Guides
Guides for hospitality
Practical know-how for restaurants, cafés and bars, no detours: every article answers the question in two or three sentences, then shows steps, numbers and examples from daily work. Questions of tax and law are for your adviser or the authority in charge.
Guides
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Starting up
Premises licence: when you need one to sell alcohol, play music or serve late-night food
In England and Wales you need a premises licence from your local council if you sell alcohol, put on live or recorded music or serve hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am. If you sell alcohol you also need a designated premises supervisor (DPS) who holds a personal licence. A café that sells only food and soft drinks before 11pm does not need a premises licence, but it must still register as a food business at least 28 days before it opens.
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Starting up
Opening a café in the UK: concept, registrations, VAT and pricing
To open a café in England you need a clear concept, premises with passing trade, a registration as a food business with your local council at least 28 days before you open, and allergen information for everything you serve. A café that sells no alcohol and closes before 11pm does not need a premises licence. Watch the VAT rules: food and drink eaten in are standard-rated at 20 percent, and hot takeaway food is too, while cold takeaway food is generally zero-rated.
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Starting up
Opening a restaurant in the UK: the checklist from concept to first guest
To open a restaurant in England you choose a business form and register it with HMRC or Companies House, register as a food business with your local council at least 28 days before trading, set up a food safety system and allergen information, get a premises licence if you sell alcohol or play music, and register as an employer before your first payday. Work backwards from the opening date, because the 28-day food registration and the licensing notice set the schedule.
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Starting up
Opening a bar or pub in the UK: licences, music, staff and pricing
A bar or pub needs a premises licence from your local council for selling alcohol and for music, and a designated premises supervisor (DPS) with a personal licence. The licence belongs to the premises, so the lease and the licence have to fit together. Add food business registration if you serve food, a music licence, a fire risk assessment and, for staff, registration as an employer. Plan about two months for the licence.
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Starting up
What does it cost to open a restaurant in the UK? Start-up costs and funding
There is no official benchmark for what a restaurant costs to open, so any single number is a guess. Guides quote totals from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand pounds, depending on size, location and the state of the premises. Work in three blocks: one-off investment, monthly running costs and a reserve for the first months. Funding usually combines your own money, a bank loan and, for new founders, a Start Up Loan of up to £25,000.
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Short terms such as mise en place or cost of goods are explained in the glossary. Tools and templates are under Templates.
Updated on October 16, 2026