Operations

Operations 

Point of Sale (POS) System

You will need a point of sale system to manage the cash flow of your business. In addition to payment processing, this system may also assist with front of house management and online order processing. Depending on your business size and the type of business you have, here are some POS options to consider:

• Square for restaurants
• Clover 
• Lightspeed restaurant 
• Touch bistro 
• Toast 
• Loyverse 
• Aloha Cloud through NCR

Commercial Kitchens

The following resources list available commercially-licensed kitchen spaces for rent in the Philadelphia area:

• SFA 2023 Commercial & Incubator Kitchen Directory
  
• Artisan Exchange
• The Dorrance H. Hamilton Center For Culinary Enterprises Commercial Kitchen
  
• The Kitchen Door
• Culinary Collective

Employment and Human Resources

As you launch and grow your business, you may need to hire employees. This process includes writing a job description, posting the position on various jobs boards, and completing the necessary legal steps to officially hire new staff. 

There are many factors and laws to consider when you hire an employee of your business. There are many different State and Federal requirements you'll need to complete when you hire an employee, including obtaining your Federal Employment Identification number (EIN), your state’s Taxpayer Identification number, and workers compensation insurance.

As you hire employees, be sure to follow all Philadelphia wage and employment guidelines.

Health Standards

Certain guidelines must be followed in order to widely distribute a food product. The guidelines span disciplines including food safety and dietary guidelines.

• FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): Rules and Guidance for Industry shift the focus towards preventing food borne illness.
• Bad Bug Book: Basic facts regarding food borne pathogens and natural toxins published by the FDA.
• Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP): Regulations address issues on personal hygiene, designing and constructing a food plant, maintenance of plant grounds, equipment, sanitary operations, food production process and controls. 21 CFR Part 117.
• Safe Recipe Style Guide: Designed for use by any recipe writer who writes and publicizes recipes for distribution to the public.
• Assess Food-Handling Practices: Audit tool to assess employee food-handling practices.
• When & How to Wash Your Hands: The CDC's resources on hand washing offered in various languages
• Food Safety Throughout the Food System: Contains information on food safety and preservation for consumers, food service workers, and food processors

In the city of Philadelphia, an employee certified in food safety must be present during all business operations. Click here for a list of food safety certification courses accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). After completing the course, employees must submit a copy of their certificate with this application form to the Office of Food Protection to obtain their City of Philadelphia food safety certification. More information on this process can be found here.