How to Open a Cafe in Australia: A 12-Step Checklist (2026)

How to open a cafe in Australia in the right order: ABN, lease, council and food business approval, food safety supervisor, fitout, POS, staff, insurance and music. VibeBeats is direct-licensed background music for cafés, restaurants, bars, gyms, retail stores, salons, spas, clinics and hotels. No music licensing/PRO fees (*No OneMusic, ASCAP, BMI, PPL PRS or SOCAN licence needed for VibeBeats music.) Other music sources may still require licensing. The AI DJ reshapes each playlist through the trading day.

Opening a cafe in Australia comes down to three things done in the right order: a site you are allowed to trade from, the approvals that let you serve food, and a team and setup that can survive the first month. This checklist walks through each step, from your ABN to the first soft-opening coffee, and flags what has to happen before what. Most opening delays come from doing a later step (like starting the fitout) before an earlier one (like council approval).

Quick answer: to open a cafe in Australia you need (1) a business structure and an ABN, plus GST registration once your turnover reaches $75,000; (2) a site with the right zoning and a lease you have had reviewed; (3) council planning and building approval for the fitout; (4) food business registration or notification with your council; (5) a certified food safety supervisor and trained food handlers; (6) a fitout that meets the Food Standards Code; (7) insurance, staff on the right award, a POS and suppliers; and (8) a licence for any music customers can hear. The details vary by state and council, so call your council early.

Scope: general information for independent cafe owners in Australia, current as of October 2026. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Liquor licensing, franchise agreements and coffee carts are out of scope.

The cafe opening checklist at a glance

Use the last column to sequence the work. If something in it isn't done, the step on that row will stall.

— Step — What you're doing — Who you deal with — Must be done before — — --- — --- — --- — --- — — 1. Concept and numbers — Menu, seat count, break-even — You, your accountant — Signing a lease — — 2. Structure, ABN, GST — Pick a structure, get an ABN, register a business name — ABR, ASIC, ATO — Lease, supplier accounts — — 3. Site and lease — Zoning, permitted use, lease review — Agent, landlord, lawyer, council — Fitout plans — — 4. Council approvals — Planning and building approval, signage, footpath dining — Council, building certifier — Construction starts — — 5. Food business registration — Register or notify, pre-opening inspection — Council (state health agency in the ACT and NT) — Opening day — — 6. Food safety supervisor — FSS certificate, food handler training — Registered training organisation — Preparing any food — — 7. Fitout — Kitchen, hand basins, finishes, exhaust, accessibility — Designer, builder — Inspection — — 8. Equipment and suppliers — Espresso machine, refrigeration, coffee and milk supply — Suppliers, roaster — Staff training — — 9. POS and back office — POS, payments, payroll — POS provider, bank, ATO — Soft opening — — 10. Staff — Award, contracts, super, rosters — Fair Work Ombudsman — First shift — — 11. Insurance — Public liability, workers comp, contents — Broker or insurer — Getting the keys — — 12. Music and sound — Speakers, licensed music source — OneMusic or a direct-licensed service — Opening day —

Tip: the government's ABLIS tool lists the licences and permits that apply to a cafe in your postcode. Run it before you sign anything.

Lock in the concept, menu and numbers before you look at sites

Decide who you are serving and when: a commuter coffee window, an all-day brunch room, or a mostly takeaway counter. That mix sets your seat count, and seat count drives almost everything after it: kitchen size, toilet and accessibility requirements, staffing, and some licence fees.

• Menu complexity sets your food safety load. If you cook or assemble ready-to-eat food that needs temperature control (most brunch menus), you will usually be a "category one" business under the national food safety rules. Step 6 covers what that means. • Build a break-even model. Rent, wages, cost of goods and overheads, then work out how many coffees and plates a day you need to cover them. Have an accountant stress-test it before you commit to a lease. • Decide your trading hours now. They affect the lease's permitted-use clause, penalty rates and how much foot traffic you actually get.

Choose a structure, get an ABN and register for GST

• Structure. The usual choices are sole trader, partnership, company or trust. A company limits personal liability but adds admin and reporting. Get advice, because restructuring later costs money. • ABN. Apply for free through the Australian Business Register. • Business name. Register it with ASIC if you trade under anything other than your own (or your company's) name. • GST. The ATO says you must register once your GST turnover reaches $75,000 a year, or when you start a business you expect to reach that in its first year (ATO: registering for GST). Most cafes will cross that line, so many register from day one. • Before you pay anyone, register for PAYG withholding, open a business bank account and set up accounting software.

Find a site you can legally trade from, then get the lease reviewed

A former clothing store isn't automatically a food premises. Before you sign, ask the council whether a cafe is a permitted use for that address and whether you will need a change-of-use or planning approval.

