coffee shop start up

[revelations]

wow!!! Thanks to everyone for replying. i didnt think id get that many lol!!
As for all your suggestions i think their awsome! i should however of made myself a little clearer on what our plans were! we want a coffee shop in the dam to which weve been a couple of times and did get the feel for a few coffee shops! the best would have to be route 66!!

I would love it if cygnustaxt could give me some more info maybe more on the buisness side of things like cost and what kinda official papers are needed!!
would i need a work permit???

Maybe psychocat you could give me some advice on the legal side of things too?????

We need all the help we can get?!?!?! lol!!!

Hope to hear from y'all soon!!:rastasmoke:

[bigtopsfinn]

If I recall, the Dutch government is not giving out new licenses for coffee shops, or at least it is difficult to acquire one nowadays. There has been a steady drop in coffee shops over the past years, from over 1100 to now under 800. The coffee shops either went out of business or were violating their strict rules, as mentioned in one of the posts above.

I could be wrong, but I did spend 6 months in Alkmaar, Netherlands recently, and this was what I was told by many people in the local coffee shops there. The Dutch government can't get rid of the coffee shops, but they will not give out new licenses and they are cracking down on coffee shops not following the rules.

My wife and I also had this dream to own a coffee shop, but after talking to people about it there, it seemed the only way to do this was to buy one that is already up and running.

[psychocat]

If you are an EU national from a state that already belonged to the EU prior to May 2004, you are free to work in the Netherlands and your employer does not need a work permit.
Jobseekers are entitled to find work in the Netherlands for up to 3 months upon arrival without restrictions, if you intend staying longer than 3 months, you will require a residence permit, which can be obtained from the Foreign Police (Vreemdelingenpolitie).
Contact the National FP office on 0900 8844 (0.28E per min.) or go down to the local office in Amsterdam at Johan Huizingalaan 757, 1066 VH Amsterdam (+31-(0)20 559 63 00), open 9-1. For all other offices, consult the Gouden Gids (the Dutch yellow pages).


Coffee shops have long been a grey area as they are not legal but simply tollerated.
There are moves to make the business of coffeeshops legal , at the moment the coffeeshop supply is a "back door" business and the Dutch goverment are aware that there are links to criminals.
The Dutch have set up rules to restrict soft drugs to personal use and prevent illegal trade, marijuana and hash can only be purchased by adults (over 18) in amounts up to 30g.
Buying or selling soft drugs on the street or anywhere else but licensed coffeeshops is strictly forbidden and is considered a crime and is punished accordingly.
The goverment are not issuing new licenses so for anyone who wants to start a business selling ganja the only way to do it is to buy an already existing coffeeshop complete with the license.**

The move to make coffeeshops fully legal is the preamble to setting up a "home" supply network using legal Dutch growers to supply the coffee shops therefore eliminating the criminal ellement.


** This is how I got started.