Want to open a restaurant in Shanghai but concerned about complicated procedures? Here's some good news.

The city has issued a work plan to streamline the process for opening a restaurant. Through its extensive network of offline government service centers and the unified e-governance platform - the Government Online-Offline Shanghai website (zwdt.sh.gov.cn), the city now offers a one-stop service that can reduce the time required to process the relevant procedures to open a restaurant to as little as seven to 14 working days, down from 42 working days.

The work plan was formulated jointly by four government departments, namely the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, the Shanghai Data Bureau, the Shanghai Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau, and the Shanghai Fire and Rescue Brigade.

Who is eligible for the one-stop service?

The One-Stop Service for Opening a Restaurant in Shanghai is available to enterprises that have obtained their business licenses. Through this service, an enterprise can apply for a permit to operate as a Food Service Operator. Additionally, they can apply for the approval of outdoor signage installation and pre-operation fire safety inspection for public gathering places.

This service does not apply to food business entities labeled as central kitchens, group meal delivery, or group meal takeout.

The business entities applying for the service must have their business license and permit handled by the same district (excluding the Lin-gang Special Area). Enterprises listed as seriously untrustworthy entities or whose business license address does not match the business permit address are not eligible for this service.

What are the simplified procedures?

The work plan introduces six key reform measures that emphasize achieving various tasks in a single instance: simultaneous notification, unified application form submission, centralized acceptance, simultaneous processing, collective issuance of all certificates at a single service window, and comprehensive guidance through a single informational booklet.

1. Simultaneous notification

The Government Online-Offline Shanghai website (zwdt.sh.gov.cn) launched a dedicated section for this service on June 12. Within this section, applicants are informed of all the conditions and materials needed for food business permits, outdoor signage approval, fire safety inspections, and more in one go.

The dedicated section for opening a restaurant is seen on the Government Online-Offline Shanghai website (zwdt.sh.gov.cn). [Photo / shobserver.com]

2. Unified application form submission

Consolidate multiple forms into one and submit all required materials at once. The application form is automatically generated through simple Q&A and intelligent guidance. Information like name, address, Unified Social Credit Code, and legal representative is retrieved and reused automatically.

For offline applications, district government service centers should provide assistance in form completion and material submission, ensuring one-time submission for multi-terminal processing. Previously submitted materials do not need to be resubmitted, and paper certificates or photos can be replaced with electronic versions.

3. Centralized acceptance

Online, applicants can submit necessary materials while completing the intelligent application form on the dedicated webpage. Enhanced online pre-review and notification functions ensure centralized acceptance. Offline, all materials are processed through a single window.

4. Simultaneous processing

The online application, within the dedicated service area, is linked with various municipal departments for simultaneous administrative approval. For offline applications, district government service centers distribute applications to district-level windows for parallel administrative approvals. Joint reviews are encouraged for on-site verification when feasible, and alternative methods like notifications and commitments, or remote verification are employed for streamlining the approval process.

Applicants can track the progress of administrative approval items through the Government Online-Offline Shanghai website (zwdt.sh.gov.cn).

5. Unified certificate issuance

Applicants can choose between paper certificates and electronic certificates. Paper certificates can be collected onsite or mailed as required. The outcome of one administrative approval item is independent of the results of other administrative items.

6. Guidance through a comprehensive handbook

A Restaurant Compliance Guidance Handbook - outlining management requirements for running a restaurant, including certificate management, outdoor signage installation, fire safety, food material procurement, food processing, and food safety tracking, is provided to businesses upon receiving their administrative approval results.

Source: Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, shobserver.com