The Legal Issues of Opening and Running Gastronomic Entrepreneurships in Kazakhstan: A Case Study from the City of Taldykorgan

Food service has remained a buzzword in the everyday lives of the Kazakh people, as an industry providing jobs for many people and significantly contributing to the country's economy. However, the numerous monthly closings of restaurants raise questions regarding what makes businessmen close their food service businesses. Multiple answers exist to this question. From my vantage point, the answer requires an analysis of the legal issues and challenges, which may create barriers to conducting business. Fundamentally, the development of any sector of the economy directly depends upon the quality of legislation surrounding it. This chapter, therefore, focuses on issues related to the legal regulation of gastronomic businesses in Kazakhstan. In this study on the legal regulations surrounding opening a gastronomic business, I provide examples from the city of Taldykorgan. Within this chapter, I identify problems and gaps in the legislation and propose ways of addressing them. Combining methods such as desk research and an analysis of normative legal acts, statistics, and qualitative interviews, the findings outline recommendations for the implementation of legislation in the Republic of Kazakhstan on the regulation of the food service industry and related businesses.