How Long Does It Take to Open a Restaurant? A Realistic Timeline

So, how long does it take to open a restaurant? For most new restaurants, plan on about 6 to 12 months from idea to opening day. Toast puts the typical range at 6 months to a year, and its phase-by-phase table adds up to roughly 8 months to a year. The two things that stretch it the most are permits (including a liquor license) and the build-out. This guide walks you through each phase, how long it usually takes, what you can run at the same time, and a sample month-by-month plan you can steal.

Haven’t priced it yet? Pair this with our breakdown of how much it costs to open a small restaurant. Time and money move together: every extra month before opening is another month of rent with no sales.

The short answer: how long does it take to open a restaurant?

Here’s the typical length of each phase, from Toast’s guide. Some of these overlap, so you can’t just add them up.

Source: Toast, How Long Does It Take to Open a Restaurant. Your city and your space can push any of these longer.

The big lesson in that table: permits take longer than anything else, and they can’t start until you know your location. So the real race is lease first, then plans, then permits, with everything else tucked in around them.

Phase 1: Concept, plan and business setup (weeks 1 to 6)

This is the cheapest phase and the one people rush. Don’t. Toast suggests giving yourself at least 3 to 6 weeks to pull your business plan together. You need it for lenders, for landlords and for yourself.

• Lock the concept. Format (counter service, casual, full service), rough menu, seat count and price point. These drive your square footage, kitchen size and budget.
• Write the plan and the budget. Startup costs, a 12-month sales forecast and how much cash you need to survive the slow start. Toast recommends having 3 to 6 months of operating costs on hand.
• Set up the business. The SBA’s launch checklist runs in this order: pick a location, choose a business structure, choose a name, register the business, get federal and state tax IDs, apply for licenses and permits, open a business bank account and get business insurance.
• Get your EIN. This one is fast. The IRS issues an EIN immediately online when the application is approved, and it’s free. You never have to pay a website for one.

Never opened a restaurant before? Read how to open a restaurant with no experience before you sign anything. It covers what to learn first and who to hire to fill the gaps.

Phase 2: Financing (often 2 to 3 months)

Toast’s range for financing is 4 to 12 weeks. If you’re going the SBA route, plan for the longer end. BizBuySell says the SBA loan process typically takes 60 to 90 days from application to funding, with underwriting alone often running 3 to 6 weeks.

Two ways to keep this from stalling everything else:

• Start lender conversations while you write the plan, not after. Pre-qualification can tell you early what the lender will want to see.
• Scout locations at the same time. You can’t sign a lease without money lined up, but you can shortlist spaces and get rough build-out estimates.

Phase 3: Find the space and sign the lease (4 to 12 weeks)

The space you pick decides a lot of your timeline. A room that was already a restaurant may already have a hood, grease trap and plumbing in roughly the right spots. A raw space or an old retail shop usually means more design, more permits and more construction.

It can also mean extra approvals. PermitPlace, a permit expediting firm, estimates that a change of use adds 2 to 6 weeks beyond a standard kitchen build-out permit, and a conditional use permit can add 2 to 6 months. Ask the city planning office about zoning before you sign, not after.

Lease tips that protect your timeline:

• Ask for free rent during build-out. Every month you pay rent without sales comes straight out of your cushion.
• Make the lease contingent on getting your permits (and liquor license, if you need one) where you can.
• Get a contractor to walk the space before you sign. Surprises in the walls cost weeks.

Opening somewhere smaller? Our guide to opening a restaurant in a small town covers how to check demand and lease math outside big cities.

Phase 4: Design and permits (usually the longest stretch)

This is where most timelines slip. Toast says to allow 3 to 6 months to secure all your required licenses and permits, and the timing varies by city and state. Here’s how long the common ones take, again from Toast:

Building plans and plan review

Before you can build, your drawings go through plan review. PermitPlace estimates 3 to 6 weeks for design, then 4 to 8 weeks on average from design submission to an approved permit (6 to 12 weeks for a full-service restaurant). Inside that, it puts health department plan review at 2 to 4 weeks in most cities and fire department review at 3 to 6 weeks. Incomplete hood and fire suppression drawings can add 2 to 4 weeks on their own.

Big cities can run longer. PermitPlace’s estimates: restaurant projects in Los Angeles average 10 to 16 weeks to permit, a typical New York City kitchen permit takes 12 to 20 weeks, and Chicago’s initial plan review runs 20 to 40 business days. Its sample Dallas renovation (no zoning changes) took about 5 months from plans to opening: 6 weeks of design, 6 weeks of review, 8 weeks of construction and a week of final inspections. These are one firm’s estimates, so call your local building and health departments for real numbers.

