There sure is! The City of St. Louis Business Assistance Center (BAC) is your go-to resource for registering, licensing, and permitting your business. They have a variety of helpful resources on their website, but we recommend stopping by in person to chat.

In short, your business will need to be registered on the federal, state (MO), and local (STL) levels. The BAC has instructions for each of these steps, and specific needs will vary by business size and type. Seek legal counsel when in doubt, and use this information as a guide only. 

 

First, pick your business name, if you have not done so already. Before finalizing this, you should check that your selection is unique in the State of Missouri (i.e., not already registered to someone else) by searching here. You may also want to make sure that there's a corresponding domain name available that you're satisfied with by searching here, as well as any social media accounts you plan to set up. 

 

Next, on the federal level, you'll need to apply with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for an Employer Identification Number (EIN). This service is free and provides immediate access to your EIN. If you think you might not need a EIN, review the IRS guidelines. 

 

Afterward, you'll incorporate your business with the State of Missouri. This, too, can be done online here, and you can review the State's guidelines by business type here. If you plan to sell goods of any kind, you'll also need to apply for a Missouri Sales Tax Number with the Missouri Department of Revenue. Unlike applying for an EIN, the Sales Tax Number step is not instantaneous. 

And finally, on the local level, you'll need a Business License from the City of St. Louis. A business license is renewed annually and can be applied for online here. You will need to have completed the previous steps (federal and state) first, prior to applying for your business license. While there are a few exceptions, all businesses must get a license to legally operate within the City. 

Yes! To legally operate your business on Cherokee Street (or on any other street, for that matter), you will need, at a minimum, an occupancy permit. Depending on your type of business, you may also need a sidewalk permit and/or liquor license. Keep reading to learn more...

An occupancy permit, issued after completing an occupancy inspection, is essentially a document that certifies that your space is 1) safe to occupy, and 2) that it meets the needs of your business. This inspection is scheduled by the business owner (rather than the property owner) because the needs of each type of business vary, and what the inspectors are looking for will be different for retail use than restaurant use, for example. 

 

To schedule an occupancy inspection, you will need 1) written authorization that you have permission to use the space, in the form of either a signed lease agreement or a notarized letter from the property owner (the BAC has a template for this here), and 2) access to the premises. This means that in most cases, you will be scheduling this inspection for after your lease begins. If your space is suitable for your business as-is - like a new retail concept in a former retail space - then you'll want to schedule this for as soon as possible after your lease start date so that you can get up and running quickly. If build-out is required before the space meets your needs - like converting a former office space into a future cafe - you'll want to finish your build out before scheduling. Otherwise, you risk failing your occupancy inspection because the space doesn't match what your business needs.

 

Be sure to keep the property owner in the loop about when this inspection is scheduled, in case the inspectors need access to other areas of the building (like a basement or residential apartment above). If the inspection results in any minor or major violations, refer to your lease agreement or chat with the building owner to determine who is responsible for rectifying the issues before re-scheduling the inspectors.

 

The City of St. Louis provides additional information here, and when you are ready to schedule your inspection, you can do that online here (select Public Permits --> Commercial Occupancy Request). 

A conditional use hearing is prompted whenever the type of business applying for occupancy is outside the zoning requirements for the building. This does not necessarily mean that the business is not permissible, but it does mean there will be an extra step before an occupancy permit is issued. 

 

Zoning within the City of St. Louis ranges from "A - Single Family Residential" (which is the most restrictive) to "K - Unrestricted" (which as the name suggests, is the least restrictive). The vast majority of buildings within the Cherokee CID are zoned as "G - Local Commercial". If you want to check the zoning of the building your business occupies or is considering occupying, you can look that up here. It'll be listed under the "Land Use Information" and again on the "Zoning Map". 

 

The allowable uses of each zoning district are enumerated in the Zoning Code Ordinance, which is available online. Each letter includes all allowable uses from the preceding letter, meaning the list of allowable uses for "G - Local Commercial" includes the full list of allowable uses from districts A, B, C, D, E, and F as well. As you can expect, this is a long list. For the exhaustive list, skip ahead to Chapter 26.44 in the ordinances. But here's the gist of it:

Allowable: bars & taverns (G), restaurants (G), printing shops (G), art galleries & studios (F), bakeries (F), barber and beauty shops (F), bookstores (F), florists (F), grocery stores (F), retail stores (F), hardware stores (F), general office space (F), multi-family residential (C, D & E), two-family residential (B), and single-family residential (A).

 

Businesses applying for occupancy with a use outside of this list will be subject to conditional use approval, or, in some cases, may be denied. 

