To get a coffee shop license in Austria, register the Gastgewerbe (coffeehouse) in GISA and secure a premises that passes trade-plant approval; all other steps align with those two choices. You must meet professional qualification via a Befähigungsnachweis: either your own (apprenticeship/master exam or Unternehmerprüfung plus experience, or EU equivalence) or by appointing a gewerberechtlicher Geschäftsführer. Check if the site needs a Betriebsanlagengenehmigung; authorities will review ventilation, noise emissions, fire safety, grease separator, sanitary facilities, and barrier-free access under building rules (OIB). Notify the district food authority as a food business, implement HACCP, train staff on allergen disclosure (14 allergens), and keep written procedures and cleaning logs. Set up an RKSV-compliant cash register (signature device, DEP, FinanzOnline registration, start/monthly receipts) and display gross prices. Decide VAT: use the Kleinunternehmer rule if eligible or register and apply the correct rates; open a tax number early. Arrange AKM/Austro Mechana music rights, outdoor seating (“Schanigarten”) permits, signage approval, and observe provincial opening hours and the smoking ban. Before opening, register employees with ÖGK, document working time, and contract waste/oil disposal. With a compliant, previously approved site, GISA registration can be same-day; new plant approvals add weeks. Budget for inspections and mandatory technical reports.
