What Licenses and Permits Are Needed to Open a Coffee Shop - Complete Coffee Shop Certification Process Guide

Today, let's discuss the process of opening a coffee shop. First, of course, you need funding. Once you have the capital to open, you also need to apply for various licenses and permits. So what specific licenses and permits are required to open a coffee shop?

Category 1: Business License

Opening a coffee shop should meet certain basic conditions, such as having a clear name, an accurate address, sufficient capital, a defined business scope, a legal representative, and a corresponding management organization.

First, you need to apply for a business license, and the business scope must include catering management. Direct store operations require permission from the competent industry authorities before they can be conducted.

Coffee shops applying for opening registration should submit their registration application to the competent commerce department within 30 days after approval by the competent authorities or examination and approval bodies. They should first apply for their coffee shop name; after approval, they take the "Coffee Shop Name Pre-approval Notice" to the competent commerce registration department to collect the "Coffee Shop Opening Registration Application Form."

The main items for registration include: coffee shop name, address, economic nature, business scope, business method, registered capital, number of employees, business premises area, operating period, and branch offices. The main items for coffee shop business registration applications are as follows:

The name of the coffee shop. Within the applied city or county, the trade name in the same industry cannot be identical. Coffee shops can engrave seals according to their registered trade names and submit them to the original registration commerce administration authority for filing. Coffee shops without trade names will not be registered.

When applying for opening registration, the following documents and certificates should be submitted:

(1) Registration application signed by the responsible person of the organization.

(2) Approval documents from competent authorities or examination and approval bodies.

(3) Organizational charter or partnership agreement.

(4) Capital credit certificate, capital verification certificate, or capital guarantee. Capital verification certificates are issued after capital verification by audit departments designated by the commerce bureau. During capital verification, cash must be deposited in temporary bank accounts designated by the commerce bureau, and physical goods should be accompanied by purchase invoices or legally valid appraisal reports. Proof of business premises use should be issued and signed by the property owner, along with the house lease contract.

(5) Identity certificate of the main responsible person of the coffee shop.

(6) Proof of residence and business premises use.

(7) Approval documents and certificates from environmental protection and other administrative departments, as well as other relevant documents and certificates.

After approval and registration by the commerce department, a corporate business license will be issued to the coffee shop, and business licenses will be issued to non-corporate coffee shops or non-independent accounting coffee shop branches. Coffee shop operators cannot engage in business activities in the name of the coffee shop before obtaining their business license. The date of business license issuance is the date of coffee shop establishment.

Category 2: Food Business Project Approval

The issuance date of the food business license is the date the licensing decision is made, and it is valid for 5 years.

In the industry classification of catering management, coffee shops belong to beverage shops; however, some coffee shops are actually cafes that provide coffee beverages while also conducting on-site processing and food service, which requires classification under the category of small restaurants (snack shops).

When applying for a food business license, coffee shops can apply for network projects, on-site production and sales projects, and dessert station projects simultaneously based on their specific business scope.

1. Food Business License Management

To apply for a food business license, the following materials should be submitted to the market supervision and administration department of the applicant's district:

(1) Food business license application form;

(2) Copy of the business license, or other subject qualification certificate documents (for those not yet obtained, a copy of the approval document from the competent authority agreeing to establish the entity);

(3) Documents such as the layout of main equipment and facilities suitable for the food business, operational processes, and similar (indicating the use and area of business premises and the location of equipment and facilities);

(4) Rules and regulations ensuring food safety;

(5) For catering service operators who generate kitchen waste grease and food sales operators engaged in on-site production and sales, a management system for kitchen waste cooking oil (including declaration of kitchen waste grease generation, collection and transportation contracts, collection and transportation waybills, record ledgers, and installation and use of oil-water separators by catering service providers);

(6) Rules and regulations ensuring public place hygiene for various types of restaurants and beverage shops (including restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and tea houses);

(7) Other materials stipulated by laws, regulations, and rules.

Note: After the new regulations took effect in 2017, the previously required "Public Place Hygiene License," "Food Circulation License," and "Catering Service License" were integrated into the food business license management measures.

Obtaining Health Certificates and Hygiene Licenses

Every employee (including the shop owner) needs to apply for a catering industry health certificate.

