Our Services

The value of pubs ranges hugely. If the pub is not profitable then it will be valued as ‘bricks and mortar’. Pubs values are very fragile and these days it can be said that they are often worth what someone is prepared to pay for the site and what the landlord is prepared to accept. Please be aware that when buying a freehold pub, lenders will require you to have between 40% to 60% cash deposit (guideline) depending on your experience in the trade and your financial circumstance. We will assess the value of the pub you are looking at based on the surrounding area, the pub’s accounts, the state of the building and the fixtures and fittings included in the sale.

If you are looking at a lease hold pub you may be considering paying goodwill or ‘door money’ for the pub. This will be worked out by looking at the pub’s yearly profit. In addition, please be aware of all the repairing conditions of the agreement and the details of the ‘Ties’ to the brewery in terms of buying product. Get in contact and we can discuss navigating this process.

If you are taking on a business from a pub company, you will be required to complete an in depth business plan. It is important that your P+L and cash flow projections are well thought out and set realistic goals. We encourage you to have pessimistic, realistic and optimistic sets of figures to cover the bases of what could happen when opening. If you require help taking this process on, we are here.

Understanding how the money flows through your business is one of the most important parts of operating and can stop you making a lot of mistakes along the way.

If you are taking on an agreement from a private landlord or buying a freehold, we highly recommend that you undergo the business planning process even if you are not required to.

As we have previously mentioned the pub trade has moved to be far more food-led. Successful ‘gastro’ pubs have sprung up all over the country as well as food led community pubs serving homemade food. Pubs have also become home to oriental restaurant styles.

This does not mean this is the only way to be successful however, if you are looking to run a community based wet led pub it is imperative that the deal you have is free of any ties. Examples of successful wet led pubs now operating are where a village or individuals own their local pub ‘freehold’ without a mortgage, so they do not have to have a large turnover to succeed. