How Much Does It Cost to Open a Restaurant? Real 2026 Breakdown

Most "how much to open a restaurant" articles are useless. They give you ranges so wide ("between 100,000 and 1 million EUR") that you cannot plan with them. The real number depends on dozens of decisions you make — type of cuisine, location, build-out level, equipment quality. But the categories of cost are predictable, and once you have a structured budget, the actual number for your specific concept becomes much clearer.

This is a line-by-line breakdown of what to budget for, plus three realistic sample totals: a small takeaway concept, a casual dining restaurant, and a fine-casual restaurant. Numbers reflect typical European market conditions in 2026.

The Six Major Cost Categories

• •Lease and build-out (the space)
• •Kitchen equipment
• •Front-of-house furniture and fittings
• •Licenses, permits, and professional fees
• •Initial inventory and supplies
• •Working capital (the part most owners underestimate)

1. Lease and Build-Out

The single biggest variable. Cost depends on whether you take an existing restaurant space (cheaper) or convert a non-restaurant space (more expensive — you may need new plumbing, ventilation, and electrics).

• •Security deposit: typically 2–6 months rent up front
• •Build-out for an existing restaurant space: 15,000–60,000 EUR
• •Build-out for a new conversion: 60,000–250,000 EUR (commercial kitchen ventilation alone is 15,000–40,000 EUR)
• •Licenses for the space: variable by jurisdiction, often 2,000–8,000 EUR

The cheapest path to opening is taking over a previously operating restaurant space — even one that closed. The kitchen ventilation, grease trap, plumbing, and electrics are already in place. You can save 30,000–80,000 EUR versus building out raw space.

2. Kitchen Equipment

You can buy new, used, or lease. New gives you warranty and reliability; used can save 40–60% but comes with maintenance risk. Many successful restaurants use a mix.

• •Commercial range and oven: 3,000–15,000 EUR
• •Refrigeration (walk-in, prep coolers, reach-ins): 5,000–20,000 EUR
• •Dishwasher (commercial): 2,000–8,000 EUR
• •Smaller equipment (mixers, slicers, fryers, prep tools): 5,000–15,000 EUR
• •Total kitchen equipment for a small operation: 15,000–60,000 EUR (used) or 30,000–120,000 EUR (new)

3. Front-of-House Furniture and Fittings

Tables, chairs, bar, lighting, decor, sound system, point-of-sale terminals. The aesthetic matters — but expensive does not equal better. Some of the most successful concepts use simple, durable furniture and invest in lighting and food presentation instead.

• •Tables and chairs (40-cover restaurant): 5,000–25,000 EUR
• •Lighting and decor: 3,000–20,000 EUR
• •Bar fit-out (if applicable): 10,000–40,000 EUR
• •POS / ordering hardware: 1,500–8,000 EUR
• •Sound system: 500–3,000 EUR

4. Licenses, Permits, Professional Fees

Vary widely by country and city. Budget for the legal setup, accounting, and ongoing compliance:

• •Business registration and incorporation: 500–2,000 EUR
• •Food service license: 500–3,000 EUR
• •Alcohol license (if applicable): 1,000–10,000 EUR depending on jurisdiction
• •Health and safety inspections / fees: 500–2,000 EUR
• •Lawyer and accountant for setup: 2,000–8,000 EUR
• •Insurance (first year): 2,000–6,000 EUR

5. Initial Inventory

Stock to open the doors. Underestimating this is one of the most common opening-day mistakes — you run out of key ingredients in the first week and customers notice.

• •Food inventory (first 2 weeks): 3,000–10,000 EUR
• •Alcohol and beverage inventory: 2,000–15,000 EUR (varies by concept)
• •Smallwares (plates, glasses, utensils): 3,000–10,000 EUR
• •Cleaning supplies and consumables: 500–1,500 EUR
• •Packaging for delivery/takeaway (often forgotten): 500–2,000 EUR for first month

6. Working Capital — The Forgotten Killer

This is the budget line that sinks more new restaurants than any other. Working capital is the cash you need to keep the business running for the first 3–6 months while revenue ramps up. Most restaurants do not break even in month 1. Some take 6–12 months. If you open without working capital, you are gambling that your first weeks are profitable.

