Mandatory training required to open a restaurant

No diploma is required to open a restaurant. However, certain specific training courses must be taken before you can open. 

The following training courses are compulsory for opening a restaurant:

• Operating permit (permis d’exploitation)
• Hygiene (HACCP)
• Licence to sell alcoholic beverages at night (PVBAN).

This course is designed for restaurant owners who wish to obtain a restaurant licence, authorising the sale of alcoholic beverages in their establishment.

The course covers the rights, obligations, offences and penalties related to the sale of alcohol. 

Its objective is to raise awareness amongst operators of the fight against alcoholism, drugs, tobacco and noise disturbance, enabling them to adopt appropriate behaviour with their customers .

Various topics are addressed during the course, including:

• Prevention of alcoholism 
• Protection of minors
• Repression of public drunkenness 
• Fight against noise pollution 
• Drug legislation
• Principles of civil and criminal liability
• Operating obligations
• Conditions for operating a licenced premises and the legislative framework.

The operating permit is issued upon completion of the course. The permit is valid for ten years and can be renewed by taking a new six-hour course. It will then be extended for a further ten years. Once you have obtained your operating permit you can apply for your restaurant licence, the category of which must be displayed in your restaurant. 

Price: €200 to €500, depending on the organisation

Duration: 20 hours on average, over 2 ½ days

Where can this course be taken?

The course can be taken at a centre approved by order of the Minister of the Interior or by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry: see the list of approved organisations.

At least one restaurant staff member must have been trained in HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) hygiene standards. 

This course aims to educate operators on food safety and hygiene standards.

The following are some of the topics covered during the food safety and hygiene course:

• Key HAACP principles as applied to the commercial food sector
• Risks associated with poor food hygiene
• Microbial hazards
• Sanitary control plan
• Self-checks and official controls
• Food hygiene practices
• Organisation of food production and storage in accordance with preventive measures
• Conservation, cooking and cooling of foodstuffs in compliance with food safety and hygiene measures.

A certificate is issued upon completion of the course. This certificate must be presented to the inspector in the event of an inspection. Failure to comply with this obligation may result in a formal notice and an official report. 

Price: €200 € to €450, depending on the organisation

Duration: 14 hours on average, over 2 days

Where can this course be taken?

This course can be taken at a training centre listed in the directory of the Regional Directorate for Food, Agriculture and Forestry (consult the list for l’Île-de-France).

Good to know:

This training course is not compulsory if you (or one of the members of your team) already hold a level 5 diploma included on the list defined by the order of 25 November 2011 and/or have three years' experience as a manager or operator in the agri-food sector.

If you plan to serve alcohol between 10 pm and 8 am in your restaurant, you must take the PVBAN (licence to sell alcoholic beverages at night) course. 

This course aims to teach future restaurant owners about the obligations relating to the sale of alcohol during night-time hours. 

The following are some of the topics covered during the PVBAN course:

• Provisions relating to prevention and the control of alcoholism and tobacco use
• Protection of minors
• Repression of public drunkenness
• Principles of civil and criminal liability
• Rights and obligations as an operator in terms of prevention and the protection of public health
• Classification of beverages. 

A certificate is issued to participants upon completion of the course.

Price: €240 on average

Duration: 1 day (7 to 8 hours)

Where can this course be taken?

You can take this course with Syfagroup or any other accredited organisation. 

Even if not compulsory, we would recommend training and acquiring certain skills before opening your restaurant. The restaurant industry is a challenging one, and restaurant owners must be able to deal with cash flow, inventory, staff, customers, menus, etc.

Before opening or taking over a restaurant, you could for example, undergo training in the following areas:

• Accounting, to manage restaurant finances
• Business creation and management   
• Marketing and communication
• Culinary professions, oenology, etc.

Undergoing training before opening a restaurant will also give your project more legitimacy with stakeholders, and be a real asset in obtaining financing from banks or private investors.

Do not forget to include your diplomas, training certificates and professional experience in your business plan!

The following is a non-exhaustive list of organisations where you can get training to start your restaurant:

• CCI (Chamber of Commerce and Industry) in your region
• AFPA (Agence nationale pour la formation professionnelle des adultes)
• IFOCOP (Institut de Formation Commerciale Permanente)
• CNFCE (Centre national de la Formation Conseil en entreprise) 
• CNED (Centre National d’Enseignement à Distance) 
• Incubators especially for future restaurant owners: La Frégate, Émergence Concepts, Service Compris, Ferrandi Entrepreneurs, La Commune, etc.
• Bpifrance 
• ADIE (Association pour le Droit à l’Initiative Économique)
• French cookery and management schools:Institut Paul Bocuse, Le Cordon Bleu, Ferrandi Paris, École Ducasse, etc.

Certain public organisations also offer assistance and support for business creation, such as NACRE or CAPE, etc. Do not hesitate to ask your Pôle emploi (the French national employment agency) advisor for information on the solutions available to you.

If you want to find out more about how to open a restaurant, check out our other articles on the subject: 

• Administrative procedures and formalities for opening a restaurant
• How to conduct a good restaurant market study 
• All you need to know about VAT in the restaurant sector