Planning permit to open a restaurant, cafe, bar or tavern
Often you need a planning permit to use land as a restaurant, to do renovations or extensions to a restaurant or for a restaurant with less on-site car parking spaces than listed in the Moreland Planning Scheme.
A cafe is considered a restaurant under the Moreland Planning Scheme.
Bars and taverns
Importantly, a bar is a different use to a restaurant. You need a planning permit for a bar or a tavern use when a restaurant business changes to involve less serving of food and more serving of alcohol.
Parking spaces
The Moreland Planning Scheme sets out the car parking requirements for different uses at Clause 52.06. You often need a planning permit when the use of the land changes and there is a different requirement for on-site car parking.
For example, planning permit applications are often made to Council when someone wishes to change an existing shop to a restaurant.
Because a restaurant is listed in the Moreland Planning Scheme with a greater requirement for on-site car parking than a shop, a planning permit application will often be made to reduce or waive the number of parking spaces to be provided on the land for the new restaurant.
If you want to serve alcohol in your cafe or restaurant will also need a liquor licence and a planning permit to sell or consume liquor.
Other permits you may need for a business
A new restaurant, cafe, bar or tavern also needs a food registration permit from Council. You may also need a building permit.
Files
- Planning permit application - waiver of carparking guidelines (PDF 31Kb)
- Planning permit application - waiver of carparking guidelines (DOC 50Kb)
