# Opening a Bar



## coggs62

Hello,

I am in the process of selling my business in the US and was thinking about opening a bar/restaurant in Italy. Has anybody had any experience opening a restaurant or other type of business? I would like to find out how difficult it is to work with the local government agencies, etc. 
I appreciate any advice and direction.

Thanks


----------



## Arturo.c

coggs62 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am in the process of selling my business in the US and was thinking about opening a bar/restaurant in Italy. Has anybody had any experience opening a restaurant or other type of business? I would like to find out how difficult it is to work with the local government agencies, etc.
> I appreciate any advice and direction.
> 
> Thanks


A bar and a restaurant in Italy are two diffent kinds of business, and if you want to open a place that groups them together (there are quite a number around Italy), then you will have to obtain (or buy) two separate licenses.

The business deregulation that took place in the 1990s has swooped away most of red tape that once hampered the opening of an entirely new business so much that owners made much more money in selling their licenses than actually running their businesses.

Still, in order to open a bar or a restaurant you will have to face the local zoning laws, licensing rules, and the occasional request for a payment under the table to "grease the wheels", especially if you choose a place in Southern Italy. Add to this all the regulations in terms of hygiene and cleanliness (HACCP, etc.) and the task could look daunting.

If I can give you a suggestion, you should first look around and maybe ask to work part-time in a bar or a restaurant in Italy just to see if this is the kind of life that attracts you, as owners of such businesses in Italy usually work long hours every day and don't take much holidays during the year.

Good luck, anyway...


----------

