How can I start a Restaurant Business in Dubai?

How can I start a Restaurant Business in Dubai?

It all starts with your business plans! If you are planning to prepare and serve food and snacks, as well as various beverages for immediate consumption by the public, then to operate your activity, you require to get the necessary licenses for your Restaurant from the Competent Licensing Authorities.

Setting up a Restaurant in Dubai can be the most profitable investment for an investor, if managed well. However, the Restaurant business in Dubai comes with strict codes and rules to abide by.

What License do I need to open a Restaurant in Dubai?

First, you need to be aware that the location that you choose for your restaurant is the key factor in specifying the Competent Licensing Authority that shall issue your trade license. In Dubai, there is a mainland and there are more than twenty (20) free zones located in different areas, having their own rules and regulations, which differs from the mainland procedures. If your Restaurant location is on the mainland, then the license shall be issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai (also known as DED or DET); however, if your Restaurant is in one of the free zones, then the license shall be issued by that specific free zone’s Authority. For example, if you wish to open your Restaurant in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) area, then the license shall be issued by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (DMCC), considering that DMCC is the free zone licensing authority of JLT.

However, it’s important to know that the Restaurant business is a regulated activity in Dubai that requires approvals from Dubai Municipality, specifically from the Food Control Department for the Restaurant design layout from one hand, and another approval from the Department of Drainage and Irrigation on the other hand. Such approvals are mandatory to get the trade license from the Competent Licensing Authority (whether it’s DET or any of the free zone authorities).

What are Dubai Municipality’s conditions for Restaurants?

Even if you are planning to open a small Restaurant in Dubai, you should be aware of the minimum Restaurant space required as per Dubai Municipality conditions. To obtain and maintain your Restaurant license, it is required whether to rent or own a commercial space in Dubai that should be a minimum of 750 sq.ft size (area of the kitchen should be (300) sq.ft size or 40% of total whichever is bigger).

In fact, Dubai Municipality has set full list of requirements other than the minimum space required, related to floors, walls, ceilings, exterior protective barriers and openings, equipment and utensils, lighting, ventilation, storage areas, water supply, plumbing systems, management of food safety, cleaning and maintenance and others. The aim is to provide a high level of protection for human life and health and to protect the interests of the consumers by safeguarding them from deceptive practices that may cause illness or injury to the consumer. To achieve this aim, all investors who are willing to get a Restaurant License have to strictly comply with the food regulations and maintain a higher standard of food safety through the adoption of good practices.

It’s always better to appoint a company specialized in the restaurant fit outs, to ensure that your Restaurant is as per Dubai Municipality requirements. The non-compliance with such requirements may lead to the rejection of the Restaurant fit outs, which block the opportunity to get the final trade license from the Competent Licensing Authority.

Is Dubai Municipality’s approval the only requirement for Restaurants?

In fact, Dubai Municipality’s approval is required to be issued before the trade license issuance by the Competent Licensing Authority, however, after the license issuance, there’s a crucial role for Dubai Civil Defense (“DCD”) regarding the Restaurant’s operational activities. DCD ensure that the Restaurant is following safety standards and efficient emergency preparedness. For this purpose, after getting the Restaurant license, a Certificate of Safety shall be issued by Dubai Civil Defense after fulfilling all the requirements from Annual Maintenance Contract to subscription and installation of necessary panels. Such requirements aim to foster a safer environment for all residents and visitors in Dubai who are looking to have a nice dinner in a Restaurant!

Can I serve Shisha in my Restaurant after I get the Restaurant License?

Dubai has its strict rules on smoking and cigarettes, especially when it comes to smoking in closed public spaces. In this manner, the trade license for your Restaurant from the Competent Licensing Authority does not allow you to serve Shisha in the Restaurant, as such service needs an external special approval from Dubai Municipality to ensure that the Restaurant fit outs are as per the conditions that allow serving Shisha in the Restaurant. The requirements of such approval differ whether you want to get an internal or external permit to serve Shisha in the Restaurant. Moreover, serving Shisha is allowed only in certain areas designated by the Municipality.

The approval process with Dubai Municipality can be very easy if your Restaurant is in the area where Shisha is allowed and the Restaurant’s fit outs are as per Dubai Municipality requirements, but it can be a long journey that ends with rejection if your Restaurant was not in compliance with Dubai Municipality requirements. That’s why it’s very crucial to check in advance if location you chose is permissible for Shisha, and appoint a specialized fit outs company who can fulfill the requirements while doing the fit outs of your Restaurant.

Conclusion.

In conclusion, setting up a Restaurant in Dubai is one of the best businesses, considering the high number of workers and employees who frequently prefer having their food from outside instead of cooking at home, which make such a business extremely profitable. However, to avoid the long journey and the legal paperwork to complete your Restaurant set up, you may seek advice from CorpLex who has an experienced team in setting up restaurants for over the past ten (10) years!