How do you set up a take away? Step by step guide

Today there are several options that allow us to enjoy takeaway meals in a space different from the traditional one. This trend has emerged as an alternative to cope with the pace of life that we maintain.

Tasting a dish well prepared with fresh ingredients and unbeatable taste is no longer an exclusive activity of bars, cafes and restaurants, giving way to new business models.

These new restaurant spaces offer quality services for large and small consumers, providing an ideal service that completely covers the needs of customers.

One of those services in tendency are the well-known take away restaurants, that is, those restaurants that are based on offering great banquets to take home, office, parks, or wherever the diner wishes.

Take away: an old concept, but a new one

The concept of take away is new because of the way the service is provided. However, there have always been restaurants that offer take away services (pizzerias, ice-cream parlours and bakeries, etc.).

How do they differ from the current concept? In most take away restaurants the food has been prepared in advance, so it is ready to go.

It is also possible to set up a take away with small plates, machines or kitchens that allow the preparation of foods such as hamburgers, roast chickens and pizza.

Basic rules of a take away

There are regulations that must be complied with in order to set up a take away, such as sanitary authorization and urban planning licenses.

As indicated in Royal Decree 191/2011 of 18 February regulating the General Health Registry of Foods, hygiene and health licences are required for the preparation, distribution and sale of food.

This clearly establishes that anyone who wants to start a take away company must inform their local Autonomous Community of their intention to obtain a health licence.

With regard to urban planning licences, it is necessary to have a licence issued by the town hall of the town where the business activity is to be undertaken.

When applying for a license, you should consider the following requirements:

• Have a place that has the objects of accident prevention.
• Inform you about the requirements demanded by the law to start your take away business. Remember that the laws vary according to the location where you establish your business.

It is also important to consider aspects such as the name, style and channels of dissemination, proposals that will give added value to your business.

The name must be eye-catching and original, which will captivate customers and serve as a letter of introduction to the services and products you will be offering.

Another aspect of great interest is the style, which will represent the detail that will make the difference with your competition.

Developing the aesthetics and design of your presentation is fundamental for your business.

As for the diffusion channels for take away, the Registration of Trademarks and Patents must be carried out, which will guarantee the availability of your brand.

Once you have everything ready, it is important to start communicating and promoting your business in the digital environment, especially through social networks.

Take away: physical infrastructure

The infrastructure of this type of business has technical and urban importance, contemplated by the community and municipal ordinances.

The technical area has a series of requirements that must be met in order to maintain the conditions of adequacy of the space where customers will be served. Among them we can mention:

• To offer accessibility to enjoy a welcoming space that allows, even for people with disabilities, to move around without inconveniences or restrictions.
• Comply with fire regulations, having available fire extinguishers and adequate signage indicating evacuation exits in case of emergency.
• To have independent ventilation and air conditioning systems that have communication with the outside.
• Possess a suitable electrical installation.
• To have a space of cleanliness for clients and workers.

As for the urban area, it is important to emphasize that it is not possible to set up a take away in a space intended for housing.

The space indicated for this type of business must be for commercial use and all planned works must be carried out in compliance with municipal ordinances, guaranteeing legality in management.

Licence required to open a take away business

The licence is not necessary if the premises are exclusively for the purchase of takeaway food, however, some urban planning procedures must be carried out for the activity. These are as follows:

• Contact a technician to inspect the premises. This visit should be scheduled before signing the rental or purchase contract to assess the viability of the premises.
• If the premises being evaluated are not viable, it is recommended that you look for the appropriate place for this type of business.
• Once the evaluation has been carried out, the preparation of the project must begin, which must take into account possible modifications to the location.
• It is recommended to carry out the project before starting any modification within the premises. This is because not all alterations are allowed or legal.
• Another aspect of interest, as far as changes within the premises are concerned, is that the work being carried out is for conditioning or minor works.
• If the works affect the façade or structure of a protected building, a building project must be drawn up. This will be done by means of a licence, which usually involves longer periods of time.

There are two conditions that limit the fulfilment of reforms within the premises: one of them indicates that if the procedure is carried out with previous communication after 15 days, the adaptation works can be started.

If this process is carried out through the license, it is necessary to wait for the city council to grant the authorization. This process can take days or months.

To start the activity in the premises it is necessary to present the necessary documentation where it is demonstrated that the modifications in the premises were completed satisfactorily.

Legislation governing the business

The legislation that governs the take away business is based on food retailing regulations.

These rules are specific to the type of food sold in the business.

Among the regulations that take away businesses must comply with we can mention

• Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs This regulation establishes that all workers who come into contact with food must have a food handler’s licence.
• Royal Decree 1376/2003 of 7 November 2003 on health conditions for the production, storage and marketing of fresh meat and meat products in retail establishments. The take away business that manufactures and sells some type of meat must comply with the conditions of the above-mentioned decree.
• Royal Decree 191/2011 of 18 February 2011, on the General Health Registry of Food and Agriculture Companies. This regulation establishes that companies must register in the Health Registry, however if your business is a take away it is not necessary unless food is produced in the industrial environment.

The step no one tells you about

When we talk about the idea of undertaking in the catering sector and setting up a take away, many people frown and make us think if it is really a good idea.

This is due to the lack of knowledge about the profitability of the business, but the limited knowledge of the sector does not stop there. Many will advise you, but few, if any, will talk to you about the importance of having a supplier like Monouso.

At Monouso, our virtual store, you will find everything you need to make the opening of your take away easier, providing your customer with the comfort and quality that your dishes require.

Crockery, glasses, cutlery, take-away containers, cardboard boxes for different types of food or greaseproof paper are some of the products you will find in our store.

In addition, we also have a wide variety of napkins, tablecloths, plastic bags, storage boxes, hotel clothing and any product you need to open the doors of your restaurant.