Spain's business marketplace

Opening a bar or restaurant in Spain

Differences Between a Bar, a Restaurant and a Bar-Restaurant

When contemplating opening or buying a business in the hospitality sector, the differences between "bar", "restaurant", and "bar-restaurant" must first be considered.

Bar: An establishment offering bar service and an optional area for tables, serving drinks and food (only snacks and ours d'ouvres). The price list must be exhibited inside the establishment and must include taxes.

Restaurant: An establishment that has kitchen and dining services. The price list must be exhibited inside and outside the establishment.

Bar-Restaurant: A bar that also has a kitchen and is licensed to serve food.

Opening a New Bar or Restaurant

The following steps must be followed to open a bar or restaurant:

• Obtain the proper municipal license (environmental license) for the establishment based on its characteristics.
• Request authorization to start and register a company in the Registry of Tourism Activities and Companies for the corresponding region. To obtain the required authorization, a technical project for the bar or restaurant must be attached, including the corresponding drawings and environmental license.
• Obtain an identification plate for the bar or restaurant. This is a plate with blue background and a white letter R for restaurants or white letters R and B for Bar-Restaurants. The plate must be shown in a visible place outside the establishment.
• Have complaint sheets available to clients of the bar or restaurant, and clearly advertise their availability.