Opening a Café in Zürich

A café of your own in Zürich – for many people it’s a dream. To make it a business that lasts, you need more than great coffee: the right location, a sharp concept, realistic numbers and a team you can rely on. I have run Simply Soup in Zürich for 15 years and mentor founders who are opening their own cafés and food businesses.

What makes a café in Zürich work

• A clear concept: specialty coffee, bakery, brunch, plant-based, a creative space – the clearer your idea, the easier it is for guests to remember you.
• The right location: footfall, visibility and the people around you (offices, residents, students) decide your opening hours and your offer.
• Numbers that add up: cafés live on many small tickets. You need to know your cost per cup and per plate, and how many guests you need per day.
• A small, focused menu: easier to prepare consistently, less waste, better margins.

Permits for a café in the canton of Zürich

In the canton of Zürich you don’t need a Wirtepatent. Most cafés with seating need a Gastwirtschaftspatent from the municipality; very small alcohol-free businesses with up to ten seats can be exempt. Every café must also be registered as a food business with the Kantonales Labor and work with a hygiene concept. If you are refurbishing, talk to the food inspector before you build – it can save you a lot of money.

Typical mistakes when opening a café

• Too little cash for the first year
• A menu that tries to please everyone
• Prices without proper costing
• Doing everything yourself instead of getting help early
• Ignoring what guests actually buy

My free checklist “10 biggest mistakes young entrepreneurs make” covers these in more detail.

How mentoring helps you open your café

In a mentoring session we look at your concept, location, menu costing, suppliers, hiring and opening plan – with practical answers from someone who has done it in Zürich. One of my mentees, the founder of a creative café in Zürich, put it like this: her café is thriving today thanks to our work on menu costs, efficient systems and employee management. You can read her full review on my about page.

The first step is a free 30-minute exploratory call. The first mentoring session costs CHF 397 (90–120 minutes). Sessions in English, German, Spanish or Russian.

General information, not legal advice. Check the exact requirements with your municipality.