I mean, that sounds bad, but that report is from a libertarian organisation with an agenda, so they have a reason to paint it in a bad light. I wonder how many

I mean, that sounds bad, but that report is from a libertarian organisation with an agenda, so they have a reason to paint it in a bad light. I wonder how many of these steps are incidental, and how many are really justified. If I think about what it would take to open a restaurant here in Germany (a country which also has a reputation for bureaucracy to be fair) I think there are a lot of unavoidable steps: Register a business, register with the chamber of commerce, and the tax office. Maybe also with town hall. Check if the restaurant is in accordance with the development plan. Apply for any exemptions/licenses if needed. You need certifications from the health department. You need to take steps to proove you don't have unreported employees. There are fire safety checks. You need toilets, but fortunately not parking spots (usually). And this is just scratching the surface. But I think, unfortunately, many of these make sense and are unavoidable. And honestly, you can get help for many steps, and the time and money expended is not too big compared with, I don't know, the current rent for a restaurant in a good location.