HOW TO OPEN A RESTAURANT IN VIETNAM

 

The restaurant business is not a conditional business, so foreign investors can own up to 100% of the capital in the company.

 

THE STEPS TO OPEN A RESTAURANT IN VIETNAM

Step 1: ESTABLISH A COMPANY

There are 2 ways of establishing a company:

  1. Invest by establishing economic organizations in Vietnam
  2. Invest by capital contribution, purchase of shares or capital contributions of Vietnamese economic organizations

In order to run a restaurant, the investor needs to register the following business line:

No. Business line VSIC code
1 Restaurants and mobile food service activities

This group includes activities of:

  • Restaurants; Fast-food restaurants
  • Cafeterias;
  • Take-out eating places;
  • Ice cream truck vendors;
  • Mobile food carts;
  • Food preparation in market stalls.

This group also includes: restaurant and bar activities connected to transportation, when carried out by separate units.

This group excludes: concession operation of eating facilities.

 5610
2 Event catering

  • This class includes: the provision of food services based on contractual arrangements with the customer, at the location specified by the customer such as conference, wedding, family-related parties etc.

This class excludes:

  • Manufacture of perishable food items for resale
  • Retail sale of perishable food items
 5621
3 Other food service activities

This class includes:

  • The provision of food services based on contractual arrangements with the customer, for a specific period of time.
  • The operation of food concessions at sports and similar facilities, for a specific period of time. The food is often prepared in a central unit, then delivered to customers.
  • Activities of food service contractors (e.g. for air carriers, passenger rail transport companies etc.;
  • Operation of food concessions at sports and similar facilities;
  • Operation of canteens or cafeterias (e.g. for factories, offices, hospitals or schools) on a concession basis;
  • Industrial catering for factories.

This class excludes:

  • manufacture of perishable food items for resale;
  • retail sale of perishable food items
 5629
4 Beverage serving activities

  • This group includes: the preparation and serving of beverages for immediate consumption on the premises. This group includes activities of bars, karaoke, taverns; discotheques (with beverage serving predominant); beer parlors and pubs; coffee shops, fruit juice bars; mobile beverage vendors: sugar cane, smoothie, sweet soup, mobile beverage carts etc.

This group excludes:

  • Reselling packaged/prepared beverages,
  • Operation of discotheques and dance floors without beverage serving
 5630

 

Step 2: GET THE CERTIFICATE OF FOOD SAFETY CONDITIONS

 


 

The composition of the file includes:

1 An application for a certificate of food safety requirements
2 Notarial ERC
3 A description of facilities, equipment, and tools to ensure food safety conditions, including:

  •  A drawing of the layout design of the premises and the surrounding area;
  • Diagram of food production process or process of storage and distribution of products and explanation of facilities, equipment of restaurant
4 Certificate of training in food safety knowledge of owners and people directly involved in food production and trading:

  • For restaurants under 30 people: Submit a copy of the certification
  • For restaurants from 30 people or more: Submit the list of trained
5 A certificate of health of the owner and the person directly involved in producing and trading food;

  • For restaurants under 30 people: Submit a copy of the certification
  • For restaurants from 30 people or more: Submit the list of medical examination results of the owner and the participants directly engaged in food production and trading

Handling time: 15 – 20 working days

Value in use: The certificate of food safety conditions is valid for 03 years.