Food business - restaurants
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Descriptions
This Business Liaison Group (BLG) is a formal forum for restaurant owners, operators or their representatives to exchange views with government representatives on licensing and regulatory matters. BLG members are welcomed to suggest agenda items on licensing and on other regulatory matters affecting the trade.
Food businesses that operate under the General Restaurant Licence, Light Refreshment Restaurant Licence or Marine Restaurant Licence are regarded as restaurants. Those operate under other than the above licences are regarded as non-restaurants and can participate in the Food Business (Non-Restaurants) BLG.
The BLG mainly covers the following licences:
- General Restaurant Licence
- Light Refreshment Restaurant Licence
- Marine Restaurant Licence
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Government Representatives
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Buildings Department, Fire Services Department, Housing Department and Efficiency Office.
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Trade’s views are collected through various channels, including BLG meetings, online forms, e-mails and phone calls. The relevant meeting notes, summaries of trade’s views and the Government’s responses are tabulated below –
If you would like to access Food business - restaurants BLG meeting notes/annex(es) issued before 2014, please contact us at bft@effo.gov.hk
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Highlight of Interesting Issues
- With effect from 1 October 2009, Fire Services Department (FSD) has established Fire Safety Conditions for restaurants to use portable stoves to conduct temporary hot pot activities. Restaurants that meet the safety requirements (as stipulated in the Fire Safety Conditions?) are allowed to provide temporary hot pots to customers without prior approval.
- FEHD has launched the Liquor Licence Processing System since 1 August 2010 to facilitate business operators to apply and track their application of liquor licence through the Internet. (to consider whether to group under the entry of w.e.f. 1 August 2010)
- FSD has relaxed the requirements of drop hatch to allow the trade to have greater flexibility in designing the food serving opening between the kitchen and the seating accommodation.
- With effect from 1 August 2010, FEHD has –
- reduced minimum food room requirements for licensed General Restaurants (GRs), Light Refreshment Restaurants (LRRs) and Factory Canteens (FCs) to allow licencees to expand seating area for operating purposes; and
- removed the statutory requirement for the internal walls and ceiling of the food room of licensed premises to be in light colour.
- For collection of provisional food licences, FEHD will issue the provisional licence within one working day after the applicant submits all necessary documents at the licensing office in person.
- Operators do not need to specify movable furniture/equipment not of a substantial and permanent nature on layout plans since 2006.
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Related Links
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Address:
14/F, Treasury Building, No. 3 Tonkin Street West, Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon
Email: bft@effo.gov.hk
Tel: (852) 2165 7371
Fax: (852) 2537 7566