The light refreshment restaurant licence, known as the "small licence", lets the licensee serve customers on the premises, but cooking is limited to simpler methods that do not produce much oil smoke, such as boiling, stewing, steaming, braising and pan-frying. Deep-frying and stir-frying are not allowed, and food may not be cooked or reheated at the table, as with hot pot, teppanyaki or Korean barbecue.
FEHD relaxed the licence from 1 March 2023: a licence applied for since then may sell basically any kind of food, the main limit being the cooking method. Dairy products, ice cream, baked goods and some others still need a separate licence.
WS ICON LIMITED · Trust or Company Service Provider licence TC008771 · Updated October 2026
Government fees: light refreshment restaurant
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| Floor area | New full licence / year | Renewal / year |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 250 m² | 400–2,360 | 1,810–4,070 |
| Over 250, up to 1,000 m² | 3,250–15,410 | 4,960–17,120 |
| Over 1,000 m² | 25,310–87,570 | 27,020–90,050 |
All amounts in Hong Kong dollars. These are the government licence fees set by FEHD; each range spans several floor-area bands, and the actual fee follows the band of the premises' floor area. Since 1 November 2025 the fee for a new full licence no longer includes the Fire Services Department's prescribed fees; renewal fees are unchanged. Government fees are charged separately from our service fee.
Buildings where it can be applied for
- Shopping centres and malls
- Shops for restaurant use in public or private housing estates
- Non-industrial commercial buildings, commercial-residential buildings, residential buildings or ground-floor shops
- Others, for example property whose land use has been changed
Cookers not allowed
- Ovens
- Barbecue grills
- Griddles
Related licences
- Deep-frying, stir-frying or cooking at the table needs a general restaurant licence.
- A separate counter selling bread baked on the premises needs a bakery licence.
- For ice cream and other frozen desserts, see the frozen confection factory licence.
Light refreshment restaurant licence FAQ
Which cooking methods are allowed?
What food can be sold?
What kitchen area is required?
Which cookers are not allowed?
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