LA County Health Department plan check for restaurants: what they review and why sets bounce

The Health Department approval is separate from the building permit, and it reviews things a building inspector never looks at. Here is what the reviewers check and where cafés most often get sent back.
How to open a café in Los Angeles: the permit path from lease to opening day

Every café in Los Angeles passes through the same gates: Planning, LADBS plan check, the County Health Department and inspections. Here is the order they happen in, what each one checks, and where first-time owners lose the most time.