How to open a restaurant or café in New Orleans
Seven stages from idea to opening day, in the order most owners work through them, with links to the agencies involved.
Concept and numbers
Test the idea and the budget before you commit.
Draft your startup budget and break-even
Use your own numbers to see how much you need and what sales cover your costs. Revisit it as quotes come in.
Check that your name is available
Search Louisiana business name records and the free federal trademark search before you print signs. This is research, not legal clearance.
Get free city guidance on opening a restaurant
The city's Office of Nighttime Economy publishes a restaurant how-to guide and templates and can help you navigate permits and licensing. Reach it at nighttime@nola.gov.
Ask the city's Economic Development office for startup advice
The Office of Economic Development gives non-legal advice on structuring, tax ID numbers and licensing, plus help with permit procedures. Call (504) 658-4000.
Business setup
Register the business and its taxes.
Register your business with the Louisiana Secretary of State
Register your business with the Secretary of State through geauxBIZ. The city's occupational license application asks for a current Secretary of State filing showing "active" status.
Register a DBA name with the Orleans Parish Clerk of Court
If you operate under a name other than your legal business name, the city's restaurant guide says to register a DBA with the Orleans Parish Clerk of Court.
Get a federal EIN if you need one
An EIN is needed if you hire employees or operate as a corporation or partnership. It is free from the IRS; be wary of sites that charge for one.
Register for Louisiana sales tax in LaTAP
If you sell taxable goods, register for a state sales tax account with the Louisiana Department of Revenue online through LaTAP ("Register My Business").
Apply for a city Occupational License in One Stop
You need an Occupational License to do business in Orleans Parish. Apply in the One Stop App with ID, business description with NAICS code, active state filing and dimensioned site and floor plans. Within 40 days, file the Amended Return Form with the Bureau of Revenue.
Set up city sales tax filing with the Bureau of Revenue
New Orleans collects its own sales tax. Your local sales tax ID is issued when your Occupational License is approved, and returns are due to the Bureau of Revenue by the 20th of the month after collection.
Your site
Find a location where your business is allowed.
Confirm zoning and the space's Certificate of Occupancy
Check that a restaurant is allowed at the address and look up its latest Certificate of Occupancy in the One Stop App. If the prior use was different, you need a building permit to change the use. You can request an official zoning verification ($100).
Review your lease before you sign
Confirm the lease allows a restaurant and check who pays for build-out and upgrades. Consider having a lawyer review it; OpeningIQ can’t give legal advice.
Plan for accessibility
Businesses open to the public must follow the ADA. New construction and alterations must be accessible, and barriers in existing spaces must be removed where that’s readily achievable. Small businesses may qualify for a tax credit.
Plans, permits and build-out
Get the approvals to build out and prepare the space.
Get a renovation permit for build-out or change of use
A Non-Structural Renovation permit is needed for construction or a change of use in an existing building. Review can involve zoning, historic commissions (HDLC/VCC) and the Fire Department; commercial review is listed at 20–30 business days.
Submit food plans to the parish State Sanitarian
Before building, send the LDH plan review questionnaire with a scaled floor plan and site plan to the State Sanitarian for Orleans Parish. The fee is $100 standard (10 or fewer business days) or $1,000 expedited.
Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health (State Sanitarian) ↗
Get a Sewerage and Water Board grease discharge permit
The city's restaurant guide requires a Grease Trap and/or Interceptor Discharge Permit from the Sewerage and Water Board.
Prepare the city's restaurant use documents
For your restaurant license, the city asks for a restaurant operation plan, a priced menu, a menu attestation, the Restaurant Use Standards form, a Litter Abatement Checklist and a scaled floor plan. A holding bar is capped at 15% of seating area, up to 300 sq ft.
Pass the fire marshal inspection
The city's restaurant guide says the fire marshal inspection is scheduled automatically during your Occupational License review. The NOFD Fire Prevention Division inspects businesses for code compliance.
