How to Start a Fine Dining Restaurant

Serve the movers and shakers in your neighborhood at your very own upscale eatery. Fine dining often incorporates the very best in cuisine, superlative customer service, and a unique ambiance that encourages patrons to pay extra for the opportunity to share a meal at your location. This is not a business where cutting corners and bargain shopping will serve you well.

Learn how to start your own Fine Dining Restaurant and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services.

Start a fine dining restaurant by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Fine Dining Restaurant
  2. Form your Fine Dining Restaurant into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Fine Dining Restaurant for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Fine Dining Restaurant
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Fine Dining Restaurant
  7. Get Fine Dining Restaurant Insurance
  8. Define your Fine Dining Restaurant Brand
  9. Create your Fine Dining Restaurant Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your fine dining restaurant . These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Fine Dining Restaurant Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state's business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your fine dining restaurant ?

Business Name Generator

What are the costs involved in opening a fine dining restaurant ?

You can easily spend a million by building your destination eatery and filling it with the very best leather seating, hand-carved tables, and cut-crystal stemware. Yes, your kitchen will require $100k to $200k in equipment, but the dining room can still look a mint while saving some needed cash. A good goal for start-up including interior decor should run about $500k.

What are the ongoing expenses for a fine dining restaurant ?

You will be paying for your staff, alcohol, food supplies and maintaining the building. Your employees and alcohol will truly be the largest expenses, but alcohol provides plenty of profit. A healthy operating split is spending 30% on food, 30% on alcohol, 30% on staffing, and about 10% on the dining environment.

Who is the target market?

If you are situated in a large metropolitan area, there will be plenty of high-end executives and wealthy individuals who will look to you for a special night on the town. In more rural neighborhoods, your most common customers will be politicians, local celebrities, and resident patrons of the area economy.

How does a fine dining restaurant make money?

Your profit is generated through charging for the food served to your clientele. While it might seem like profits will be huge in such an exclusive location, you will also be paying a premium for your chef, maitre d’, manager, and other employees. The cost of sourcing the freshest ingredients also eats into your bottom line.

How much can you charge customers?

Do your diligence and compare prices from other local fine dining establishments. Typically, you are able to charge between $40 to $100 per plate, but location does affect your pricing scale.

How much profit can a fine dining restaurant make?

Your target should be that 30% of each meal is profit. While the national average for most restaurants is about $80,000/year in net profit, you can see significantly more when your fancy spot hits the lottery for the popular place to wine and dine.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Never skimp on the quality of your ingredients when catering to your upscale crowd. You can make huge profits by serving cocktails as alcohol provides an excellent profit margin. Just make sure that you hire a bartender of a similar caliber to your chef.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your fine dining restaurant is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services. You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

  • Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
  • Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Most states require retail businesses to obtain a seller’s permit. A seller’s permit enables states to record and collect taxes from the sale of taxable goods and services. More information can be found here:


Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a fine dining restaurant. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Certificate of Occupancy

A fine dining restaurant is generally run out of a storefront. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

 

  • If you plan to lease a location:
    • It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
    • Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a fine dining restaurant.
    • After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.

 

  • If you plan to purchase or build a location:
    • You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
    • Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your fine dining restaurant will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

 

Food Regulations

When selling food, you will need licensing from a local health department; all establishments serving food are required to pass a health inspection. Tips for faring well on a health inspections


There are federal regulations regarding what can and cannot be added to, sold as, and processed with food. Attached is a resource from the Food and Drug Administration detailing the process of starting a food business: How to Start a Food Business

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Fine Dining Restaurant needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Fine Dining Restaurant .

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended: Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a fine dining restaurant

You will need to launch a major marketing campaign for your grand opening, but you should ignore the typical TV and radio spots targeted at prime time viewership. Personal invitations to celebrities tied into a media event will generate the word of mouth to which your niche restaurant audience will respond. Offer wine tastings at the local food celebrations, enter high-end cuisine competitions, and offer catering for business seminars. You can offer lots of free samples at many local events to kick off your restaurant.

How to keep customers coming back

Low prices and half-off appetizers will never be part of your attraction. Your restaurant building must have an elegant and welcoming exterior. As the owner you will want to work your contacts and invite the mayor, police chief, and various representatives to celebrate your opening. Schedule interviews with local newspapers, foodie bloggers, and local restaurant review shows. Your customers have to hear about you from somebody else--that's the key of promoting an exclusive business. Why will they come back? Because you provided a memorable meal served by attentive staff in an elegant yet energetic dining room.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

The owner of a fine dining restaurant will have a passion for exquisite food, love to network with customers and local celebrities, and be able to clearly define the line between work and social hour.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a fine dining restaurant ?

While there is the obvious part of cooking and serving meals to the paying public, that is only the tip of the iceberg. Here are some additional tasks your restaurant will need to manage:

  • Take reservations for future dates
  • Coordinate with kitchen to ensure just enough fresh product is available to prepare tonight's meals
  • Maintain the dining room, allowing no sign of dirt or wear to appear on any surface or utensil
  • Work with local farms, gardens, wineries, craft brewers, and wholesale suppliers to create a unique menu and wine cellar
  • Provide event options for weddings, rotary clubs, anniversary dinners and other celebratory moments
  • Clean the kitchen to create a sanitary environment to prepare the cuisine
  • Train servers to provide superlative service with complete knowledge of the menu and wine list
  • Maintain the building
  • Pay vendors, suppliers, and employees

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful fine dining restaurant ?

If you intend on doing the cooking, then you should definitely have years of experience working in successful fine dining kitchens. If you are simply the owner, your experience will lie more in the marketing end. You need a keen sense of what is popular in the foodie world at this instant, current styles, and how that may affect the design for your restaurant. Other items to keep in mind would be:

  • ServSafe certification for food handling and preparation
  • Background in the hostess and entertainment industry
  • Basic business skills
  • Excellent networking ability
  • Knowledge of cuisine, top-shelf drinks, and fine wine
  • Insight into expectations of a fine dining customer

What is the growth potential for a fine dining restaurant ?

Should you find the magic mixture of menu, service, excellent food, and an electric atmosphere, there is every possibility you may look at adding extra seats in the near future. Franchising into multiple locations should only be considered once you have passed the five-year mark with continued growth forecast, otherwise you may end up looking down a very large hole of debt.

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Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a fine dining restaurant ?

You are targeting customers that like spending money but also want some entertainment. Invest in the latest tech toys for payment systems, online reservations, lighting, VIP parking, and even loyalty perks. However, it will always be your cuisine that will keep them coming back. Make sure to hire the very best chef available who has a unique flair that won't be duplicated by the other restaurants in town.

How and when to build a team

You need your chef, restaurant manager, and maitre d’ as part of your development team from the beginning. Servers and other kitchen staff can be hired one month before opening.

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