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Opening a restaurant in the UK: the checklist from concept to first guest

Editorial team tischlein · Updated on October 16, 2026

The short answer

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.

Step 1: concept, premises and business form

Write the concept on one page: guests, menu, price level, opening hours, what makes you different. Then check the premises before you sign the lease: is the use right for a restaurant, are the toilets, ventilation and access in order, is there space outside? A change within one planning use class needs no application, but a hot food takeaway is a category of its own and local policies can exclude it.

You can start as a sole trader, in a partnership or as a private limited company. A sole trader registers for Self Assessment with HMRC (income above £1,000 a year, deadline 5 October after the tax year in which you start). A limited company registers with Companies House, which costs £100 online, and every director has to verify their identity, free through GOV.UK One Login.

Step 2: the legal steps in order

The order is mostly fixed. The authorities differ a little by council, so the answer you get locally is the one that counts.

  1. Register your business with HMRC (Self Assessment) or Companies House (limited company).
  2. Register as a food business with your local council, online, at least 28 days before you start trading. It covers every venue that cooks, stores, sells or handles food. Councils say it is free.
  3. Set up a food safety management system based on HACCP. The Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food Better Business pack is the usual route.
  4. Apply for a premises licence if you sell alcohol, play live or recorded music or serve hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am. A DPS with a personal licence is needed for alcohol.
  5. Apply for a pavement licence if you want tables outside on the public pavement (England).
  6. Register as an employer with HMRC before your first payday, set up a workplace pension and take out employers’ liability insurance.
  7. Check fire safety: the responsible person has to carry out and review a fire risk assessment.

Our guide to the premises licence explains the licensing step in detail.

Step 3: food safety, allergens and the hygiene rating

You must have a documented system for managing food safety and keep supplier and customer traceability records. Staff have to be trained and supervised for their role and you keep the training records. There is no statutory certificate for food handlers; a Level 2 food hygiene course is a common recommendation, not a duty.

For allergens, you must be able to give accurate information on the 14 allergens for every dish you serve. GOV.UK advises keeping it in writing, updating it when recipes change and having a process so that staff answer or say they do not know. Food that is prepacked on site for direct sale needs a label with a full ingredients list and the allergens emphasised.

The council inspects without warning. You get a rating from 0 to 5 in writing within 14 days and can appeal or ask for a re-inspection. Displaying the rating is voluntary in England and required in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Step 4: VAT, prices and staff

Food and drink eaten in a restaurant are standard-rated at 20 percent VAT. You must register for VAT once your taxable turnover goes above £90,000 in a rolling twelve months, and you can register voluntarily below it. Prices on the menu must include VAT. A voluntary tip that a guest adds freely is outside VAT, while a service charge is standard-rated.

The UK has no certified till system, but you must keep a record of every sale and your till output. VAT records are kept for at least six years.

From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour from age 21, £10.85 for ages 18 to 20 and £8.00 under 18; the rates change every 1 April. Employer National Insurance is 15 percent above £5,000 per employee a year in 2026 to 2027. Tips, gratuities and service charges must be passed on to workers under the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023, with a written policy and records.

A realistic timeline

No official source gives a total timeline, so treat this as a guide. Company and bank account: days to weeks. Food registration: submit about 28 days before opening, not earlier. Premises licence: plan roughly two months, because of the 28-day public notice and the council process. Pavement licence: about four weeks. The lease, fit-out and planning usually decide the schedule.

The last weeks before opening

Guests look for a restaurant before it opens. Show the progress, create your Google Business Profile early and run a test weekend with friends and neighbours.

  • Opening hours, address and menu online before the door opens.
  • Allergen information written down and ready for every dish.
  • Cleaning and temperature records prepared, training recorded.
  • Rota for the first weeks and a plan for tips.
  • Suppliers compared, delivery times agreed.

Status and sources

Status 16 October 2026, not legal advice. This guide covers England first; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ in licensing, food authority and planning. Rates and rules change, so check GOV.UK and your council before you act. Sources:

  • GOV.UK: Set up a business (https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business)
  • GOV.UK: Register a food business (https://www.gov.uk/food-business-registration)
  • GOV.UK: Running a food business (https://www.gov.uk/running-food-business)
  • GOV.UK: Food inspections (https://www.gov.uk/running-food-business/food-inspections)
  • GOV.UK: Food hygiene rating (https://www.gov.uk/running-food-business/food-hygiene-rating)
  • GOV.UK: Allergies (running a food business) (https://www.gov.uk/running-food-business/allergies)
  • GOV.UK: Premises licence (https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/premises-licence)
  • GOV.UK: Companies House fees (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/companies-house-fees/companies-house-fees)
  • GOV.UK: Register as an employer (https://www.gov.uk/register-employer)
  • GOV.UK: Register for VAT (https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat)
  • GOV.UK: Catering, takeaway food and VAT (VAT Notice 709/1) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/catering-takeaway-food-and-vat-notice-7091)
  • GOV.UK: Workplace fire safety, your responsibilities (https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities)

Website, menu and rota before the first guest

tischlein gets your restaurant online before you have the keys: website with opening hours, digital menu with allergens and a rota that checks the Working Time Regulations. You tell the chat what you need and check the preview.

New venues get a discount on the plans in the Startup Center at /gruenden.

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Frequently asked questions

What do I need to open a restaurant in the UK?

A registered business (HMRC or Companies House), a food business registration with your local council at least 28 days before you trade, a food safety system, allergen information, and a premises licence if you sell alcohol or play music. If you employ people you also register as an employer.

Do I need a food hygiene certificate?

There is no statutory certificate for food handlers. You must make sure staff are trained and supervised for their role and keep training records. A Level 2 food hygiene course is a common recommendation.

Do I have to show my food hygiene rating?

In England it is voluntary. In Wales and Northern Ireland you must display it. New businesses show as awaiting inspection until the first visit.

When do I have to register for VAT?

When your taxable turnover goes above £90,000 in a rolling twelve months, or you expect it to in the next 30 days. You can register voluntarily below that.

How long does it take to open a restaurant?

It depends mostly on the lease, the fit-out and planning. The legal steps you can plan around are the 28 days for the food registration and, if you need a premises licence, roughly two months.

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