Opening an ice-cream parlour means one can either take the franchise of one of the branded ice-cream chains or start an independent parlour. The ice-cream parlour is undoubtedly going to face competition from the roadside ice-cream carts that sell branded ice-creams. But an ice-cream parlour is surely going to attract attention soon – firstly because of the luxury of being able to sit and enjoy the sweet delicacies at the parlour; secondly, because there are lots of options for the consumer to choose from and thirdly because the parlours take home delivery orders too.
Since this type of outlets deals in food –manufacture, storage, sale, and distribution – it is mandatory by the rule of the land to obtain the FSSAI license from the Food Safety Standards and Authority of India. The head office of this statutory body is in the national capital and it has its branches at the state level.
Applying for the applicable FSSAI license/registration involves:-
- Understanding the expected turnover of the business.
- Identifying and accordingly applying for the correct license/registration type online and submitting the mandatory documents and fees.
- The license/registration is issued after going through an inspection process.
Generally, the license is received within 60 days after due completion of the documentation and inspection process but if the license/registration is still not received; then the promoters/directors can start operations without waiting to receive the license/registration.
The FSSAI registration is not awarded for a lifetime. It expires after a period of time which generally extends from one to five years. It applies to all the three types of FSSAI registration – Central License, State License, and State registration.
If the business plan of the ice-cream parlour is to cover different states of the country or even export abroad, then the Central License has to be obtained on a compulsory basis. In the former case, the promoter/director needs to apply and get an individual license from respective state authorities. For the latter case, only the central license is enough. However, if the ice-cream parlour is to operate only in a localized region and has proposed an annual turnover of Rs. 12 lakh or more, only the state license is enough. On the other hand, if the proposed return is less than Rs. 12 lakh then the state registration needs to be obtained.
Along with FSSAI registration, the following registrations are also required;
- Business registration either as an LLP, company or partnership firm depending upon the requirements.
- Registration under shop and establishment Act for the work premises.
- GST registration for the business is also to be acquired.
- You can also apply for MSME registration. However, this is not a mandatory registration but entails various benefits for the organization registered under it.
