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UAE Business Setup for Restaurants and F&B

A playbook for restaurant, cafe, cloud kitchen and catering founders setting up in the UAE in 2026: licence options, Dubai Municipality Food Safety steps, realistic fit-out costs and delivery aggregator onboarding.

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  • Mainland DET licence
  • Food Safety mandatory
  • Cloud kitchen alternative
  • 100% foreign ownership

Why UAE for a restaurant or cafe

Dubai's F&B market is over USD 10 billion annually with 12,000+ licensed outlets and 50+ new openings per month. 100 percent foreign ownership on all mainland restaurants since 2021, mature delivery infrastructure (Talabat, Deliveroo, Noon Food, Careem Food) and tourist footfall from 20 million annual visitors.

100 percent foreign ownership on all restaurant and cafe activities
Mainland DET licence for standalone outlets, free zone options for food courts and virtual kitchens
Dubai Municipality Food Safety approval mandatory, usually 4 to 8 weeks review
Delivery aggregators: Talabat, Deliveroo, Noon Food, Careem Food (25 to 30 percent commission)
Alcohol licence restricted to hotels and specifically licensed venues (Dept of Tourism)
20 million+ Dubai visitors per year drive tourist zone footfall (JBR, City Walk, La Mer, Downtown)

Licence options

Pick by format: dine-in, delivery-only or events.

Dubai mainland DET restaurant licence (AED 15,000 to AED 25,000 per year): standalone dine-in, street-facing or mall
Cloud / virtual kitchen licence (AED 10,000 to AED 15,000 per year): delivery-only, operate from shared commissary (Kitopi, iKcon, Deliveroo Editions)
Food court outlet (inside mall or free zone): tied to the mall operator's trade licence
Catering licence (AED 15,000 to AED 25,000 per year): event and corporate catering without dine-in
Food truck licence (via Dubai Municipality): limited to approved locations and events

Dubai Municipality Food Safety

Everyone running a food outlet in Dubai needs the Food Safety approvals, not just the trade licence.

Food Safety Department approval: physical kitchen inspection against the Dubai Food Code before opening
Person In Charge (PIC) certification: at least one certified Food Safety Supervisor on staff (AED 1,500 to AED 3,000)
HACCP certification: required for restaurants above 150 sq m or with central production kitchens
Food Handler cards: every kitchen staff member needs a Dubai Municipality card (AED 150 per person)
Trade name must suit the activity (names referring to alcohol or non-approved cuisine terms get rejected)

Realistic costs

2026 Dubai restaurant setup budget by format:

50-seat cafe fit-out: AED 500,000 to AED 900,000
100-seat full-service restaurant fit-out: AED 1 million to AED 1.8 million
150+ seat fine dining: AED 2 million to AED 3 million
Cloud kitchen launch: AED 150,000 to AED 400,000 (shared commissary, lower risk)
Monthly rent: mall food court AED 450 to AED 900 per sq ft + 10 to 15 percent revenue share; street level JBR AED 350 to AED 700 per sq ft; Business Bay AED 200 to AED 450
First-year licence and government fees: AED 25,000 to AED 50,000 all-in

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a UAE partner for a Dubai restaurant?

No. Since 2021 restaurants and cafes allow 100 percent foreign ownership on the mainland. Only alcohol-licensed venues inside hotels have additional conditions tied to the hotel structure.

How long does it take to open a Dubai restaurant?

4 to 8 months from lease signing to opening. Fit-out construction (8 to 16 weeks) and Dubai Municipality Food Safety approval (4 to 8 weeks) are the longest steps.

Can I serve alcohol in a Dubai restaurant?

Only inside hotels, hotel apartments and specifically licensed venues through the Department of Tourism. Standalone street restaurants cannot hold alcohol licences in Dubai.

Can I run a cloud kitchen without opening a dine-in restaurant?

Yes. Virtual restaurant / cloud kitchen licences from AED 10,000 to AED 15,000 per year let you operate delivery-only through shared commissary providers (Kitopi, iKcon, Deliveroo Editions) with full delivery platform onboarding.

How do I onboard with Talabat and Deliveroo?

Both require a valid trade licence listing restaurant or catering activity, Dubai Municipality Food Safety approval, bank account and menu. Breeo coordinates the aggregator onboarding alongside the setup.

Launch your restaurant or cafe in Dubai

Tell us your concept, format and location preference and we will scope the DET licence, Food Safety approvals and timeline.

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