licence fee when you submit your floor plans.

Related guides:

Opening a restaurant in Saskatoon, in order

  1. Check zoning with Planning and DevelopmentConfirm the address is zoned for a restaurant before you sign a lease, and find out whether a building permit is needed
  2. Apply for the City Commercial Business LicenceNew licence $135.00, annual renewal $95.00; the City takes about two to three weeks to process an application
  3. Submit floor plans to the Saskatchewan Health AuthoritySend floor plans and the food facility forms to your local public health inspector before renovations, several weeks before you plan to open
  4. Pass inspection and get the provincial health licenceThe Saskatchewan Health Authority inspects the food preparation facilities and issues the health licence a restaurant must hold to operate
  5. Apply for the SLGA restaurant permit if serving alcoholThe application fee is $525.00, non-refundable; processing takes about 15 business days once all required items are submitted
  6. Open with the licences in placeThe City business licence is valid for one year from the date it is issued, and a separate application is needed for each location

Questions people ask

What City licence does a Saskatoon restaurant need?

A City of Saskatoon Commercial Business Licence. Every business operating from a commercial, institutional, or industrial zoned property in Saskatoon needs one, and a restaurant applies for the commercial category. You need a separate application for each location.

How much is the Saskatoon business licence for a restaurant?

A new Commercial Business Licence costs $135.00. The annual renewal costs $95.00. Changing the business location also costs $135.00. The licence is valid for one year from the date it is issued.

What does the Saskatchewan Health Authority require before a restaurant opens?

Before opening a restaurant, you must contact the Saskatchewan Health Authority at 306-655-4605 to arrange an inspection of the food preparation facilities and to obtain a provincial health licence. Floor plans must go to your local public health inspector's office, along with the food facility information and licence application forms, before you carry out renovations and several weeks before you plan to open.

What does the SLGA restaurant permit cost, and what are the conditions?

The application fee is $525.00, non-refundable, paid with the application package. Processing takes about 15 business days after all required items are submitted. A restaurant permit is available where the primary business and source of revenue is the preparation and sale of food for consumption on the premises, and you must keep at least one dollar of food sales for each dollar of beverage alcohol sales, calculated monthly.

What happens if I move my Saskatoon restaurant to a new location?

You must notify the City if you change location, and your account is reviewed to determine whether a new business licence is required. A change of business location costs $135.00. A licence cannot be transferred to a new location without that review.

Do I need a building permit as well as a business licence?

Yes, if structural alterations are planned or the building will change use or occupancy. A building permit from Building Standards is required before construction starts, and a business licence will not be issued until the appropriate building permits have been taken out.

Keep going

Sources

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