• •Rent for first 3 months (in case revenue is below break-even): 9,000–30,000 EUR
• •Staff payroll for first 3 months: 30,000–90,000 EUR depending on team size
• •Utilities and supplies for first 3 months: 4,000–10,000 EUR
• •Marketing budget for opening and first 3 months: 3,000–15,000 EUR
• •Contingency (you will need it): 5,000–20,000 EUR

Recommendation: budget 4–6 months of operating costs as working capital. This is not optional. Restaurants that open without runway tend to make panic decisions in month 2 — cutting corners on quality, slashing payroll, or taking on expensive emergency debt — that they never recover from.

Three Sample Budgets

Small Takeaway / Ghost Kitchen Concept

• •Lease and build-out (existing space): 15,000 EUR
• •Kitchen equipment (mostly used): 18,000 EUR
• •Front-of-house (minimal pickup counter): 4,000 EUR
• •Licenses and professional fees: 4,000 EUR
• •Initial inventory: 5,000 EUR
• •Working capital (4 months, lean operation): 25,000 EUR
• •TOTAL: ~71,000 EUR

Casual Dining Restaurant (40 covers)

• •Lease, deposit, and build-out: 50,000 EUR
• •Kitchen equipment (mix of new and used): 40,000 EUR
• •Front-of-house furniture and fittings: 25,000 EUR
• •Licenses, permits, professional fees: 8,000 EUR
• •Initial inventory and smallwares: 15,000 EUR
• •Working capital (4 months): 65,000 EUR
• •TOTAL: ~203,000 EUR

Fine-Casual Restaurant (60 covers, full bar)

• •Lease, deposit, and build-out: 120,000 EUR
• •Kitchen equipment (mostly new, premium): 90,000 EUR
• •Front-of-house and bar fit-out: 70,000 EUR
• •Licenses (including alcohol): 15,000 EUR
• •Initial inventory: 30,000 EUR
• •Working capital (6 months): 150,000 EUR
• •TOTAL: ~475,000 EUR

Costs Most New Owners Forget

• •Soft opening costs (free meals during testing) — 2,000–5,000 EUR easily
• •Pre-opening marketing (social setup, photography, website) — 2,000–8,000 EUR
• •Online ordering platform setup and first months of fees
• •Staff uniforms — 500–2,000 EUR
• •POS and ordering tablets, cabling, mounts
• •Music licensing for in-restaurant playback (where required by law)
• •Replacement budget for broken smallwares in the first month — 500–1,500 EUR
• •Permits or fees for outdoor seating, signage, or A-frame boards

Where to Save (and Where Not to)

Smart cuts and dangerous cuts:

• •OK to save: used kitchen equipment from reputable resellers, basic furniture, simple decor, opening with a smaller menu
• •OK to save: skip a fancy logo / branding agency — start simple, professionalize later
• •NOT OK to save: working capital — undercapitalized restaurants fail
• •NOT OK to save: insurance, legal setup, food safety compliance — these cost more later
• •NOT OK to save: digital ordering / online presence — you lose customers immediately if you cannot take orders online

A platform like Ordering.Tools costs 0–60 EUR/month and gets you a digital menu, online ordering, and QR-code dine-in ordering on day one. This is one of the highest-ROI items in your opening budget — it lets you take orders from the moment you open the doors, captures customer data, and reduces front-of-house staffing pressure.

Key Takeaways

• •Plan for six categories: lease, equipment, FOH, licenses, inventory, and (most importantly) working capital
• •Working capital should cover 4–6 months of operating costs — this is where most restaurants fail
• •Taking over an existing restaurant space saves 30,000–80,000 EUR versus a new conversion
• •Used kitchen equipment can cut equipment costs by 40–60%, but factor in maintenance risk
• •Sample totals: ~71,000 EUR for a small takeaway, ~203,000 EUR for casual dining, ~475,000 EUR for fine-casual
• •Save on cosmetics and used equipment — never on working capital, insurance, or your ordering platform