How to Start a Restaurant Business in Dubai - UAE?

Start a Restaurant Business in Dubai - UAE

Dubai is a famous city where approximately 4.7 million tourists visit yearly. The best thing about this city is that it provides excellent opportunities for people looking to start a  Restaurant Business in Dubai. The Emirate is fast emerging as one of the top global destinations. It proves Opening a Restaurant In Dubai can be a profitable decision. An exciting mixture of different cuisine cultures and a diverse population of more than 200 countries are some of the top factors that motivate foreign entrepreneurs to open a restaurant in the UAE. By opening your restaurant, you can earn a decent profit catering to foodies, like locals, residents, or tourists. If you have decided to setup a restaurant business in Dubai, you have visited the right place. Here, you will get an in-depth guide to start your restaurant in this city. In addition, you will get the essential information you must know before starting your restaurant business in this city.

Why it’s a great idea to start a restaurant in Dubai?

Bolstered by the global ‘foodie’ movement, it is easy to notice why Dubai and the United Arab Emirates as a whole are fascinating new locations for people looking to start their restaurants. In addition, the Emirate is instantly becoming one of the top worldwide cuisine destinations. These factors make the city incredibly profitable if you set up your restaurant correctly.  Apart from these factors, the following are other factors which make Dubai the best place to start a restaurant:  

• A robust government commitment to improving the economy’s and GDP’s growth.
• Incentives for starting a restaurant in Dubai in the food and beverage business.
• Tourism is a fastly expanding country in Dubai.
• A thriving and broad consumer base from every continent on the earth, including Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East

  There are a few hurdles that you must clear before Opening a Restaurant In Dubai. Getting a restaurant or food safety license is among those hurdles for starting a restaurant business in this city. In addition, you should carefully perform all steps to start your restaurant in this city.  

Requirements to Obtain a Food Safety License

Apart from a restaurant license, you must obtain a food safety license to Start a Restaurant Business in Dubai. To obtain this license, you must fulfill a few requirements. The following is the list of requirements to start a restaurant in this city:  

• Copy of the trade license or primary approval from the relevant authority that issues the trade license, which is the Department of Economic Development for the mainland, and the relevant free zone authority for a free zone

• The interior design layout of the premises includes:
• The entry and exit passages
• Space for processing food
• Area for storing food
• The windows and ventilation system
• Location of food equipment that will be utilized to make the food
• Dishwashers and other supportive equipment

Food Activities that Require More Licenses

Upon obtaining the food and trade license, you will be granted permission to start your restaurant in Dubai. However, you might ask to obtain additional licenses depending on additional activities. Below is the list of activities and licenses that you might need to successfully operate your Restaurant Business in Dubai:  

• Food consignment release license
• Pork permits for handling and serving pork products in your Restaurant Business in Dubai
• Vehicle permit for transporting your food products in Dubai
• Liquor license for serving liquor in your restaurant business in Dubai

Required Documents for Dubai Trade License

Obtaining a Dubai Trade license is one of the most essential steps to set up a restaurant business in Dubai. If you want to get a trade license, you must gather a few documents. Gathering these documents is crucial to obtaining this license. Below is the list of required documents for this license:  

• Blueprints and floor plan of your restaurant
• Memorandum of Association or MoA with your local sponsor (if you select to set up in the mainland).
• Initial Approval Letter from DED
• A finalized and detailed business plan
• Premise tenancy contract

  Apart from these documents, you might also have to submit other documents based on several factors.  

How To Open A Restaurant In Dubai

There are a few steps that you must follow to set up a restaurant business in Dubai. Following these steps carefully is crucial to start your restaurant effectively. The following is the list of steps to start your restaurant in this city:  

1. Initially, you should select your trade or company name for your restaurant in Dubai.
2. After choosing the trade name for your restaurant, you should choose a local sponsor. However, this step applies to a few business owners. We recommend you consult Flyingcolour Business Setup to know whether you should perform this step or not. 
3. After choosing a local sponsor (if required), you must apply and obtain pre-approval from the Department of Economic Development (DED) for your  Restaurant Business in Dubai.
4. After obtaining preapprovals for your restaurant, you should move forward with getting the restaurant’s interior designed following the Food and Safety Department guidelines. When renting business premises, you should be careful to adhere to the Department’s criteria.
5. Once you have got the restaurant’s interior designed,  you should sign the Memorandum of Association (MoA) or Local Service Agent (LSA) agreement in the Department of Economic Development (DED).
6. After signing the MoA or LSA agreement, you must submit all essential documents mentioned above to the DED.
7. At last, you should obtain a letter of authorization from the Food Safety Department and permission from the Dubai Municipality to start your Restaurant Business in Dubai. 

How Can Flyingcolour Help You?

Setting up a restaurant business in Dubai is an immensely profitable venture in Dubai. However, setting up a Restaurant business is pretty complex for foreigners or beginner business owners in Dubai. Flyingcolour Business Setup can help you to start a restaurant business in this city. In addition,  we can guide you through the whole process of starting a restaurant business in Dubai and other emirates of the UAE.  To learn more about Setting up a restaurant business in Dubai, book a free consultation with one of the Flyingcolour team advisors, Simply call  +97144542366 or send WhatsApp messages to +971554413566. you can also drop an email to info(at)flyingcolour(dot)com. *Please note that this article was published on 22/03/2024 by the federal policies and updates at the time of writing. For the latest info please talk to our consultant.