Practical site checks:

• A path for kitchen exhaust, and space for a grease trap if you cook • Enough electrical capacity for an espresso machine, ovens and refrigeration • Toilets and step-free access that suit your planned seat count • Foot traffic during your trading hours, not just at lunchtime • Footpath space, if outdoor seating is part of the plan

Retail leases are covered by state and territory retail leasing laws. Have a lawyer check the term and options, rent reviews, outgoings, fitout contributions or rent-free periods, make-good obligations, and that the permitted-use clause covers a cafe at the hours you want. Where you can, make the lease conditional on getting council approval.

Get council approvals for the premises and the fitout

Depending on the zone and the works, you may need:

• Planning approval (a DA or planning permit). Some councils treat a cafe in a centre or mixed-use zone as accepted development that doesn't need one. Brisbane City Council's cafe guide is a good example of how this works. • Building approval or certification for structural, plumbing, fire safety and accessibility work. • Trade waste approval from your water utility if you need a grease arrestor. • Separate permits for footpath dining and external signage.

Many councils offer a pre-lodgement meeting or a small-business support service. Book one, and bring your floor plan and draft menu.

Every cafe has to be known to its food regulator before it trades. The mechanism differs by state:

— State / territory — What you do — Usually with — — --- — --- — --- — — NSW — Notify your food business details — Local council (NSW Food Authority rules) — — VIC — Register under the Food Act 1984; council sets your class — Local council — — QLD — Apply for a food business licence under the Food Act 2006 — Local council — — WA — Register under the Food Act 2008 — Local government — — SA — Notify under the Food Act 2001 — Local council — — TAS — Register under the Food Act 2003 — Local council — — ACT — Register your food business — ACT Government (Access Canberra / ACT Health) — — NT — Register your food business — NT Health environmental health —

Expect a pre-opening inspection in many areas. Check your council's current form, fee and inspection process rather than relying on a summary. This table is there to point you to the right desk.

Appoint a food safety supervisor and train every food handler

Since December 2023, Food Standards Code Standard 3.2.2A has applied to cafes that handle unpackaged, potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food (FSANZ overview). In practice:

• Food safety supervisor (FSS). Appoint one before you start preparing food. Their certificate must have been issued in the last five years, and they must be reasonably available to advise and supervise staff, which in practice means working on site or being easy to reach. • Food handler training. Every food handler needs appropriate food safety training before they handle food. • Records (category one businesses). Most cafes that cook or assemble high-risk food must also keep records that show key controls are working: temperatures, cleaning and sanitising, and receiving deliveries.

In NSW the FSS certificate has to come from a training provider approved by the NSW Food Authority (NSW Food Authority: cafes and restaurants).

A practical tip: get two people FSS-certified, such as the owner and the head cook or manager, so you still have cover across early openings, weekends and holidays.

Plan the fitout around food-safety rules, and the things you can't cheaply retrofit

Food premises have to meet Standard 3.2.3 (Food Premises and Equipment). Many councils also assess fitouts against AS 4674-2004, Design, construction and fit-out of food premises. The basics:

• Dedicated hand-wash basins with warm running water, soap and paper towel • Smooth, impervious, easy-clean surfaces, and sealed floor-to-wall junctions • Enough refrigeration and dishwashing capacity for peak trade • Mechanical exhaust where you cook, plus pest proofing and a grease arrestor • Toilets and accessibility under the National Construction Code

Get your fitout plans in front of the council before construction. Some items are cheap to do during the fitout and painful afterwards: dedicated power circuits for the espresso machine and ovens, data cabling for the POS and kitchen screens, water filtration, and speaker cabling with some acoustic treatment.

Equipment, coffee and suppliers

• Espresso machine and grinders. You can buy, lease, or take a roaster supply deal where the roaster provides the machine in exchange for a volume commitment. Read the fine print: minimum volumes, exclusivity, term length, and who pays for servicing. • Kitchen equipment. Refrigeration, a dishwasher and ovens. Put service contracts in place before opening week. • Suppliers. Coffee, milk and alternative milks, bakery, produce and packaging. Confirm delivery windows and credit terms, and line up a backup supplier for your top three items. • Get it in writing. Supply agreements should cover pricing, quality standards and termination.

Set up POS, payments and the back office

• POS. Choose a cafe-friendly system with dine-in and takeaway modes, modifiers for milk and size, kitchen dockets or screens, and integrations with online ordering, accounting and payroll. • Payments. Compare transaction fees and hardware costs. Check the Reserve Bank's current rules before adding a card surcharge. • Payroll. Employers report pay through Single Touch Payroll (STP), so pick payroll software that supports it. • Rehearse. Run real orders through the system during soft opening, not just a demo.

