The B.C. government has released a new online guide to make it easier to start a restaurant in British Columbia.

The guide provides a downloadable, step-by-step checklist that includes timelines so you can track your progress to start a restaurant. It covers a range of information from drafting the necessary health and safety plans, to applying for permits and licences with local and provincial governments.

Entrepreneurs can also source practical information online about:

* business planning;

* location and zoning;

* applying for permits and licences;

* preparing for inspections;

* hiring employees; and

* on-going, operational requirements.

The online guide and checklist were developed in partnership with the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association using research gathered through restaurant owners and municipal staff in three pilot communities: Victoria, North Vancouver, and Kelowna. This research identified common experiences and opportunities to improve and streamline government services for the restaurant sector.

The restaurant industry plays a vital role in B.C.’s economy, employing more than 175,000 British Columbians and generating more than $10 billion in annual sales.

The online guide delivers on the commitment made by Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business Naomi Yamamoto during Red Tape Awareness Week in January 2014 to develop an online roadmap to start up and operate a restaurant in B.C.

“Creating a one-stop online tool for entrepreneurs will make it easier to open a restaurant in B.C. The new guide helps clarify the rules and requirements, and leads to quicker openings of new restaurants in B.C.’s thriving hospitality industry,” Yamamoto said.

“We applaud the B.C. government’s leadership for providing this resource for would-be restaurant owners. This guide will result in fewer costly start-up casualties and will serve as a practical guide for those in business wanting detailed information on operating and regulatory issues. To our knowledge, this is a first in any jurisdiction in North America,” stated BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association president Ian Tostenson.

Each day there are 2.7 million visits to a restaurant or food provider in British Columbia.

More than 500 new restaurants open per year in B.C.

One in five British Columbians aged 15-24 are employed in the restaurant and food services industry.

In 2013, the tourism industry (including restaurants) paid $4.5 billion in wages and salaries – up from 3.8% from 2012.

To view the online guide, please visit: www.gov.bc.ca/startingarestaurant

To find out more information about the restaurant industry in British Columbia, please visit: www.bcrfa.com

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