Insights
What to know before you open in the US.
Practical notes on opening, leasing and operating in the US, written from the ground in New York. Short answers first, details after, sources at the end.
Opening & F&B
Costs, timelines and trends for restaurants, cafés and food concepts in the US.
2 min read
It worked in Milan. New York asked for something else.
A family business from Milan opens in New York with the same menu, hours and prices it had at home. The product holds up, but the format has to change.
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2 min read
The money was enough to open. Not to stay open.
A founder opens in New York with a budget that covers the build-out but not the months after opening, while sales are still growing.
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4 min read
How much does it cost to open a restaurant in New York City?
The real cost components of opening a NYC restaurant: build-out, lease deposits, permits and licenses, and working capital, plus how to build a budget.
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3 min read
Opening a restaurant in New York City: the real timeline, phase by phase
The steps and official timelines behind a NYC restaurant opening: lease, design, DOB permits, the Health Department permit and the SLA liquor license.
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Real estate
Leases, rents and taxes for retail, restaurant and office space, starting with New York.
2 min read
Ten years signed after two visits.
A founder signs a ten-year lease in New York after two visits, before knowing what the location has to generate.
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3 min read
NYC Commercial Rent Tax: who pays it and what it adds to your rent
NYC Commercial Rent Tax: who pays, the Manhattan south of 96th Street zone, the $250,000 threshold, the 3.9% effective rate and the small business credit.
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3 min read
Asking rent vs. effective rent: what you really negotiate in a New York lease
Why asking rent is not what you pay in a NYC retail or restaurant lease, how free rent and TI allowances change effective rent, and what to negotiate.
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3 min read
Personal and “good guy” guarantees: what you risk when you sign a New York lease
How full personal guarantees and NYC good guy guarantees work, what the 2025 Court of Appeals ruling means, and what foreign tenants should negotiate.
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Trade & compliance
FDA, import rules and tariffs for food and consumer products entering the US.
5 min read
New US customs rules for foreign importers: what has changed, what is coming and what to do now
Since September 18, 2026, CBP can void importer numbers, and EO 14411 sets November 30 for new foreign importer rules. What changes and what to do.
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3 min read
FDA registration and US Agent: what it takes to sell food in the United States
Foreign facilities that make, pack or hold food for the US must register with FDA, name a US Agent and renew Oct to Dec of even years. What to know.
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Company setup & funding
Entities, banking, tax filings and how to finance a US launch.
Franchising
How franchising works in the US, for franchisors and franchisees.