What do you need to open a cafe or restaurant?

Question

My partner and i want to open a cafe.We have capital but have never done anything like this before and don't know where to start.Do we need any kind of licence to prepare and serve food?

Answer 1

Since you have your capital in place, I would highly recommend the following book on amazon.com. It is a roadmap to accomplishing a successful cafe and is well worth the money. It will answer all your questions and provide your with all the necessary forms for the business. Much Much Success with your Cafe!


Real-World Fusion Concept Cafe Business Start-Up (Ring-bound)
by Dan Titus, Juice Gallery Multimedia

http://www.amazon.com/Real-World-Fusion-Concept-Business-Start-Up/dp/1582910189/sr=1-2/qid=1168622859/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/105-6700561-4058016?ie=UTF8&s=books

Answer 2

The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you're interested in.

I recommend checking out the SBA, Entrepreneur, The Start Up Journal & Nolo. All 4 are great informational resources for the new/small business owner. I posted links for you in the source box.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* The Restaurant Business Start-up Guide by Paul Daniels
* Restaurants That Work: Case Studies of the Best in the Industry by Martin E. Dorf
* Restaurant Financial Basics by Raymond S. Schmidgall
* Opening a Restaurant or Other Food Business Starter Kit: How to Prepare a Restaurant Business Plan and Feasibility Study by Sharon Fullen
* Upstart Guide Owning & Managing a Restaurant by Roy S. Alonzo
* The Restaurant Managers Handbook: How to Set Up, Operate, and Manage a Financially Successful Food Service Operation by Douglas Robert Brown

There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 3

Well from my experience, I own a small restaurant , fine dining, full bar, eclectic menu.
You will need several licenses. You will need
a state sales tax permit
a city/ county tax permit
a health dept. inspection permit
and for low point beer you will need a beer permit
for wine/ and liquor you will need a mixed bev. tax permit
and a mix bev sales permit.
All together (in my area-midwest) These total about 5000 per year.
You will need all your equipment , walkins, serving items, prep tables, dining fixtures ect.
You can get almost anything you need at restaurant auctions (this is the most risky business to get into, so you can always find cheap equipment from places that have shut down)
You can get almost anything you need used that is still in great shape, if you know what to look for.
Your servers will need food server permits, they pay for those.
Your servers will need to be consistent, experienced, willing , and *** kissers.
You will need persistance, lots of caffeine ( I work 13 hours a day at my place) and even when I have my debt paid off I will continue to be there everytime the doors are open.
I have found from personal experience that if an owner is not there, the business will likely suffer.
Take whatever amount you think your venture will cost and double it, to get you thru the times when the walkin blows up, the fryer quits, the electric outlets for your oven fries out, Even with brand new equipment and qualified people running the place- the unexpected expenses still show up every month.
Be ready to go out to your community and try to get people to stop at your place over chains (they are killing the small rest. ) Be prepared to feel like you are chained to your place, and your employees. Be prepared to hear the stupidest excuses for not coming in, giving poor service, being late, fighting with other employees. And be able to overlook the things that drive you nutty for the sake of keeping your sanity.
Be prepared to be a caring yet strict employer, a hard worker, a sales man, an *** kisser.
Find your niche, and if you have never worked in a restaurant before I strongly advise you to go volunteer at one for a couple of weeks, and see if it is something you would enjoy.
Know everypart of your business. Know how to cook every item, know how to serve the food, know how to tweak the equipment, know how to do the accounting, learn every regular customers name, do the dishes, power wash the parking lot, because trust me there will be times (either b/c your people call in, or you are slammed busy,) that you will need to know every aspect of everything front and back of house.
Decide if you are willing to risk all of this, and if so good luck!
You are welcome to email me with any specific questions you may have.
[e-mail]
As for me there is no other profession I would rather have, and no matter how much money I make will I ever decide I need to not be so hands on.

Answer 4

The Public Library is a good place to start. You can visit in person or access their database on-line.

They have a number of books that deal with that topic specifically and in quite a bit of detail.
You can also search the Internet. There are a number of sites offering advice and start up step by step packages for sale.

Don't forget to check if there is any grant money available to help you with your start up.

Good Luck on you new venture.

Answer 5

As I live in a different country to yourselves I cannot give you advice on liquor laws.
A few ideas for opening a cafe or restaurant:
A small , but interesting menu
Creative kitchen staff
Your floor staff are so important ( like they are on stage)
I guess it all is team work .
Lots of luck

Answer 6

it may be observed as Saints and Sinners. whilst coming into the eating place, you have 2 doorways which may well be categorised Saints and the different Sinners. you have a captivating blonde united states variety female establishing the door to Saints and greeting you to come lower back in and take a seat interior the snug Italian themed eating place. they could serve each and every of the high-quality Italian wines to creating spaghetti made with pasta sause (which may well be created from scratch). on the different hand, you are able to have a firey redhead wearing a slutty gown open the doorways for Sinners and could greet you with a seducing gaze and and could welcome you in by potential of biting her lips. Sinners could be a residing room/club/bar the place all loopy issues will ensue from the intake of lots alcohol.

Answer 7

Money and experience. Check the health department for regulations.

Answer 8

Keys.