To apply for a hygiene license, one should first apply to the health supervision department of the local people's government at or above the county level, such as the health department of the county (district) epidemic prevention station. The specific procedures are: first obtain a health certificate, then apply for a hygiene license, undergo training, and receive a hygiene training qualification certificate after passing.

According to the Food Hygiene Law, personnel engaged in food production and operation need to undergo health examinations and obtain a Health Certificate before they can start work. Health examinations should generally be conducted at health departments at or above the county level. General health examination content includes examination of the heart, lungs, abdomen, liver, and skin, hepatitis B vaccination status, and other aspects.

After obtaining the health certificate, you can apply to the health supervision agency for a hygiene license. The epidemic prevention station will send staff to inspect and guide the coffee shop. The coffee shop needs to provide a floor plan for review by the epidemic prevention station staff.

Next, the health supervision agency will send personnel to conduct health inspections of the site selection and design of the coffee shop's demolition, expansion, and decoration projects to see whether they meet hygiene and safety requirements, and will formulate coffee shop hygiene measures in accordance with the Food Hygiene Law of the People's Republic of China.

After passing the inspection by the epidemic prevention station, a "Public Place Hygiene License" will be issued.

Category 3: Tax Registration

Within 30 days from the date of obtaining the business license, coffee shops should report to the competent tax authorities to apply for tax registration. Collect the tax registration form from the competent tax authority and fill it out truthfully.

The tax registration form generally includes the following:

(1) Coffee shop name, legal representative or owner's name, and their resident ID number or other valid certificate number.

(2) Residence and business address.

(3) Economic nature.

(4) Coffee shop form and accounting method.

(5) Business scope and business method.

(6) Registered capital, total investment, opening bank and account number.

(7) Operating period, number of employees, business license number.

(8) Financial person in charge and tax handling personnel.

(9) Other relevant matters.

When filling out the tax registration form, the following certificates and materials should be provided according to different situations:

(1) Business license.

(2) Relevant contracts, articles of association, and agreements.

(3) Bank account certificate.

(4) Resident ID and other valid certificates.

Category 4: Decoration and Renovation Permits Required

Construction Permit

A construction permit requires a construction floor plan, geographical location, design qualification drawings, and a construction unit qualification certificate from the Construction Bureau.

Fire Safety Approval

In addition to the environmental protection approval process, operators also need to go to the fire department of the local public security bureau to handle fire safety approval procedures. When applying, you must submit an application along with the location floor plan and the layout floor plan of the coffee shop, then collect and fill out the "Fire Safety Key Industry Approval Form," and the fire department will send fire safety inspectors to conduct inspection and acceptance.

Category 5: Other Licenses

If the coffee shop also sells alcoholic products or does its own roasting, other licenses are needed:

Alcohol Retail License

Open Production License for Roasted Coffee

Category 6: Determine Business Content and Target Consumer Groups, Location, Location, Location

Location selection is a crucial matter in coffee shop investment. If you have decided to invest in a coffee shop, the next task is to search tirelessly for the best business location. We usually ask investors to focus on location, location, and location, because being close to the customers who support your business is crucial — they are the foundation of your survival. When selecting a location, count the customers there, talk to nearby merchants, understand the situation, what times have higher customer flow, and what kind of people come to consume there.

Calculate startup capital.

Purchase coffee equipment: coffee machines, grinders, and so on.

Design the coffee menu.

Find suppliers for coffee, dairy products, seasonings, and other food, as well as sources for other non-coffee beverages, paper products, and utensils.

Develop marketing plans, hire employees, and prepare training materials.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Once the paperwork is done, choosing the coffee itself is the next decision that shapes your daily operation. FrontStreet Classic Blend is designed specifically for espresso and moka pot, and its biggest strength is outstanding crema: even a beginner on a non-professional home machine can extract dense, fine crema with ease. Built on the traditional Mamba recipe, it is mellow and full-bodied and easy for both veterans and newcomers to accept — a dependable first choice for home or commercial use, and the base for latte, cappuccino, and Dirty.

If you want to control costs without sacrificing quality, FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend is a 100% Arabica blend with ample crema, a full body, and a friendly price — a practical, worry-free option for a new shop.

And if your menu needs something distinctive, FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Espresso Blend is a popular fruity blend that fuses the natural flavors of Arabica beans from different regions into a clear strawberry-marshmallow sweetness — a good fit if you want a differentiated milky drink or a fruit-forward option for customers who dislike bitterness.