To set up a coffee shop in West Virginia, use the WV One Stop Business Portal to form your LLC or register your entity, get an EIN, and secure a WV State Tax Department Business Registration Certificate so you can collect sales tax on prepared drinks from day one. Verify zoning, parking, and drive‑thru allowances with your municipality; pull building/sign permits; and schedule State Fire Marshal and health pre‑opening inspections. Submit a plan review to your county health department 30+ days before build‑out with layout, equipment cut sheets, and plumbing details; expect requirements such as NSF‑listed equipment, a 3‑compartment sink, hand sinks, hot‑water recovery sizing, backflow prevention, and a grease interceptor per the sewer authority, plus a Certified Food Protection Manager. Register with WorkForce West Virginia for unemployment, maintain workers’ compensation through a WV‑approved carrier, and align tip credit, overtime, and youth‑worker policies with the WV Division of Labor. Configure POS taxes correctly: prepared beverages are taxable; many packaged beans for home consumption are tax‑exempt; add municipal sales tax and city B&O registration where applicable (e.g., Charleston, Huntington). Build for reliability: 200‑amp service, 240V for a 2‑group espresso (4–6 kW), 3/8‑inch filtered water line, floor drain; target 75–150 ppm water hardness with RO blending; winterize lines. Roasting on‑site? Check WV DEP Air Quality thresholds. File the SOS annual report by July 1 and your county business personal property return; leverage WV SBDC for site selection and financing.
