Opening a restaurant in Germany
People opening a restaurant in Germany rarely come unstuck in the kitchen. They come unstuck on forms, on deadlines, and on offices nobody ever told them the name of. This is the list of 60 steps, from the lease to opening day.
The official terms stay in German — on purpose
Next to each item you will find the official German term in orange. We do not translate it: it is the word you have to say at the counter, put in the subject line of an email and type into Google. An English translation would help you understand the sentence and miss the appointment.
Important: Rules differ by federal state and change over time. Baden-Württemberg abolished the restaurant licence on 1 January 2026 and replaced it with a notification, while elsewhere a licence is still required. Ask your municipality before trusting any list, including this one.
01
Before you sign
Everything here is still changeable. After this, almost nothing is.- Write the concept in one sentence
- Check the location: footfall, parking, neighbours
- Lease checked: term, landlord contributions, fit-outMietvertrag
- Change of use for the premises cleared with the building officeNutzungsänderung
- Financing in place, plus a three-month buffer
- Break-even calculated: how many guests per day
02
Registrations
Order matters: nothing else starts without the trade registration.- Trade registeredGewerbeanmeldung
- Asked the municipality what your federal state requiresGaststättenrechtliche Anzeige / Erlaubnis
- IHK briefing done or vocational qualification provenGaststättenunterrichtung
- Tax questionnaire filed, tax number receivedFragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung
- Registered with the BGN accident insurerBerufsgenossenschaft (BGN)
- Employer number requestedBetriebsnummer
03
Food and hygiene
The authority inspects without warning. The papers must be on site.- Food-handler briefing for you and your teamBelehrung nach § 43 IfSG
- Business registered with the food safety authorityLebensmittelüberwachung
- Written HACCP plan in placeHACCP
- Cleaning plan and temperature log kept in writing
- Allergens on the menu or in writing on siteAllergenkennzeichnung
- Additives declaredZusatzstoffkennzeichnung
04
Till and money
The most expensive block if something is missing. Deadlines are noted.- Till with certified security module bought and set upKassensystem mit TSE
- Till reported to the tax officeKassenmeldung § 146a Abs. 4 AO
- Receipt issuing set upBelegausgabepflicht
- Till process documentation filedVerfahrensdokumentation
- Business account openedGeschäftskonto
- Separate account for tax reserves set up
- Card payments: contract and fees checked
- Tax adviser chosen and engagedSteuerberater
05
Premises, safety, insurance
What nobody thinks about until something happens.- Fire safety cleared and equipment in placeBrandschutz
- Public liability insurance taken outBetriebshaftpflichtversicherung
- Further insurance cover reviewed
- Mandatory closing hours clarifiedSperrzeit
- Smoking rules clarified and displayedNichtraucherschutz
- Youth protection notice displayedJugendschutzgesetz
- Prices displayed visiblyPreisangabenverordnung
- Premises meet workplace rulesArbeitsstättenverordnung
- First-aid material in place
06
Purchasing and equipment
Suppliers are a decision, not an errand.- Suppliers chosen and prices compared
- A second supplier for every important item
- Customer numbers and terms in writing
- Wholesale card applied for
- Equipment planned and cold chain thought through
- Initial stock of tableware complete
- Reusable option checked and notice displayedMehrwegangebotspflicht
- Asked the supplier who licenses the packagingVerpackungsgesetz / LUCID
- Responsibility for the single-use levy clarifiedEinwegkunststofffonds
07
Music, media, visibility
Music in the room is never free, not even from your own phone.- Music use registered with the collecting societyGEMA
- GVL checkedGVL
- Broadcasting fee registered for the premisesRundfunkbeitrag
- Google business profile created
- Website with legal notice and privacy policy liveImpressum und Datenschutzerklärung
- Menu costed
08
Staff
Even if you start alone: the first helper arrives sooner than you think.- Employment contracts prepared
- Mini-jobs registeredMinijob-Zentrale
- Working-time recording set upArbeitszeiterfassung
- Onboarding plan ready
- Rota in place
09
Just before opening
The week that shows what you forgot.- Trial run done
- Till tested under real conditions
- Insurance policies active
- Opening communicated
- Numbers for the first month set
Information as of October 2026. Not legal or tax advice.