Starting a small business is a dream of many families and more and more people are looking for options in this direction. One option for this is opening a grocery store. You can enter the grocery market in different ways: by open your own store or franchise to one of the major chains. The amount of initial investment depends on the method you choose.
As with any start-up business, the first step here is to register a company. The next stage, after entering the company in the Commercial Register, is the submission of documents for registration of the commercial site in the municipality. In our case, when opening a grocery store, it is necessary to register the site with the Regional Directorate of Food Safety. Here is the procedure:
Procedure for registration of a commercial site in the municipality
With the documents of the newly registered company you submit an application form
to the mayor of the municipality where the store will be located. The application should indicate the official opening hours and delivery times.
When we talk about opening a grocery store, there is the option for it to be Non-Stop. If you have chosen this for the store, you must prove that you will comply with the permissible noise levels in and around the site. For this purpose, a protocol from the regional inspectorate for protection and control of public health or from a licensed laboratory is required. In addition, if you are going to place mobile equipment in front of the store – shop windows, tables, etc., then you must provide and agreed by the chief architect of the area layout of the sites.
NB! According to the law, you are not allowed to work in the store before receiving a certified application for working hours.
Necessary documents
- Current status of the company;
- Certificate and passport of the cash register;
- Lease agreement or notary deed for ownership of the site where the store will be located;
- Certificate of registration under Art. 12 of the Food Act – for grocery stores.
Registration of a site for production and trade in food
As already mentioned above, when opening a grocery store, it is not enough just to register a commercial site. You also need to register the site in the Regional Directorate of Food Safety. Trade in foodstuffs is carried out only in establishments registered under the Food Act.
For this purpose, an application should be submitted to the Regional Directorate for Food Safety at the site. The following shall be submitted to the application:
- The documents of the newly established company;
- List of food groups that will be sold in the store;
Deadline for registration
After submitting the application, RFSD inspectors carry out an on-site inspection of the site’s compliance with hygiene and / or veterinary and sanitary requirements. They also check whether measures have been introduced to analyze the hazards of food trade. This should happen within 30 days of the application being submitted.
If the inspection is successful, a registration certificate is issued within 15 days and the site is entered in a special register.
In case the sanitary and hygienic prescriptions are fulfilled, but there are no introduced risk control systems for food trade, a temporary certificate can be issued for a period of up to 3 months.
It is important to keep in mind that additional permits may be required when opening a grocery store. This is the case in cases where you will offer goods such as: cigarettes and alcohol.
We at T&G Consulting can assist you in the entire process. We have the knowledge, capabilities and professional experience in the field of online store accounting. We will find the right solutions for your company accounting.