The liquor license: start early

If you plan to serve alcohol, this is often the longest single item. Toast lists 2 to 6 months or more, and says applying too late is one of the most common mistakes. State rules vary a lot. In California, for example, Toast notes the process typically takes 40 to 55 days but can stretch to 175 days or longer if issues come up, and it suggests starting 4 to 6 months before you plan to open. Check your state’s alcohol agency the week you sign your lease.

Phase 5: Build-out and equipment (8 to 16 weeks)

Once permits are approved, construction starts. Toast’s range for design, build-out and equipping the space is 8 to 16 weeks. A light refresh of an old restaurant lands near the short end. A raw space with a new kitchen, hood and restrooms lands near the long end or past it.

Keep it moving:

• Order long-lead equipment early. Walk-ins, hoods and custom pieces can take weeks to arrive. Ask your supplier for lead times when you finalize the kitchen layout.
• Book inspections ahead. PermitPlace says failed inspections are the fastest way to blow a timeline. Walk the space with your contractor against the approved plans before the inspector shows up.
• Use the waiting time. Build your menu, test recipes and set your prices while the walls go up. The free Restaurant Menu Price Calculator turns a plate cost into a menu price in a minute.

Still working on the budget for all this? The free Restaurant Startup Cost Calculator gives you a line-by-line estimate.

Phase 6: Hiring, training and final inspections (last 2 to 3 months)

Toast recommends starting to hire 2 to 3 months before your target opening date. That gives you time to find a kitchen lead and managers first, then fill out the team and train everyone on the menu, the POS and your service steps.

At the same time you’re closing out the paperwork. Final building, fire and health inspections come at the end of construction, then your certificate of occupancy. In PermitPlace’s Dallas example, the final inspections and certificate of occupancy took about 1 to 2 weeks once construction was done.

Phase 7: Soft opening, then opening day

Toast suggests a soft opening 1 to 2 weeks before your grand opening. It’s your dress rehearsal: friends and family nights, a limited menu, real tickets and real feedback while the stakes are low. Here’s our full guide to planning a restaurant soft opening, with invite lists and what to test.

A sample 9-month restaurant opening timeline

Here’s one way it can fit together. This is an example we built from the ranges above, not a promise. Your city, your space and your lender will set the real pace.

What makes a restaurant take longer (and how to speed it up)

Things that usually add time:

• A raw space or a change of use (more design, more review)
• Zoning approvals like a conditional use permit
• A liquor license filed late, or in a state with a long process
• Incomplete drawings that bounce back from plan review
• Failed inspections
• Financing that isn’t locked when you sign the lease

Things that usually save time:

• Taking over a space that was already a restaurant
• Hiring a designer or architect who has done restaurants in your city
• Filing the liquor license the week you sign the lease
• Running phases side by side: menu work during build-out, hiring during inspections
• A single checklist with every permit, owner and due date, so nothing waits on a forgotten form

One more thing to plan for: time costs money. Rent during build-out, loan payments and pre-opening payroll all start before your first sale. That’s why Toast recommends keeping 3 to 6 months of operating costs as a cushion, and why a realistic timeline belongs in your budget from day one.

FAQ: how long does it take to open a restaurant?

How long does it take to open a restaurant from scratch?

Most restaurants take about 6 to 12 months from concept to opening day. Toast’s phase table adds up to roughly 8 months to a year. Permits and the build-out are usually the longest parts.

Can you open a restaurant in 3 months?

It’s possible in some cases, usually when you take over a space that was already a restaurant, skip a liquor license and your city reviews plans quickly. Toast lists 3 to 6 months for permits alone, so for most new restaurants 3 months is very tight.

How long does a restaurant liquor license take?

Toast lists 2 to 6 months or more, depending on your state. In California, Toast says it typically takes 40 to 55 days but can stretch to 175 days or longer, and it suggests starting 4 to 6 months before opening.

How long does restaurant build-out take?

Toast’s range for designing, building out and equipping the space is 8 to 16 weeks. Plan review before construction can add another 4 to 8 weeks or more, depending on your city.

When should I start hiring for a new restaurant?

Toast recommends starting 2 to 3 months before your target opening date, so you have time to hire leaders first and train the whole team before your soft opening.