Opening a restaurant in Canada: pick the format, clear zoning and food rules for the site, sort the municipal licence, and register the business.
Applies in: CA
Opening a restaurant in Canada is a set of steps in a fixed order: the format decides the kitchen, the site rules come before the lease, and the municipal licence depends on the city. Items 1 to 5 apply everywhere in Canada. Items 6 to 11 apply only in the named city — follow the one for your city and skip the rest. Each item names the live guide it rests on. Follow the linked guide for the full steps. Nothing here adds a new rule. This checklist states no licence fees, because city fee schedules change from year to year.
Work the list from the top. Pick the format first, then clear the site rules before signing anything. Register the business and sort tax and insurance before opening day.
Done when: you have picked the format — full service, quick service, cafe, bar, or take-out — and the kitchen and equipment match that format.
The national guide's first step covers picking the format and the kitchen to match it. The format decides the kitchen layout, the equipment list, and which licences follow. Do not order equipment before the format is settled.
Done when: zoning for the exact address allows a restaurant, and the food premises rules for that site are cleared — before the lease is signed.
The national guide's second step covers food premises and municipal rules for the exact site. A site that cannot hold a restaurant cannot be fixed after the lease is signed. In Ontario, at least one trained food handler or supervisor must be on site during every operating hour, under section 32 of the Food Premises Regulation (O. Reg. 493/17).
Done when: you have decided whether the restaurant will serve alcohol, and — if it will — the liquor licence application is started as its own file.
The national guide's third step covers alcohol. A liquor licence is separate from the municipal business licence and the food premises approval, and it runs on its own timeline. Do not plan opening day around alcohol service until the liquor application is in.
Done when: the business is registered, the business number and tax accounts are set up, and insurance is in place.
The national guide's fourth step covers registering the business and setting up tax and insurance. The Canada Revenue Agency's Business Registration Online is where a business number and GST/HST account are registered. If the restaurant will import, export, or trade food between provinces, check whether a Safe Food for Canadians licence applies — the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's page on complying with federal food regulations sets out when it is needed.
Done when: the kitchen is fitted out, suppliers are set up, staff are hired, and service routines are in place.
The national guide's fifth and sixth steps cover fitting out the kitchen, setting up suppliers, and hiring and training with service routines. These are the last steps before opening, not the first — they follow the format, the site clearance, and the licences.
Done when: the City of Toronto Eating or Drinking Establishment licence is applied for, and the premises have passed the Toronto Public Health inspection.
This item applies only in Toronto. The Toronto guide covers the Licence Finder check, the Eating or Drinking Establishment licence application, and the DineSafe inspection. The City's page states that restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, and other eating and drinking establishments must have a licence, and that staff who handle food must hold Accredited Food Handler Certification. Do not use this item outside Toronto.
Done when: zoning and the restaurant quota for the site are checked, and the occupancy permit from the borough is in hand.
This item applies only in Montreal. The Montreal guide covers the zoning and quota check before signing a lease and the occupancy permit from the borough. Montreal's steps are its own — a Toronto or Vancouver licence does not apply here.
Done when: zoning for the site is checked, and Vancouver Coastal Health has approved the floor plan.
This item applies only in Vancouver. The Vancouver guide covers the zoning check before signing anything and the Vancouver Coastal Health floor plan approval. Health approval comes before the fit-out, not after it.
Done when: location approval is confirmed, and the plans have been submitted to Alberta Health Services and the City.
This item applies only in Calgary. The Calgary guide covers location approval before signing a lease and submitting plans to Alberta Health Services and the City. Do not sign a lease until location approval is confirmed.
Done when: the business is registered, zoning is checked, and the City of Edmonton business licence is applied for.
This item applies only in Edmonton. The Edmonton guide covers registering the business and checking zoning before signing a lease, then applying for the City business licence.
Done when: zoning is confirmed with Halifax Regional Municipality, and the HRM business occupancy permit is applied for.
This item applies only in Halifax. The Halifax guide covers confirming zoning with HRM before signing a lease and applying for the HRM business occupancy permit.
This checklist states no licence fees, because each city sets its own fees and the schedules change from year to year. Check the current fee schedule on your city's licensing page before you apply. The linked city guides say where to find it.
Done when: the renewal date for your municipal licence is on the calendar, and you know that keeping the licence valid is your responsibility even if no reminder arrives.
Opening is not the last licence step. In Toronto, an Eating or Drinking Establishment licence expires annually on the anniversary of the date it was first issued, and the expiry date is written on the licence. The City mails a courtesy renewal notice, but the licensee is responsible for keeping the licence valid while operating. A licence that is not renewed under the bylaw is cancelled, and the operator has to reapply. Other cities run their own renewal cycles: check the renewal date and the renewal documents on your city's licensing page when the licence is issued, not when it is about to lapse. This checklist states no renewal fee, for the same reason it states no licence fees: each city sets its own schedule.
No. Check zoning and the food premises rules for the exact site before signing a lease. A site that is not zoned for a restaurant, or that cannot pass a health inspection, cannot be fixed by spending more on the fit-out. The national guide's second step covers this, and every city guide on this site starts with the same warning.
Yes. Alcohol is a separate licence from the municipal business licence and the food premises approval. Decide on alcohol early, because the liquor application runs on its own timeline and needs its own floor plan and municipal checks. The national guide's third step covers it.
An Eating or Drinking Establishment licence from the City of Toronto, for premises where food or drink is prepared and served for consumption on site. Toronto Public Health inspects food premises under the DineSafe program. Follow the Toronto guide for the full steps — do not use another city's guide, because the licence names and the steps differ by city.
Montreal checks zoning and a restaurant quota before you sign a lease, and the occupancy permit comes from your borough. The Montreal guide walks through the quota check and the borough permit. A Toronto or Vancouver licence does not apply in Montreal.
In Ontario, at least one trained food handler or supervisor must be on site during every operating hour, under section 32 of the Food Premises Regulation (O. Reg. 493/17). Other provinces have their own food handler rules — the guide for your province or city states what applies there.
No. Licence fees are set by each city and change from year to year, so this checklist states none. Check the current fee schedule on your city's licensing page before you apply, and follow the linked city guide for where to find it.
No licence fee is stated in this checklist, because no fee was verified on an opened official page for this page. Re-check the linked guide and its official source on the day you act, because the source page governs over this summary.