Looking to rent and run your pub kitchen for you??

[Sunny55]

i grew up working in my family restaurant.
And at the age of 18 I left school and started my own catering company.

I started off using my families restaurant kitchen at night to prepare food for the following day.
We were doing simple meals like sandwich platters, corporate lunches and so on..

Eventually we secured a few very large contracts and became very successful serving a massive selection of food for all types of corporate events, functions and parties.

The business grew to 3.5m a year turnover and I sold up about 4 years ago, and got into the property game.

I'm now looking to get back into food and run a restaurant.

The trouble I'm having is finding a suitable location.
The premises I'm enquiring about are primary locations in top locations.
Unfortunately landlords for these premises are looking for already established companies/chains.

I've even offered to pay a years rent in advance to secure a lease in reading town centre with no success.

This leaves me with two options.

1. Settle for a secondary location. (Which I don't want to do)

2. Take over a pub kitchen. (Which I like the idea of)

I got the idea off two pubs in my area.
Both were your typical boozer.. Selling plenty of pints and either poor food or no food.

One was taken over buy a Thai family who have done brilliant. The foods good and the pubs business must have doubled over lunch and dinner.

The second was taken over by my friend and chef who is serving traditional British food. He has done brilliantly too.

Both pubs are much busier than before so landlords are happy selling much more drinks, as well as making a tidy rent for the kitchen, all without any hassle.

I'd do my own advertising and promotion, and make sure to get bums in seats!!

I live near Uxbridge, west London and am willing to travel for the right pub.

I'd love to hear from anyone who is interested or anyone who has experience with similar setups and could offer some advice?

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[Sacha]

If you have the capital why don't you buy an empty pub there's lots going for cheap at the moment. Also why do you want it in a prime location? If it's a good pub with good food and parking people will come to you.

 

[The Byre]

Like the man said, buy the whole thing, that way, you are the right side of the property desk, you have full control of the business and don't have the hassle of having to deal with publicans whose goals may be other than yours.

Take your time to find just the right one. Pubs and men are like public lavatories - broken, full of crap or occupied (according to my wife!)

 

[Sacha]

Bloody well done with your previous business by the way. That's pretty incredible...

I'm curious, so you started making sandwich platters for offices and delivering them? How did you get your first customers and what did you turnover in your first year? Also why don't you try and repeat your previous success in that?

 

[Sunny55]

I did consider buying a pub freehold a while ago.
However I found that only the run down pubs in poor areas or areas saturated with loads of pubs come on the market for sale.

Also buying free hold in my area is pricey. Looking at 1m plus,
And a deposit on a commercial mortgage will be heaftey too.

Other option would be to go through a brewery and I'm not keen on that.

Plus food is my true passion.
I sell my food very well because it excites me.
When I speak about it, people want to try it.

Then it's just up to me to deliver!!!

 

[Sunny55]

Sasha I hit the ground running. I was doing about 3k a week in my first year.
I was able to save most of what I made because I was using my families commercial kitchen and not paying rent.

These savings allowed me to expand and reinvest in the company.

Basically all I did was knock on doors.
Might sound silly but it's true.

And not enough people do it.
Or they give up before it starts to pay.

Go to the same people, the same companies, it doesn't matter if their big or small and ask to try your lunch.

Do that every morning until they order from you.
Then just give them a meal they won't forget.

 

[Sacha]

Wow incredible job man 3k a week in the first year...

Can I ask other than sandwiches/sandwich platters and salads what kind of lunch would you make? Also do you think there would be a demand for hot food like pasta & pizza?

Regarding your original query you could instead rent a small A3 licensed premises instead of a pub to start off, get your concept, branding, operations sorted then with an existing pilot you'd find it easier to get a prime pub premises. With a proven concept and previous business success I think you'd find it easy to get a bank loan to do up an old pub if you had a long lease secured, possibly even be able to get a business mortgage.

 

[Sunny55]

Hot food can be more tricky because it has to be delivered and eaten before its cools.

If your just getting started in corporate catering you probably won't get the big functions where they require both hot and cold food served.

I'd stick it on your menus as an option and see how it goes.
Demand will be their and you will get orders for it.
Whether it's served at temperature

 

[Sunny55]

(Oops hit Send by mistake)

Will depend on if quality levels can be kept high.

Cold pasta and pasta salads will sell all day long.
As well as all the normal things like pies, pasties, wraps, sandwiches, squewers, deserts is what people want.

Just make sure it's displayed better than anyone else's, and tastes great and you'll get regular bookings.

 

[Sunny55]

I've been looking for a3 premises, just can get the ones I want.
I'm looking for primary spots which don't seem to be available to new start ups.

Which is why I'm after an exsisting pub kitchen that's not selling enough food and needs someone like me to come in and make it work.

I know I'd get bums in seats if I was running a kitchen again.
If you know any landlords who could do with my help let me know!!

 

[Sacha]

I'll be honest if I found a landlord than wanted to give me a kitchen I'd probably try it myself!

Don't see why you want prime location. All you need is parking in front. That's it. Forget prime location because prime location = high rent. Get a nice small restaurant, preferably with outside seating for summer. Then get a prime location when you know how your business should look/be run/what it should sell/pricing, etc. Othweise you might make a costly mistake.

I'd make a nicely written email that I would send to all commercial estate agents in the areas you want to go, including back ground history of yourself, what you plan to do, how much you have to invest and just put out your requirements:

1. Pub 3000sq/f plus with parking and garden.
2. Rent free for 6 months. 25 year lease. Half rent next 6 months.
3. Option to buy at today's value in 3 years.
4. Sound plumbing, 3-phase & gas supply.
5. Prime location/affluent suburb.

The agents will know they have someone interested and will send you new opportunities.

Also perhaps put a small add in the Caterer saying you are looking for a pub operator to go into partnership with or something.

 

[Sunny55]

Thanks sasha
Sound advice