For coffee shop business setup in Lebanon, reserve your trade name at the Ministry of Economy and Trade, choose your legal form (LLC or sole establishment), register at the Commercial Registry, and obtain municipal operating/signage licenses plus Civil Defense fire-safety clearance. Register with the Ministry of Finance for a tax ID (and VAT once you exceed the official threshold) and enroll employees in NSSF. Choose a location by daytime footfall, generator availability and noise, terrace rights, parking, and flue routing; negotiate lease clauses that permit outdoor seating, exhaust ducting, and backup power. Build power resilience first: size a 10-20 kVA generator or hybrid inverter, install voltage stabilizers, and fit water softening/filtration to 75-150 ppm to protect your espresso machine. Source from Lebanese specialty roasters or import green beans with proper customs brokerage. Equip for throughput: dual-group machine, 2 grinders, batch brewer, ice maker, and a POS that issues serial invoices and exports MoF-compliant reports. Implement HACCP SOPs, food-handler health certificates, and monthly pest control. Control unit economics: target beverage COGS <=30%, labor 20-25%, rent 8-12%; engineer high-margin cold brew and signatures, partner with local bakeries on consignment, list on Toters, and launch a WhatsApp/QR loyalty program with dual LBP/USD pricing.
