Certificate of Assumed Name / DBA
A Certificate of Assumed Name (commonly called a DBA—'Doing Business As') is a legal filing with the county clerk that registers the trade name under which your business operates. In NYC, this is required when your business operates under a name different from the legal entity name (e.g., your LLC is 'Smith Restaurant Group LLC' but your restaurant is called 'The Blue Door'). The filing must be published in two newspapers for six consecutive weeks.
Why It Matters for Operators
You cannot open a business bank account, obtain many permits, or execute contracts under your trade name without a DBA filing. The SLA also requires proof of DBA as part of the liquor license application. The newspaper publication requirement adds 6+ weeks to the process, so file early. Failure to file can result in fines and an inability to enforce contracts made under the trade name.
FWDRE Insight
File your DBA within the first week of deciding on your restaurant name—the 6-week publication period is a hard timeline that can't be expedited. Budget $200-$400 for filing and publication fees. Also conduct a thorough trademark search before filing: we've seen operators build an entire brand around a name, only to receive a cease-and-desist from an existing trademark holder after opening.
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