Did permit actually neccessary to open a food/drink stall in America? I'm not 'Murican so i'm ignorance about the subject.

Chornlajorn said:

Did permit actually neccessary to open a food/drink stall in America? I'm not 'Murican so i'm ignorance about the subject.

Technically. Would depend on the specific county, but I believe you technically need a license in most parts of the country (Disclaimer: IANAL). The authorities don't (historically) usually bother enforcing the requirements though, especially for lemonade stands ran by little kids, but recently (like in the past decade) there were some noticeable spats with kids getting fines or warnings, like some cases in New York, California, Iowa, and I think Georgia.

Oh and a tyke got fined across the pond too in Dear Old Blighty.

It's probably the same in most countries as well; you need some sort of permit to sell food and drinks, for health and safety (and revenue) reasons. It's just that the authorities aren't that particular on enforcing in against small stalls, especially when they are ran by kids, but as times get on and society gets more 'advanced', they'll start getting more and more punctilious about enforcing regulations.

(Because if someone falls sick, there's greater demand for accountability [Someone falls sick from improperly-prepared food/drinks? Better sue the kids' family and the local council then!], and treating sick people becomes more expensive. And to be fair, usually the process of getting a license is expedited for small, temporary stalls [in places where they do bother enforcing it for such stalls].)

Chornlajorn said:

Did permit actually neccessary to open a food/drink stall in America? I'm not 'Murican so i'm ignorance about the subject.

Generally yes, plus add in a few regulations about food safety depending on your state. Like I know if you work with food in anyway in my state of California you must take a course and get what is called a food handlers card.

It is generally up to local governments whether or not they enforce the need for permits on kids and the like, but as the years go on it seems to be getting more common.

Also depends on "Where" you plan on opening your stall. A kid opening a stall in the suberban neighborhood? Most police would just think that's cute. But on a busy street intersection in the middle of the bussiness district? Hells ya you better get a permit.

HNNNNNGGGGGG I'LL BUY ALL YOUR LEMONADE, GAMBY!!!

<_<

>_>

I'll take all those AuClou Books.

Galm said:

<_<

>_>

I'll take all those AuClou Books.

Well they should be safe considering how they seem to be hanging off the wall of the stall there.

.musouka said:

Well they should be safe considering how they seem to be hanging off the wall of the stall there.

It's an American stall. They're bound to be taken down by 'moral' guardians by some point.

Oh, is Bay also building capital to purchase land for gingerbread real estate?

NNescio said:

It's an American stall. They're bound to be taken down by 'moral' guardians by some point.

Ill bet its the more safe content... Probably.

darthrevan4ever said:

It is generally up to local governments whether or not they enforce the need for permits on kids and the like, but as the years go on it seems to be getting more common.

Politicians frequently talk about pulling people out of poverty, but then they support counter-productive regulations on businesses making it harder for entrepreneurs to get past the red tape and startup fees and compete with the larger established competition. It just ends up discouraging most people from doing business. Personally I think food safety certification should be optional. People can make their own decisions where to eat and it isn't like certification necessarily guarantees clean handling standards, only encourages it. Obviously like any professional field, if you have certification you get an advantage since more people will trust your service, but it doesn't kill off the smaller casual operations that locals come to love and trust. If some kids have a lemonade stand, just leave them alone.

For example this one lady from my church used to own a taco stand and then started selling frozen yogurt. Most yogurt joints use dead cultures and don't clean their machines often (despite the daily requirement) and typically pass their inspections. The woman bought more expensive live cultured yogurt (although personally I don't believe in the "probiotic" concept) and cleaned her machines daily. She failed every single inspection because the inspector didn't understand the concept that yogurt with live cultures are naturally going to have a high bacterial count. Unfortunately that red flagged her and then our local government started fining her left and right until eventually she had to just close up business despite her family running the joint as a town staple for almost a century. I have heard that the health department has revised their standards since then, but is still highlights how easily the government can ruin a good thing in the pursuit of regulatory control.

Also some regulation may be needed in case children are being exploited by their family to sell the family's produce. Not so much in developed countries, but somewhat of a danger in a few cases in some desperate underdeveloped places.

If China's present smogs can be matched by Britain and America in more pollution-friendly times, we also worked children to death under early capitalism, so it's not just the Third World. And even today China has child labour in factories.