Hello,

Has anyone here set up a food based business (resturant, lunch truck,etc.) here in Zurich? I'm looking for information on the required permits and where, how to get these permits.

Also, I'm looking for the rules concerning business hours of a food business? People have told me "The Swiss GOV. will not let you work at night!"

I believe this is "Bull S..." as there are resturants that are open pretty much 24 hours/7 days a week here in Zurich. (example: New Point"

Thanks in advance for any help

For night operations, you have to request for special permit.
Just open up restaurant and therefore can give you some tips here and there .
You can PM me for a specific question.
Btw, you are not planning to open an Asian Restaurant somewhere in Oerlikon right? Because, I will have to hesistate to help out any potential competitions to our business

There are several possibilities to obtain the information you are looking for...all of them involve either German or French (mostly German if you are looking in Zürich).

First place to get information is from the Police Department. This link will give you quite a lot to get started...mostly pdf files.

Second place to visit is the Gastosuisse web site and hunt around there...you may want to consider taking one of their courses on starting your own business.

Hope this helps...
Jack

Hello,

No don't worry, no Asian. My resturant will not have a fixed location. It's more in the lines of a lunch truck that moves from place to place

There are already znuni vans that travel around in the mornings selling gipfeli and so on, and I don't imagine that they require a huge amount of paperwork to set up. Burkliplaz is long overdue for a baked potato and hot soup van...

Another cunning angle is to approach the authorities with a specific event in mind - eg tell them that you want to set up a stall along with the hundreds of others at eg the Winterthur Albanifest, and you want to know what sorts of permits that you need.

Something else I've seen in Opfikon are food places that have a caravan or tent plonked on the side... I've been told that as they still have wheels they count as a temporary structure, and the rules are less stringent.

Cool!
However, Sorry I cannot help much then because the operation is different and I don't know the requirement for moving food business. As suggested by Jack, Gastrosuisse is the best organization to contact. They have their own 'Treuhand' also that will able to help you out with the requirements, permits as well as company registration.

Good Luck and in case you change your mind to open restaurant, you can always PM me

Hi Guys,
My wife and I have been traveling to Zurich for 15 years. We are thinking of opening a small restaurant and are wondering if anyone has any meat and produce purveyors they like. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

please call me 0044 7799 680227,adam

Hi Adam,
I just got back from a trip. I will call you this week.
Best regards,
Peter (aka Torpe)

I suppose I could suggest some as well. One thing though, are you looking for any particuliar standard, such as BIO, or Suisse origin? There are also places like Cash and Carry and Prodega if all else fails. If you are interested in BIO, and Zurich, Pico Bio is a very efficient purveyor. And unlike alot of others, they let you cut the crate/carton and will sell you want you need (there is some fractional upcharge for doing so mind you). On the Wadenswill side of the lake, probably everywhere else too, you have a lot of local farmers, meat people (slaughter house I assume), and fishermen that will deliver to you direct as well.

To answer to opening a business in Switzerland though...I was told, by ALOT of people Permit B holders cannot own anything until 5 years have passed, or, and this is always not know for sure by anyone, you can find a 51% Swiss born or Permit C holder partner. Can anyone answer this? I was going to open a place in France, until, for reasons totally un beknownst to me , I ended up here, and was told the earlier info about not being able to do any business here if I am a newbie.
Any comments...ideas...jive to throw at me?