Factory Canteen Licence

The factory canteen licence is for canteens run inside industrial buildings. It may only serve staff who work in the building.

A factory canteen is a food business run inside an industrial building that sells or supplies meals only to workers employed in the building, for eating on the premises. Apart from serving factory staff only, it is in other respects the same as a general restaurant licence ("big licence").

Trust or Company Service Provider licence TC007926

Government fees — factory canteen

Floor area	New full licence / year	Renewal / year
Up to 100 m²	1,300	2,710
Over 100, up to 150 m²	1,980	3,390
Over 150, up to 200 m²	3,280	4,690
Over 200, up to 250 m²	4,340	6,050
Over 250, up to 1,000 m²	5,670–23,820	7,380–25,530
Over 1,000 m²	38,630–131,960	40,340–134,440

All amounts in HK dollars. A price range covers several official area bands. Your exact fee depends on the premises' floor area. From 1 November 2025, the new full-licence fee excludes the prescribed Fire Services Department fees. Renewal fees are unchanged. These are government charges, separate from our consultancy fee.

Shop specifications

The kitchen, food preparation area and utensil-washing area must be 10-14% of the total floor area (not less than 5 sq m).
Building type: commercial buildings for industrial use.

Special requirements

Outside every entrance to the canteen, and in a prominent place among the seats and at the cashier counter (if any), a clearly visible notice in Chinese and English must be displayed at all times: “只准本大廈之工廠員工使用” (FACTORY EMPLOYEES OF THIS BUILDING ONLY).
Toilets are required; the number of sanitary fittings depends on the seating capacity and the number of staff. Check the shop size when renting.
Only non-bottled, non-alcoholic drinks may be served (except herbal tea).

Other food licences

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Factory canteen licence questions

Is a factory canteen licence the same as a full restaurant?

Apart from a factory canteen serving factory staff only, it is in other respects the same as a general restaurant licence ("big licence").

How is a factory canteen licence different from a "general restaurant" or "light refreshment restaurant" licence?

As the name says, a factory canteen licence is only issued in industrial buildings, and it may only serve staff who work in the building.

I sell food in an industrial or commercial building but need no dine-in seating. Which licence should I apply for?

You should apply for a food factory licence (Food Factory Licence).

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