 

One common business type that exists on Cherokee that is not included in "G - Local Commercial" is resale, meaning the selling of used goods (as opposed to retail, the selling of new goods). Resale businesses will be subject to conditional use approval. Although, as evidenced by the long list of existing resale businesses within the district, this does not mean that occupancy won't ultimately still be issued. 

Whew, okay! Now, what actually is the hearing itself? Good question. If your business will be subject to a hearing, you will get an emailed letter about it after you apply for occupancy. The letter will list the date, time, and location of the hearing. Make sure that you are available to attend! The meetings are open to the public and anyone can voice their opinion in favor (or in opposition) of any of the businesses on the agenda. This will be your opportunity to answer questions posed by government officials or neighbors. This would also be a good opportunity to seek and obtain a letter of support from the Cherokee CID to reinforce your case. You can view upcoming meeting dates and agendas here. 

 

For restaurants that are also seeking to serve liquor, an initial application can be filed with the Excise Division at City Hall. Applicants will have a hearing with the Excise Commissioner and if approved, they will be granted a temporary liquor license. That license will be reviewed at 90 days and 180 days, reviewing any safety issues or  public complaints and confirming that the sale of food exceeds 51% of the restaurants gross income.

For traditional bars or venues in which food will not make up more than 51% of the establishment's gross income, businesses will need to go through the Excise Division's plat and petition process, which requires signatures from business owners, property owenrs and registered voters around the intended location. Visit the Excise Division at office 416 at City Hall to begin this process. 

Bars seeking a liquor license can seek a letter of support from the Cherokee Street Community Improvement District and the respective Alderperson to support their application. Request a letter of support from the Cherokee CID. 

To set up a sidewalk patio or cafe, businesses need to submit a sidewalk cafe application with the City's Board of Public Service. If alcohol is being served on the patio, businesses must also apply for a sidewalk cafe permit from the Excise Division. Retail businesses that want to display racks outside do not need to get additional permitting but must keep a minimum of 4 feet of sidewalk accessible for pedestrians.

The City-provided containers in the alleys are reserved for residential use only. Any business that generates waste - no matter how much or how little - is responsible for contracting private trash removal. Companies often used by Cherokee Street businesses for trash and/or recycling include Waste Management, Waste Connections & Republic Services. Another option  for small retail businesses that produce next-to-no trash is to share trash service with another business. If you go this route, just be sure to have an agreement in place (you can use this template/sample), as you may be asked to provide proof of trash service to your landlord, to the City, or when renewing various licenses/permits. 

 

We ask that businesses refrain from using the street's litter trash cans on the corners for business trash because they easily get overfilled and result in the street looking messy.

Most commercial businesses will pay for all of their own utilities, including electric, gas, water, sewer, and trash. Water & sewer are billed by the building; if you occupy a standalone building, you will likely pay for these services directly to the utility providers (City of STL for water, and MSD for sewer). If your space is within a multi-tenant building, you will likely reimburse your landlord for your pro rata share of these charges instead. 

Both AT&T and Spectrum currently offer business fiber for most locations within the Cherokee CID. 

The sales tax rate for businesses within the Cherokee CID footprint is 10.68%. This includes the sales tax rates for Missouri, City of St. Louis and the 1% sales tax for businesses within the Cherokee CID.

For property owners, there is a property tax assessment of 0.09% for property within the Cherokee CID footprint. 

Community Improvement Districts (or CIDs) are local special taxing districts that collect revenue within their designated boundaries to pay for public facilities, improvements, or services. Many commercial districts in St. Louis have created CIDs to help support their local businesses and fund public space improvements - like extra litter cans and trash removal, lighting and safety initiatives.

We recommend starting by attending a CID Public Meeting. Cherokee Street CID hosts quarterly public meetings for businesses to learn about work going on in the district and opportunities to get involved. Find the next meeting date here. Businesses are also invited to take part in our CID Committees, which shape the work of our organiation on a range of issues, from beautification and public safety to events and marketing. Sign up to join a committee here. As for our board, the CID hosts elections to serve on the board every two years in January. To serve on the board you must be either a business owner, property owner, resident or commercial tenant within the district.

The City does not require a letter of support from the CID to open your business. However, there are several instances in which having this would be beneficial. If you are subject to a conditional use hearing, presenting this letter may aid your case. Likewise, if you are applying for a liquor license, many neighboring residents and businesses may ask to see this before signing your plat and petition form. 

 

To seek a letter of support, contact the CID in advance of their next Public Meeting and request to be added to the agenda. Come to the meeting prepared with a short pitch about your business and be ready to answer questions from attendees. Meeting attendees will vote whether to approve the letter.