Eating House License

An Overview of Eating House License

An eating House License is the permit required to operate an eating house in a particular location. To obtain this License, the applicant needs to make an Application to the State Police Headquarters and the Police Commissioner of the particular city. Generally, an eating house is a place which serves various kinds of food and drinks to the general public for consumption, such as restaurants, cafés, bars etc. According to Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, every food business operator (FBO) must obtain FSSAI License or he may be subject to a penalty. Apart from this, there are several other Licenses as well, which are mandatory to run an eating house.

Licenses Required to Operate an Eating House in India

As already stated, FBO requires several Licenses to operate an eating-house in India. They are as follows:

Business Registration: The applicant needs to register his/her business and obtain a Certificate of Registration or Incorporation.
FSSAI License: It is the first requirement to start an eating-house in India, which is issued by the Department of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Eating House License: It can be obtained from the Police Commissioner of the concerned state in which the applicant wishes to open the eating house.
Health Trade License: It can be obtained from the Municipal Corporation of the specific state.
Fire NOC: For eating houses with a seating capacity of 50 or more, Fire NOC is mandatory and can be obtained from Fire Department.
Liquor License: If the eating house is going to serve liquor, then it requires Liquor License from the Excise Commissioner of the state.
Music License: To play music inside the eating house, you are required to obtain Music License from Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL).
Lift Clearance NOC: If an eating house is in a multi-story building, then you need to obtain Lift Clearance NOC from the Electrical Inspector of the Office of Labour Commissioner.
Environmental Clearance: To ensure that your business isn’t going to pollute the environment, you need to obtain NOC from the Pollution Board of the concerned state.
Registration under Shops & Establishment Act: It can be obtained from the concerned authority of the specific state.
Insurance: It is crucial for public liability, Company assets and Fire policy.
Approval for Weights & Measures Department: According to the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, obtaining approval from the Department of Weights & Measures for models of weighing & measuring instruments is mandatory

Renewal of the Eating House License

The License renewal will take place when the license validity ends and the validity depends on the authority, i.e., the validity of the License varies from state to state. Usually, the Eating House License is valid for 3 years. The renewal process of the Eating House License is similar to applying for a new license.

Revocation of the License

The authority that grants the Eating House License also reserves the right to revoke the same in the following circumstances:

If the applicant violates the guidelines issued during the issuance of the License or doesn’t follow the instructions given, the authority can revoke the License after giving the applicant a reasonable chance of being heard;
If the applicant wants to close down the eating house for some reason, it can apply to the issuing authority for the surrender of the License. Accordingly, the authority will revoke the License.

What to do if the License is damaged or torn?

In case the Eating House License is damaged or torn, the applicant can apply for a Duplicate License along with the suggested fees. The authority will evaluate the applicant and issue the same. The Eating House License is one of the many licenses required to operate a food business in India.

Why Swarit Advisors?

Obtaining a Government License may seem a straightforward task, but it revolves around many complications that increase rejection chances. If you willing to remain ahead of the curve & aim to obtain a License without any hassle, contact Swarit Advisors.