How to Obtain a Restaurant Business Opening and Operating Licence

Why does the licensing process start before choosing a location?

A restaurant being architecturally attractive or commercially appealing does not automatically mean that address is suitable for the intended activity. Title-deed classification, building-use status, the management plan, chimney access, fire evacuation, infrastructure capacity and local zoning notes all affect feasibility.

Additional decisions and permits can arise especially for residential-classified units, restaurants inside apartment buildings, businesses planning alcohol service, or concepts with heavy cooking loads. For this reason, the address and activity should be confirmed in writing with the competent authority before signing a binding lease.

Important: document names and required attachments can vary by municipality, activity type and building characteristics. Get the current list from the authority you will apply to, rather than a generic online list.

How is the competent authority determined?

Within municipal boundaries, licensing is usually handled by the relevant municipality. Outside municipal boundaries, in organised industrial zones, airports or specially designated areas, the competent authority may differ. The first step is clarifying which authority has jurisdiction over the address.

Whether the restaurant serves alcohol, has live music, valet, outdoor seating, delivery-only production or other secondary activities can also change the scope of the file. The stated activity must reflect the real operation.

What headings are checked in the application file?

There is no single universal document list. Still, identity or company authority, tax registration, address and ownership/lease relationship, building-use status, activity description, fire safety and technical suitability are important in nearly every file.

• The applicant's real or legal-entity information and signing authority
• The business's exact address, unit and usage information
• Whether the activity is alcoholic/non-alcoholic, production/mass-catering and any secondary activities
• Fire safety, evacuation and, where required, fire-brigade compliance
• Any craft, professional-competence or responsible-staff requirement triggered by the activity
• Local requirements around environment, noise, waste, chimney and ventilation

What technical conditions should the kitchen meet?

The licence file is not just paperwork — the business's actual state must match the declared activity. Washable surfaces, adequate handwashing facilities, suitable food-contact equipment, potable water, wastewater drainage, pest control, proper storage, staff areas and effective ventilation are all assessed together.

Installing the hood and exhaust line according to cooking load, collecting used oil separately, checking local drainage-authority requirements for greasy wastewater, and having gas/electrical work done by licensed technicians all matter. Equipment layout should be resolved at the project stage, not on inspection day.

Is the licence the same as food registration and other permits?

No. The business opening and operating licence is the local authority's process for the business to operate at the stated address and activity. Food business registration or approval, on the other hand, is handled under food regulation by the relevant units of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Matters like alcohol sales, signage, outdoor seating, music broadcast, chimney application or waste connection may require separate permits, compliance checks or notifications. The opening timeline should be planned accounting for the interdependency of all these processes.

A safe, step-by-step application order

1. Write the activity definition: finalise the menu, production method, seating capacity, delivery and alcohol-service decisions.
2. Do a preliminary address review: check zoning, building use, title classification, management plan and chimney access.
3. Get the current list from the competent authority: confirm documents and technical requirements rather than relying on verbal information.
4. Coordinate the projects: match architectural, fire, ventilation, electrical, gas, water and drainage decisions with equipment layout.
5. Complete the build to match the project: photograph installation and maintenance access points that will later be concealed.
6. Manage the application and site inspection: assign a responsible person and timeline for closing any gaps.
7. Complete food registration and other permits: check separate obligations before starting operations.

The most common causes of delay

• Signing a long-term lease without researching address suitability
• Discovering apartment or management-plan conditions too late
• Being unable to resolve the chimney route technically or legally
• Not updating the activity scope and installation project after a menu change
• Assuming the licence and food registration are the same document
• Preparing based on an outdated document list found online