How to open your own restaurant in Bulgaria: the specifics of the business

Those who lack sufficient experience in drawing up a business plan and putting it into practice would do better to turn to experienced consultants who know Bulgarian law well. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary expenditure of time, effort and money, to take account of every detail and to go from the idea of a restaurant to its opening quickly and easily enough.

Step by step

The first thing needed to open a restaurant or café is a legal entity, i.e. a company. Setting up an OOD (LLC) or an EOOD (single-member LLC) in Bulgaria is not difficult; many people set up companies in order to buy land or vehicles. The same company can also be used for the business, or a new one can be set up if preferred.

The next step is renting premises. It is important that they are spacious enough and conveniently located. The latter matters especially, because potential customers are unlikely to find a restaurant tucked away deep in a courtyard.

Ideally, the premises should have housed a restaurant before. In any case, you need to obtain from the owner a certificate of commissioning stating the status of the premises — this is the most important document for the paperwork.

Next, you need to obtain all the various permits and register the new restaurant. This process is examined in more detail below.

Once all the necessary permits have been obtained, it is time to fit out the restaurant. Furniture and equipment are purchased, staff are hired, and the menu and overall concept are worked out. There are no trifles in the restaurant business, so it is worth paying attention to every detail so that the business succeeds.

Everything by the book

If you have your own premises, you need to obtain a permit to use the premises as a restaurant. Such a permit is obtained from the Architecture Department at the Municipality.

Next, the site must be registered with the Regional Food Safety Directorate (ODBH). To obtain the required permit

documentation, you need to prove that the place chosen f

or the restaurant meets sanitary and hygiene requirements, that technological documentation has been developed for the various product groups, and that a food safety management system is in place.

You also need to conclude a contract for the hygienic treatment of the premises and to hold a report on the work carried out.

Establishments that will operate after 10 p.m. are additionally required to hold a certificate of noise level measurements taken. Such measurements are carried out by the Regional Inspectorate for Protection and Control of Public Health (RIOKOZ).

You must purchase and register a cash register connected to the tax authorities. A cash book will also be required.

With the full set of permit documentation you need to go to the Municipality, to the Trade Department, where you may be asked to provide additional documents. It is advisable to familiarise yourself in advance with the list of required documents, the deadlines and the fees on the Municipality’s website — this will save time, effort and money.

In parallel, you can start looking for staff and concluding employment contracts.

After the site has been successfully registered, an application must be submitted for categorisation — the awarding of stars to the restaurant. This procedure is carried out by the “Categorisation” department at the Municipality. After that, the restaurant can open and begin operating.

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