What you need in place before opening a new cafe in NSW
Opening a cafe in New South Wales involves several food safety compliance steps that must be completed before you begin trading. Missing any of these can result in operating illegally or receiving a non-compliance notice at your first audit.
- NSW Food Authority notification: Retail food businesses must notify the NSW Food Authority before commencing food handling activities. This is done through the NSW Food Authority's online portal and typically involves paying a notification fee and providing details of your business and premises.
- Food Safety Program: As a Class 2 food business, you need a documented HACCP-based Food Safety Program in place before opening. The FSP must be available for inspection at any time.
- Food Safety Supervisor: You must have a certified FSS in place from day one and notify the NSW Food Authority of their details.
- Staff training: All food handlers must have appropriate food safety skills and knowledge before working unsupervised with food.
AMES Food Advisory's startup package for new cafes covers everything you need: NSW Food Authority notification guidance, site-specific HACCP plan, FSS pathway guidance, staff food safety induction, allergen matrix, and all monitoring forms. One engagement, everything covered.
Getting your HACCP plan right from the start
Many new cafe owners make the mistake of registering with the NSW Food Authority, then dealing with the HACCP plan as an afterthought — often downloading a generic template that doesn't reflect their actual menu or kitchen. Starting with a site-specific, properly constructed Food Safety Program from day one is significantly easier and less expensive than fixing a non-compliant one after your first audit.
AMES works with new cafes from the fitout stage — reviewing your kitchen layout, equipment, and planned menu before the FSP is developed. This means your monitoring procedures reflect your actual kitchen, and your CCP critical limits are validated for your specific menu items.
View our full startup package or book a free scoping call to discuss your new cafe's requirements.