1. Finding Your Market Fit Before Registering a Company in Vietnam
Vietnam is becoming an attractive destination for international F&B brands, especially high-end models from the US. However, before starting the company formation process, investors need to clearly understand local consumer behavior and culinary trends in major cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang.
Unlike the US market, Vietnamese customers have a strong differentiation between high-end and mass consumer groups. Therefore, determining brand positioning such as casual dining, premium restaurant, or street concept, plays a decisive role in choosing an investment model. Careful research helps businesses avoid opening in the wrong segment, reducing financial risks when operating the first store.
2. Choosing the Right Business Model for Your F&B Chain
Not all models are suitable for Vietnamese regulations. American brands can choose three main directions:
- 100% foreign-owned companies: proactively manage the brand, ensure consistent quality, but the legal process is more complicated.
- Cooperating with local partners: helps shorten the time to penetrate the market, but requires a clear brand and financial control mechanism.
- Franchising: suitable for brands with a reputation, but requires the franchise contract to be legally registered with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A): For investors seeking a faster route, acquiring an existing Vietnamese F&B company can be highly effective. However, this approach demands thorough due diligence, including legal, financial, and operational assessments to ensure compliance and minimize hidden risks.
The choice of model directly affects the type of legal entity when performing company registration services as well as the tax structure, licenses and initial investment costs.
3. Company Registration Services That Simplify Expansion
Registering an F&B company in Vietnam requires careful legal preparation. Investors need to complete the investment certificate (IRC) – if there is foreign capital, and enterprise registration certificate (ERC).
The F&B sector in Vietnam belongs to the group of “conditional” industries, which means that after being granted an ERC, businesses cannot operate immediately but need to register additional related industry codes:
- Code 5610: Restaurant and catering services.
- Code 5629: Other food and beverage services.
- Code 4632: Wholesale of food and beverages.
- Code 4722: Retail sale of food in specialized stores.
Registering the correct industry code helps businesses to conveniently apply for sub-licenses such as Food Safety Certificate, Fire Prevention and Fighting License, Alcohol and Beer Sales License, etc.
To ensure the business establishment process is quick and in compliance with regulations, international F&B brands should cooperate with a professional company registration service provider. This solution helps shorten the multi-step legal process, ensures accurate records and completes procedures on time.
Vina TPT company registration service helps businesses shorten the time, prepare documents according to FDI standards, and ensure compliance with all licensing regulations in Vietnam.
4. Licensing and Compliance: What F&B Investors Often Miss
Many international F&B brands fail in Vietnam not because of poor products, but because they do not understand the Vietnam F&B market licensing requirements. To operate legally, businesses need:
- Food Safety License for processing or serving locations.
- Fire prevention and fighting license for each facility, issued after completing technical acceptance.
- License to sell wine, beer or alcoholic beverages if they are on the list of conditional businesses.
- Environmental and labor hygiene license, especially for large-scale processing facilities.
Missing one of these licenses can result in a business being suspended or being fined. Preparing all documents and complying from the beginning helps the inspection, acceptance and licensing process go smoothly, while also building a professional brand image in the eyes of Vietnamese management agencies.
5. Building a Scalable System: HR, Tax & Operations
As the F&B chain expands, the management problem becomes more complicated. Investors need to have a tightly operating human resource (HR), tax and accounting management system. Vietnam requires businesses to declare taxes monthly, finalize taxes annually and comply with regulations on accounting for FDI enterprises.
Setting up an internal ERP system and cooperating with a local consulting unit helps businesses minimize fixed costs, while controlling financial activities, profits, and tax obligations. In addition, good compliance with business license tax and regulations on electronic invoices helps businesses avoid the risk of being subject to surprise inspections.
6. Partnering with Experts Like Vina TPT to Go Further
Instead of handling dozens of administrative procedures and legal regulations themselves, many international F&B brands choose Vina TPT company registration service as their strategic partner in Vietnam.
With a team of experts with numerous experience in the field of business registration, investment consulting and F&B licensing, Vina TPT provides full support from company formation, FDI dossier preparation, operating license to accounting and tax after establishment.
Vina TPT experts not only understand Vietnamese regulations, but also have experience supporting many American and Japanese brands to successfully deploy premium dining models. This helps investors focus on the core, customer experience and brand development, instead of wasting time on administrative procedures.
Start successfully in the Vietnamese market today by contacting Vina TPT now!
