Restaurant SIC codes are 56101 for licensed restaurants and 56102 for unlicensed restaurants and cafes. However, most suppliers to the sector also need takeaways, pubs or caterers, and each of those has its own code. Some of them also change number under SIC 2026.
Results Driven Marketing (RD Marketing) wrote this guide for suppliers who sell to restaurants, pubs and cafes. We sell B2B data, so we have an interest in the subject. To keep it useful, we link our sources and show where a SIC search falls short. For the basics, read what an SIC code is.
Written by Iain Irvin, Director of RD Marketing. Iain worked in telesales, business development and sales management before starting the business, and has more than 15 years of experience in B2B marketing data and lead generation. Codes, counts and sources checked on 5 November 2026.
Contents
- Restaurant SIC Codes Compared
- Restaurant SIC Codes That Change in 2026
- Why Restaurant SIC Codes Do Not Count Premises
- How to Build a Restaurant List
- How We Checked This
- Frequently Asked Questions
- RD Marketing Services That Can Help
- Talk to Us
Restaurant SIC Codes Compared
The table covers restaurants and the related food and drink codes. Do not add the counts together, because a company can list up to four codes.
| SIC code | Companies House description | Active companies | SIC 2026 code | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56101 | Licenced restaurants | 54,913 | 56.11/1 | Restaurants serving alcohol |
| 56102 | Unlicenced restaurants and cafes | 50,704 | 56.11/2, 56.30/4, 56.30/9 | Includes many cafes |
| 56103 | Take-away food shops and mobile food stands | 87,379 | 56.11/3, 56.12 | The largest code here |
| 56302 | Public houses and bars | 39,668 | 56.30/3 | Pubs and bars |
| 56210 | Event catering activities | 31,367 | 56.21 | Event caterers |
| 56290 | Other food services | 33,312 | 56.22 | Includes contract caterers |
| 56301 | Licenced clubs | 2,848 | 56.30/1, 56.30/2 | Clubs |
Restaurant SIC Codes That Change in 2026
The Office for National Statistics finalised UK SIC 2026 in April 2026. Most of the codes above change number, and some numbers stay in use with a new meaning. For that reason, a saved filter could pull in the wrong businesses without any warning.
| Code | SIC 2007 meaning | SIC 2026 meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 56.30/2 | Public houses and bars | Licensed social clubs |
| 56.30/1 | Licensed clubs | Licensed nightclubs |
| 56.29 | Other food services | Moves to 56.22, contract catering and other food services |
Similarly, cafes can now sit in several places, as 56.10/2 can map to 56.11/2, 56.30/4 or 56.30/9. A number that is not on the current list may come from an older SIC version, so ask the supplier to confirm which one it uses. You can read more in our UK SIC 2026 research.
Why Restaurant SIC Codes Do Not Count Premises
Companies House shows 54,913 active companies under licensed restaurants. That is not the number of restaurants, for several reasons.
- Groups. One company can run many sites, so it appears once.
- Sole traders. They are not on the register, and many food businesses may be run this way.
- Registered offices. The address may be an accountant or a head office, and not the premises.
- Dormant plans. An active company may not be trading yet, or may have stopped.
For a site-level check, use the Food Standards Agency ratings data. It covers restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways and hotels. It runs through local authorities under the FHRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the FHIS in Scotland.
How to Build a Restaurant List
- Choose the outlet type. A coffee supplier and a card terminal firm may want very different outlets.
- Decide on independents or groups. An owner may buy for one site, while a group may buy centrally.
- Add location. It matters if you deliver or visit.
- Test a sample. Check it against outlets you know.
Our restaurants data includes 22,517 phone numbers and postal addresses, plus 8,639 email addresses. Our cafes and coffee shops data includes 11,694 phone numbers and 3,266 email addresses. We also supply pubs data. If you would prefer managed outreach, see our lead generation targeting UK restaurants.
How We Checked This
Company counts come from Companies House advanced search, using the active status filter and one code at a time, on 5 November 2026. Descriptions come from the Companies House SIC code list. SIC 2026 codes come from the ONS correspondence table, dated 3 August 2026. A correspondence shows where a code could go. It does not tell you how any one company will be recoded. The ratings data description comes from the Food Standards Agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SIC code for a restaurant?
Use 56101 for a licensed restaurant and 56102 for an unlicensed restaurant or cafe. Companies House spells the first one as licenced.
What is the SIC code for a cafe or coffee shop?
On the current Companies House list, cafes fall under 56102. Under SIC 2026, 56.10/2 can map to unlicensed restaurants and cafeterias, coffee houses and tea rooms, or other beverage serving.
What is the SIC code for a takeaway?
Use 56103, take-away food shops and mobile food stands. Under SIC 2026 this can split into take-out food shops at 56.11/3 and mobile food services at 56.12.
What is the SIC code for a pub?
Use 56302, public houses and bars. Under SIC 2026, pubs and bars move to 56.30/3, and 56.30/2 becomes licensed social clubs.
How many restaurants are there in the UK?
A SIC search cannot give you a clean answer, because it counts companies and not premises. Our database includes over 22,500 restaurants at the time of writing, which is a count of our records and not a census.
RD Marketing Services That Can Help
Once you know which codes and audiences you need, these pages explain how we can help you reach them.
- Data lists: who we are and what we supply.
- Buy data for marketing: our main page for buying UK business data.
- Email marketing database: business email data for your campaigns.
- B2B telemarketing data: phone data for outbound sales teams.
- Business mailing lists: postal data for letters and mailshots.
- LinkedIn lead generation: managed outreach to decision-makers on LinkedIn.
- Email marketing automation: email campaigns run and followed up for you.
Talk to Us
Need to reach restaurants, pubs or cafes? Tell us who you want to reach, and we will send you a free audience count and quote within 24 hours, along with a sample.
Contact RD Marketing today to discuss your target market.