To start a coffee business in Tennessee, pick your model (café, mobile cart, or roastery) and secure zoning, permits, and tax accounts before you sign a lease or buy equipment. Form an LLC with the Tennessee Secretary of State, get an EIN, register with the Department of Revenue for sales tax and business tax, and obtain your county/city business license from the clerk. For a café or espresso bar, confirm zoning and parking, submit build-out plans to codes, then apply to your county health department for a Food Service Establishment Permit with menu, equipment list, and floor plan; name a certified food protection manager and train staff food handlers; complete pre-opening inspection. For a mobile unit, secure a mobile food permit, a commissary agreement, routes, NSF-listed equipment, and potable/waste water tanks sized for your service. For roasting, verify industrial/commercial zoning, fire code for fuel and ventilation, dust collection, and consult TDEC Air Pollution Control on any roaster emissions permitting. Negotiate lease clauses for venting, grease interceptor and signage, confirm power and gas loads, and file a sign permit. Choose a POS that calculates Tennessee sales tax, set supplier accounts, carry liability and workers’ comp, soft-launch, and track COGS and labor.
