Free handbook for the whole of Sweden
How to start a restaurant in Sweden
You do not have to know everything from the start. You need to know the order. Here is the way from idea to the first guest.
Our best tips are right here!
Summary
Opening a small restaurant in Sweden costs 250,000 to 1.5 million kronor and takes three to eight months. You register the company on verksamt.se, register the premises with the municipality at least two weeks before you start, and get a certified kassaregister, a cash register approved by Skatteverket. The biggest risk is in the premises, where ventilation and rebuilding cost the most.
Numbers to plan with
- 250,000 to 1.5 million SEK
- is what it costs to open a small restaurant. Taking over a finished kitchen is cheaper.
- 3 to 8 months
- is often how long it takes from decision to opening
- 14 days
- before opening, the food business registration must be in with the municipality
- 6 and 12 %
- VAT on the food. Takeaway 6 percent, eating in 12 percent, alcohol 25 percent.
The way to opening
Six steps that apply to almost everyone
The order decides. Many people sign a lease first. Do the maths first instead.
- 1
Do the maths before you look at premises
Write down what a month costs and what it brings in. If it does not add up on paper, it will not add up in reality either.
- 2
Register the company
Enskild firma, a sole trader business, takes fifteen minutes on verksamt.se. Aktiebolag, a limited company, takes a few days and costs 2,400 kronor at Bolagsverket. You need F-skatt and moms registration.
- 3
Find the premises
Premises that have been a restaurant often save hundreds of thousands of kronor. Ventilation, grease traps and drains are the most expensive to build from nothing.
- 4
Register with the municipality
A food business must be registered with the municipal environmental office at least two weeks before opening. It is a registration, not a test.
- 5
Build the menu and the prices
Have few dishes that you make well. Cost every dish so the ingredients land around 30 percent of the price without moms. The rest has to pay rent, staff and you.
- 6
Open calmly
Run a trial evening for friends and neighbours. Fix what rubs in the kitchen. Open only when the flow works.
The handbook
Eighteen parts, one thing at a time
Read the part you need now. Each part takes a few minutes and ends with the next step.
Before you open
- Start the companyEnskild firma or aktiebolag, and everything you do on verksamt.se.Read
- What it costsWhere the money goes, krona by krona. Run the numbers on your own idea.Read
- Loans and moneyThe bank, Almi and other ways in. What they want to see from you.Read
- Find premisesRent, ventilation, fettavskiljare. The traps in a commercial lease.Read
- Permits and registrationThe registration with the municipality and the fire safety that is really required.Read
- Alcohol permitServeringstillstånd, the knowledge test and what the municipality looks at.Read
Build the place
- Machines and equipmentFryer, grill, fridges and dishwasher. New, used or leased.Read
- Cash register and paymentCertified kassaregister, card terminal and personalliggare.Read
- Menu and pricesWork out the price of every dish. Fewer dishes, more profit.Read
- Suppliers and buyingWholesalers, food margin and the art of not tying up your money.Read
- Staff and wagesHire the right people, wages, kollektivavtal and schedules that hold.Read
Run it and grow
- Online orderingWolt, Foodora, Uber Eats and your own ordering page compared.Read
- Getting customersGoogle, signs, reviews and the neighbours on your street.Read
- Hygiene and egenkontrollEgenkontroll, your own food safety checks, in ten minutes a day.Read
- Day to day financesThe numbers you follow every week so the bad news never surprises you.Read
Types of place
Different food, different rules
A sushi bar and a sausage cart do not have the same challenges. Here is what applies to your kind of place.
Orders
The apps take their share of every bill
Foodora, Wolt and Uber Eats bring you guests you would not otherwise reach. They take 15 to 35 percent of the bill. An ordering page through Lumit costs 7 percent, but it means you have to tell people it exists. Many need both, but you should know what each channel does.
Compare the channels
Common questions
What does it cost to start a restaurant in Sweden?
A small grill or take away often lands between 250,000 and 700,000 kronor. A restaurant with a dining room and full table service ends up between 700,000 and 1.5 million. The premises decide it: if ventilation and a grease trap are there, the budget can almost be halved.
How long does it take before I can open?
Three to eight months is the most common. The company takes days. Finding premises takes weeks or months. Building and rebuilding takes the longest, above all if the ventilation has to be redone. If you take over a finished restaurant you can be running in a month.
Do I need training to run a restaurant?
No, there is no requirement for chef training. You do have to know food hygiene and show how your business keeps the food safe. Many take a one day hygiene course before opening. It costs two thousand kronor and makes the inspection visit calmer.
Can I start if my Swedish is not very good?
Yes, and many do. Authorities have forms and information in English, and the municipality usually accepts that you bring someone who interprets. Get help with the lease. It is the paper where a misunderstanding gets expensive.
Should I start something new or buy a restaurant that already exists?
Taking over is cheaper and faster, because the kitchen, the ventilation and the guests are already there. But ask why the owner is selling and ask for three years of figures. A place that loses money is rarely sold just because the owner is tired.
Take the list with you all the way
Every step in the right order, with boxes to tick. The list saves the ticks in the browser and can be printed.