Get your Certificate of Occupancy
A Certificate of Occupancy confirms the space meets zoning and building laws. If you pulled a building permit, the certificate comes after final inspections; if no work is needed, you can request one ($190), for example if the use changes or the building sat vacant over six months.
Get a Sidewalk Use Permit for outdoor seating
Sidewalk cafés and A-frame signs need a Sidewalk Use Permit through One Stop, with a site plan, photos and liability insurance ($500,000/$1,000,000). Fees are $50 plus $200–$350 per table; permits last one year.
Get a sign permit before installing exterior signs
Any sign needs a permit, applied for in One Stop by a registered sign contractor. In a historic district or the French Quarter, you may need HDLC or VCC approval first.
Licenses
Get the licenses that let you open.
Get a state food safety certificate
The owner or a designated employee must get a Louisiana food safety certificate within 60 days of permitting. LDH lists approved certification providers.
Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health (State Sanitarian) ↗
Get your Louisiana Department of Health food permit
In New Orleans, the state health department issues the food permit. After plan approval, schedule a final inspection with the Orleans Parish State Sanitarian at least 5 working days before opening; the permit is issued once you pass.
Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health (State Sanitarian) ↗
Apply for a city Alcoholic Beverage Outlet (ABO) license
Any alcohol sale in Orleans Parish needs an ABO license, applied for in One Stop with your lease, site and floor plans and the Restaurant Use form. Annual fees: $135 beer, $300 wine, $500 liquor.
Get a city ABO Manager License
Businesses selling alcohol must have a licensed ABO manager present at all times. Apply in One Stop; the license costs $105 a year.
Apply for a state ATC Class A-R restaurant permit
Food and non-alcoholic sales must exceed 50% of revenue, with at least 500 sq ft of public floor area. Include your local permit, a newspaper ad with proof of publication, and fees ($145 beer; $175 beer and wine; $345 beer and liquor).
Register with TTB before you sell alcohol
Businesses that sell alcohol must register with the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau before they start, for each location, and keep records of the alcohol they buy.
Get ready to open
Cover people, insurance and suppliers.
Have alcohol servers get Responsible Vendor permits
Employees who sell or serve alcohol must get a Responsible Vendor permit within 45 days of employment. The permits expire every four years.
Register with the Louisiana Workforce Commission
Every employing unit in Louisiana must submit an employer application for unemployment insurance. Apply online, ideally within the quarter you first pay wages.
Register for Louisiana withholding once you have staff
When you have employees whose wages require Louisiana income tax withholding, register a withholding account with the Department of Revenue in LaTAP.
Secure workers' compensation coverage
You must cover employees through workers' comp insurance or approved self-insurance, and you may not charge employees for the premium.
If you’ll hire, set up federal payroll taxes
Withhold federal income tax using each employee’s Form W-4, pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and pay federal unemployment (FUTA) tax, which isn’t withheld from pay.
Complete Form I-9 for every hire
Employers verify each new employee’s identity and authorization to work on Form I-9 and keep it on file.
Report new hires to your state
Report each new employee to your state’s new hire directory within 20 days of hiring; some states require it sooner.
Put up required workplace posters
Which federal posters you need depends on the laws that cover you; the Labor Department’s free Poster Advisor tells you. States have their own posters too.
Arrange business insurance
Ask an insurance broker what coverage your lease, lender and licenses call for. This is an OpeningIQ suggestion, not an agency requirement.
Line up equipment, POS and food suppliers
Get quotes early and compare delivery, payment and support terms. Your budget should guide the choices.
Check every approval is in hand
Gather your permits, licenses, certificate of occupancy and certificates in one place, and confirm each matches your address and business name.
Open and stay current
Keep licenses, permits and filings current.
Keep up with renewals and monthly city sales tax
Occupational licenses expire December 31 each year. File city sales tax by the 20th of each month. With alcohol, city ABO renewals are due April 1 and alcohol permits expire May 31.
Track these steps in a free private plan
Save your progress, notes and target dates, and see your next step at a glance. Your plan stays private and is never shared with suppliers.