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Other Considerations |
Music License
If your business plays copyrighted music without a license (whether you have live music, “music-on-hold” for your phone or play copyrighted CDs in your restaurant), you may be subject to a significant fine. Fees for these licenses are collected by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Broadcast Music, Inc. and SESAC Inc.
Note: If your restaurant will be featuring entertainment on an ongoing basis, you may need to obtain a Minor Use Permit. Check with the Community Development Department.
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Links:
ASCAP website
BMI website
SESAC website
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Also... |
Certain restaurants such as brewpubs will need to pay the alcoholic beverage tax, which is a state per-gallon excise tax.
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Before opening an alcoholic beverage business, an ABC applicant should contact the nearest office of the United States Treasury Department, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. If a Federal basic permit or a special Occupational Tax Stamp is required, it should be applied for by and issued to the same persons applying for an ABC license and at the same address.
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Consider garbage pickup when researching restaurant sites. Restaurants produce a lot of garbage. Is there a place for a dumpster nearby? Or can you share with other local businesses?
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You must have a certain amount of bathroom stalls per restaurant seats and all must be ADA (American with Disabilities Act) compliant. If all you have is a one-seater, is there enough room to add more bathrooms?
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Restaurant kitchens produce a lot of smoke, grease and odors. Therefore, ventilation is necessary, not only to keep the dining room free of smoke but to maintain the kitchen as a healthy work environment. Finding outdoor ventilation can sometimes be a problem in older downtown buildings.
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Check to see what the parking (see Table 3-4) and loading space (see Table 3-8) requirements are for your restaurant site. (Keep in mind that new ordinances such as #3944 may affect these requirements as well.) Also, make sure that there aren’t any impending zoning changes that will affect your potential restaurant site.
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Make sure that you are in compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. (For example, a new FDA regulation is pending that requires chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to list calorie content on their menus).
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