To open a coffee shop in Uzbekistan, you don’t need a special “coffee license,” but you must register a catering business and secure sanitary and fire clearances before serving customers. Set up as an LLC or sole proprietor via the Single Portal (my.gov.uz), choose simplified tax or VAT with the State Tax Committee (soliq.uz), and register an online fiscal cash register so every sale issues a fiscal receipt. Before launch, obtain a sanitary-epidemiological conclusion for the premises: potable hot/cold water, compliant ventilation/hood, washable finishes, separate storage for raw and ready foods, handwash sinks, calibrated refrigeration with logs, pest control and disinfection contracts, staff medical books, and a production-control program aligned with HACCP. Get a fire-safety act from MChS: evacuation plan, exits, extinguishers, and staff briefing logs. Check the lease designates food-service use; otherwise a change of use may be needed at the hokimiyat. Arrange waste removal; coffee-only bars still need waste records. If you plan alcohol, apply for a separate on-premise license after tax registration; expect CCTV and cash control integration. Display a price list in Uzbek, your business name and TIN, and keep a complaints book in the consumer corner. Typical timelines run 2–6 weeks after signing compliant lease.
