To obtain a coffee shop license in Lebanon, secure three pillars: company registration, municipal permits, and sector approvals. Register a sole establishment or SARL at the Commercial Register, obtain a tax number at the Ministry of Finance, enroll as an employer with NSSF, and register for VAT once you near the statutory turnover threshold (keep pro‑forma sales projections ready to justify timing). Before fit‑out, confirm the lease allows F&B use, obtain the building occupancy certificate, and apply at the municipality for opening and signage permits; submit a floor plan showing seating, kitchen, exhaust route, and grease trap. If you offer dine‑in service (tables or shisha), apply to the Ministry of Tourism for café/restaurant classification and exploitation license; Civil Defense fire compliance (detectors, extinguishers, emergency lighting, LPG storage) is mandatory for that file. The municipality or MoPH typically requires food‑handler medical cards, potable‑water lab tests, a pest‑control contract, cold‑chain logs, and a HACCP-based hygiene plan. Add-on licenses: SACEM for music, outdoor seating use-of-public-domain, and alcohol service (if any). Typical bottlenecks: unapproved hood discharge to façade, unregistered lease, missing grease interceptor, or noncompliant signage. With complete documents, approvals take 4–8 weeks; fees and timeframes vary by municipality and Tourism classification and scope.