Hire staff on the right award and get the paperwork right

• Award. The Fair Work Ombudsman says the Restaurant Industry Award covers cafes that mainly sell food and drinks to be eaten on the premises or offer table service. A mainly takeaway business may fall under the Fast Food Award instead, and cafes run by hotels or clubs are covered by other awards (Fair Work: Restaurant Award coverage). • On hiring. Give the Fair Work Information Statement (plus the Casual Employment Information Statement for casuals), use written contracts, and check work rights for visa holders. • Super and workers comp. Pay the super guarantee by the ATO's due dates. Workers compensation insurance is compulsory for employers in every state and territory. • Training. Cover coffee standards, food safety, the POS, and opening and closing checklists. If you serve alcohol, staff need responsible service of alcohol (RSA) training for your state.

Insure the business before you get the keys

Landlords commonly require public liability cover from the start of the lease, so sort insurance before the fitout begins:

• Public liability (check the minimum your lease requires) • Workers compensation (compulsory once you employ staff) • Contents, equipment and glass • Business interruption • Product liability, and management liability if you trade through a company

A broker who works with hospitality businesses can tell you what's typical for a cafe your size.

Sort the sound and the music licence before the first customer walks in

If customers can hear recorded music in your cafe, whether it's a streaming app, the radio or a staff playlist, that's a public performance and it needs to be licensed. Personal Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube accounts are for private listening only (business.gov.au: playing music in your business). If you're unsure whether this applies to you, start with do I need a music licence?

There are two legal routes:

A OneMusic Australia licence, which covers APRA AMCOS and PPCA repertoire for most businesses, played through a source that is allowed for business use. Fees depend on your venue type, size and how you use music, so get a current quote from OneMusic Australia. A direct-licensed business music service, where the catalogue is already cleared for commercial playback. VibeBeats is one example: A$49 a month with a 14-day free trial, and it plays through your existing speakers. Other music sources may still need their own licences. See VibeBeats pricing or the music for cafes page (with local versions for Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne).

Plan speaker zones, cabling and acoustic panels during the fitout, not the week before opening. The cafe fitout sound system checklist covers that in detail. Once you're open, morning cafe music covers what to play when.

Soft opening and the first 30 days

• Run one or more soft openings with a limited menu to test workflow, ticket times and the POS. • Book your council inspection early and roster your food safety supervisor for opening week. • After week one, review waste, wait times and wages as a share of sales, and adjust rosters and the menu before habits set in.

Your opening-day paperwork folder

Keep one folder (physical or shared drive) with:

• [ ] ABN, business name and GST registration • [ ] Lease and council approvals (planning, building, signage, footpath dining) • [ ] Food business registration, notification or licence • [ ] Food safety supervisor certificate and staff training records • [ ] Temperature, cleaning and receiving records (category one businesses) • [ ] Insurance certificates, including workers compensation • [ ] Employment contracts and Fair Work statements given • [ ] Trade waste approval, if you have a grease arrestor • [ ] Music licence or Certificate of Compliance • [ ] Supplier agreements and equipment service contracts

FAQ

Do I need a qualification to open a cafe in Australia? You don't need a hospitality qualification to own a cafe. But under Standard 3.2.2A you must appoint a certified food safety supervisor and make sure food handlers are trained. If you serve alcohol, staff need RSA training for your state.

How long does it take to open a cafe? It depends mostly on whether you need planning approval and how big the fitout is. Taking over an existing cafe with approvals in place is usually much faster than converting a shop that has never been a food premises. Ask your council for its current processing times.

Do I need to register for GST? You must register once your GST turnover reaches $75,000 a year, or if you expect to reach it in your first year. You can register voluntarily before then.

What's the difference between food business registration and a food safety supervisor? Registration (or notification) tells the regulator about your business and premises. A food safety supervisor is a certified person in your team who oversees safe food handling day to day. A typical cafe needs both.

Do I need a licence to play music in my cafe? Yes, if customers can hear recorded music. You can hold a OneMusic Australia licence and use a source allowed for business use, or use a direct-licensed business music service whose catalogue is already cleared for commercial playback.

Sources

• ABLIS: Australian Business Licence and Information Service • ATO: Registering for GST • FSANZ: Standard 3.2.2A food safety management tools • NSW Food Authority: cafes, restaurants and retail outlets • Fair Work Ombudsman: Restaurant Award coverage • Brisbane City Council: opening a restaurant or cafe • business.gov.au: playing music in your business • OneMusic Australia

This guide is general information for people opening a cafe in Australia. Confirm current requirements with your council, your state food regulator, the ATO, the Fair Work Ombudsman and a qualified adviser before you commit.

Start your 14-day free trial — no credit card required.