General Restaurant Licence
Known as the "big licence", the general restaurant licence gives the greatest flexibility to prepare and sell any type of food.
A restaurant in Hong Kong needs a restaurant licence matched to its food and services. Among FEHD’s many licences, the general restaurant ("big licence"), light refreshment restaurant ("small licence") and food factory licences are the most common.
Trust or Company Service Provider licence TC007926
Restaurants that commonly hold a general restaurant licence
- Hotels / Chinese restaurants
- Hotpot restaurants / Western restaurants
- Southeast Asian / Thai cuisine
- Japanese / Shanghainese cuisine, and others
Location requirements
For a general restaurant application, the following building types can be considered:
- Shopping centres / malls
- Shops designated for restaurant use in public or private housing estates
- Commercial buildings for non-industrial use / commercial-residential buildings / residential buildings / street-level shops
- Others (for example, properties whose land use has been changed)
Other food licences
General restaurant licence questions
Which foods does the big licence cover?
Rice dishes and most other foods can be prepared and sold under a big licence, while certain restricted foods require another licence. Alcoholic drinks, for instance, require a liquor licence alongside the restaurant licence.
How much shop space is needed?
Allow at least 30 sq m for a shop applying for a general restaurant licence.
What needs checking in the kitchen fit-out?
With no specific restriction on cooking methods, the kitchen has more safety requirements to meet, including its height, fire doors and ventilation. Qualified professionals must certify these before the paperwork goes to the relevant government departments.
Ask us
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