Dubai is making people fall in love with it all over again specifically for food experiences. The UAE offers multi-level and drastically different gastronomic experiences which are hard to see in any other tourist country. You not only get to see notoriously luxurious restaurants, but also food trucks in UAE. But this food industry has no plan to stop anytime soon in Dubai and the reason is the soaring rise in the number of tourists and ex-pats. Dubai was known for its lofty building, but now, food is also becoming a new attraction. Every international brand wants to open its brand here.
Food trucks in Dubai have become the talk of the town. It is one of the rapidly growing businesses in Dubai which is why there is a huge spike in the food truck license in Dubai. If you are planning to start a food truck business in Dubai, you have multiple options to go with. You can play and experiment with cuisines, and your truck’s vibe. Usually, you will see food trucks selling local and traditional food, but in Dubai, there are food trucks that are selling international street food as well such as burgers, Lebanese Manish, Japanese sushi, Korean ramen, and a lot more.
Here in this blog, we have covered everything you need to know about starting a food truck and obtaining a food truck license in Dubai.
Why Start Food Truck in Dubai
The business of food truck in Dubai is the best for those entrepreneurs who have a lesser budget. This business not only requires minimal investment but also the ROI is a lot faster than opening and operating a restaurant in Dubai. Depending on your budget and preference, you can either buy or get the truck on lease. The rent will be half as compared to having a small eatery spot.
Dubai is a city with vibrance and hustle. Every now and then, you will see some public activity happening. A food truck gives you the liberty of mobility; it is easy to move a truck as compared to opening a brand of the restaurant on every corner of the city. With that, you also get an opportunity to explore the city and see how the food market works in the UAE.
The Steps to Get a Food Truck License in Dubai
You need approvals from different UAE ministries for your food truck company formation and trade license. For that, taking the help of Vigor business setup consultants can make the process more efficient and smoother.
First Step: Submit the Business Plan to The DED
The Department of Economic Development (DED) is responsible for accepting business applications, inspecting business plans, and issuing trade licenses in return.
The first step is to get approvals from the DED and Dubai municipality. For that you need to submit a detailed business plan that must cover:
- The business detailed strategy on the idea, and the goal of your business
- Competitive study and how will you make your business stand out from the others.
- Vision on how the truck will look and what will it serve; the customers’ experience.
- The financial outlook about raising investments, the required investments, the expense chart sheet, and the prediction about ROI.
- You must include a complete thought process to deal with the business risks and ideas to upscale your business.
Make sure the business plan you are submitting is compelling enough to convince the Dubai economic department that your food truck business is sustainable and would be successful.
Second Step: Get Approval from HACCP for Your UAE Food Truck
For all food-related businesses, whether you are opening a brand or a food truck, approvals from a hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) are compulsory. You will get two certificates from them.
- One is focused on the infrastructure of your food truck’s central kitchen. This includes all your safety and hygiene measurements of the kitchen setup, its front counter, waste management, and the overall look of the kitchen.
- The second certificate is about the complete design or blueprint of your food vehicle — including specifications, the electricity, and air conditioning system, and other hygiene and safety precautions.
Your food truck must be approved by HACCP for both of these to ensure health and safety. Having a HACCP-approved food truck will help you build credibility and trust among your customers.
Also read: How to Start a Foodstuff Trading Business in Dubai?
Other Matters Related to Food Truck License Dubai
Location for your Dubai food truck
Your business plan must give significant adherence to the location strategy. You need to be up-to-date all the time with all the prospective activities across all Dubai so you can secure a good and advantageous spot for your food truck parking before anyone else. This is only possible if you have good connections between the real estate community and those who own or supervise these aspects of the events. There are many ideal food truck spots, kite beach and Jumeirah beach are two of them.
The cost of opening a food truck business in Dubai
Your food truck license will be professional or commercial based on your requirements. The license cost will cover the expenses of approval for/from:
Dubai electricity and water authority: DEWA bill for having an electricity and water facility
License application: After submitting your application for business, the DED will send over an invoice for a license if your application gets approved.
The company name: Choose a company name that shouldn’t be based on offensive or blasphemous language.
RTA (roads and transport authority): You need permits from RTA for your branding purposes. You need to submit the vehicle design, a copy of the trade license, and a copy of the rent contract.
And the cost will differ according to which license type you choose. If you get the professional license the cost will be around AED 13,000 and for a commercial license, the quote will be approximately AED 19,000.
Get in touch with Company formation experts!
If you think of setting up a food truck in Dubai. Our team of business setup consultants can help you with the process of registration, visas, and license approvals. So, you can start trading as early as possible. Speak to us for informed consultation on a food truck license in Dubai.
