11880 Advice needed on licenced premises.

Hi everyone,
I have in the past run two successful bars in the UK and am now looking at setting up a bar in Italy. I have tentatively located premises and I have Italian staff lined up but am not awae of the licencing requirements in Italy. In UK I hold a personal licence and have over 20 years in the trade so am not new to the running of the bar but am worried about any pitfalls. I have an italian accountant and lawyer but just wonder if anyone has any cautionary tales I should keep a look out for. The bar is located in Milan ,will be aquired by buying an existing bar on a new lease for a 4 year term with 4 years extension. Any help would be very gratefully received.:smile:

Category
General chat about Italy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/11/2009 - 04:24

[quote=andy10;113299]Hi everyone,
I ..... am now looking at setting up a bar in Italy. I have tentatively located premises and I have Italian staff lined up but am not aware of the licencing requirements in Italy. ...[/quote]

Have you tried asking your Italian accountant or lawyer? - one of them should know

.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/11/2009 - 10:56

Are you buying the premises or the attività? You will need the previous owner to pass on his licence to you - if he doesnt do so you cant open. You also need to do a course which allows you to handle foods and comestibles - and pass the exam - otherwise they will not allow you to open. It is run by the Confcommercio o the camera di commercio.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/11/2009 - 11:32

[quote=andy10;113299]Hi everyone,
I have in the past run two successful bars in the UK and am now looking at setting up a bar in Italy. I have tentatively located premises and I have Italian staff lined up but am not awae of the licencing requirements in Italy. In UK I hold a personal licence and have over 20 years in the trade so am not new to the running of the bar but am worried about any pitfalls. I have an italian accountant and lawyer but just wonder if anyone has any cautionary tales I should keep a look out for. The bar is located in Milan ,will be aquired by buying an existing bar on a new lease for a 4 year term with 4 years extension. Any help would be very gratefully received.:smile:[/quote]

good on yer,excellent idea.got to keep on yor toes in milano lot of competition but go for it.
yes,you'll have to get your REC a small exam run by the C.C.I.A. ( chamber of comerce) usually quite regularly, and you'll still probably have to pick up a licence but you can do anything in milano..there are even egyptians and romanians who own and run bars.If you'd like some friendly impartial advice i have a freind in milano with a small bar whose wife is english (he doesn't speak english) but a very nice guy, the bar is Silver music bar in via Palestrina close by the central station,if you go around 9.30/10.00 am when it gets a bit quieter,tell Silvio that (james from the marche sent you) his wife is Rose.i'm sure he'd give you the real story he's been in the business in different bars at all levels for 30 odd years
good luck....i'll have a PROPER mohito please!!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/14/2009 - 08:56

Thank you to everyone who has sent help and advice . It is the attiva that I will be buying and as far as the legal and accountancy questions are concerned I am happy that my advisors will be able to help .As I am sure you all appreciate,this being new to me in Italy, I or the lawyers etc. could sort out all the official requirements and then fall foul of the numerous day to day problems that can arise. I have a good few Italian friends who are ready to assist but who are not experienced in this trade and just wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience and if there was anything to watch out for.

Its just a case of having got to Italy ,sorted out an apartment and day to day living,in hindsight, I wish I knew what I know now from experience before I arrived. Still no experience like experience. Once again thanks for your help and once we get going I will buy you all that mojito.
Grazie

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/14/2009 - 13:26

Good luck to you Andy. I have immense respect for anyone who has the courage to take on the challenge of setting up a business in a "strange land".

I'm sure you are aware of the huge differences between the majority of the UK and generally how Italians approach bar culture alcohol/non alcohol/coffee etc -slowly indeed very slowly - rapid espresso being the exception. Round here some bars are used as meeting points and locals seem to be allowed to just socalise, play cards etc without buying anything. Milan, non lo so?

Anyway I wish you well and hope you can find time to tell us some of your stories as they unfold.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/14/2009 - 13:40

I really know very little about legislation for bars, and maybe what I am going to say is something based on a 'local' ruling.

Anyway, in my area 'a bar' has to be open for a set (long) number of hours, whereas something like 'an enoteca' can be an evening only enterprise. It would be as well to talk this through with your commercialista, or with a friendly face at the camera di commercio before you take on the licenza from the current owner. It could affect the hours you have to work (or to staff) rather significantly.