How to Open a Café in Dubai: a Step-by-Step Guide

Decide the concept and the menu

Start with what you will sell and to whom: a speciality coffee bar, a brunch café, a bakery café or a drive-through kiosk. The menu decides almost everything that follows: the size of the counter, the coffee machine, the kitchen equipment, the refrigeration and how many staff you need.

Write a first menu, even a rough one, and an estimate of how many customers you expect at the busiest hour.

Send us your draft menu and we turn it into a first equipment list. See café setup.

Choose the location and the unit

Footfall, parking and visibility matter, but so does the unit itself. Before signing, check:

• water supply and drainage where the counter and kitchen will go;
• whether cooking extraction is allowed, if you plan to cook;
• power capacity for the espresso machine, ovens and refrigeration;
• the landlord's or mall's fit-out rules and any rent-free fit-out period.

Get the trade licence

A café needs a trade licence with a food and beverage activity. In Dubai mainland this is issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET); in a free zone, by that free zone authority. Sharjah and Abu Dhabi have their own economic departments.

Requirements, activity names and fees change, so confirm them with the authority or a business-setup consultant before you commit to a unit.

Design the interior and the layout

Plan how a customer moves from the door to the till to pick-up, where the queue forms, where the seating goes, and how staff move between the counter, the back-bar and the kitchen. Choose finishes, lighting and furniture that survive daily commercial use.

We design the café interior and layout with you. Café interior design and fit-out.

Get the drawings and food-safety approvals

Before fit-out starts you will usually need the landlord's or mall's approval of your drawings, plus the approvals Dubai Municipality and Civil Defence require for a food business. Your designer or fit-out contractor normally submits these.

Plan the kitchen and storage with food safety in mind from the start: separate hand-wash sinks, cold storage, and raw and ready-to-eat areas kept apart.

Fit out the unit

Counters, back-bar, shelving, joinery, flooring, lighting, signage, and the power, water and drainage points for each machine. Order long-lead equipment at the start of fit-out so it is not what delays your opening.

A small café fit-out typically takes about four to eight weeks.

Choose the coffee and kitchen equipment

Most cafés need an espresso machine and grinders, water filtration, under-counter fridges, a display chiller, an ice machine, a blender, an oven or panini grill, a sink and a dishwasher, plus barista tools. Size each one to your menu and your busiest hour, not to the biggest model available.

See the complete café equipment list, station by station.

Buy the tableware, smallwares and takeaway packaging

Cups, mugs and saucers, glassware, plates, cutlery, trays, GN containers, knives, boards and utensils. For takeaway: cups, lids, sleeves, carriers, boxes, straws and napkins, ideally printed with your logo.

Browse tabletop and disposable cups and lids.

Set up the POS, payments and CCTV

A POS system set up with your menu and modifiers, a cash drawer, a receipt printer and card payments. CCTV covering the counter, the till and the entrance protects the business and the staff.

We set up the POS, cash register and CCTV as part of a complete café setup.

Hire and train the team

Baristas, kitchen and floor staff, with visas and contracts arranged in time. Staff who handle food need food-safety training, and the team should practise the menu on the real equipment before opening.

Order the opening stock and cleaning supplies

Coffee, milk and ingredients from your suppliers; from us, the consumables: takeaway packaging, napkins, gloves, cleaning chemicals, mops, microfiber cloths, bins and a first-aid kit.

See cleaning and hygiene supplies.

Trial run, opening and restocking

Run a soft opening for friends and neighbours: it shows where the counter slows down and what is missing. Then open, and set up a regular delivery for the consumables you use every week.

We restock our café customers on a regular delivery across the UAE.