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Contact: Steve Kelso
PH: (616) 202-8376 (mobile)
EM: steve.kelso@kentcountymi.gov
Kent County Board of Commissioners Waives Restaurant License Fees for Food Establishments
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (March 9, 2022) – The Kent County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to waive the 2022-2023 food licensing fees for all existing food establishments in Kent County. This is a one‐time waiver.
The approximate $1.2 million funding for this waiver comes from the County’s portion of the American Rescue Plan Act. In late 2021, Kent County was awarded more than $127 million to support the continued response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We understand that restaurants are a major driver of our economy, and many establishments are still struggling to recover from the economic setbacks caused by the pandemic,” said Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Stan Stek. “We trust this fee waiver will provide much-needed support to keep these businesses going and ensure that they can continue to serve our community.”
Restaurants are required to submit a renewal application by April 30, 2022, which will ensure establishments remain licensed during the 2022-2023 operating period. If an establishment does not intend to renew its license, the application still must be returned but include a signed note requesting its license be cancelled. Annual renewal applications will be mailed to food service establishments by March 11, 2022.
“The restaurant business has always presented challenges and the pandemic made everything even harder,” said Abby McClure, General Manager at Walker Roadhouse. “We are grateful that our Kent County Commissioners voted to use these funds to help alleviate some of the pandemic related challenges we are still facing. We are very proud of the role that Walker Roadhouse plays in our community and we look forward to being here for many years for our customers, family, and friends.”
All 2,372 food service establishments in the County are licensed by the Kent County Health Department and license fees are based on the classification and type of operation.
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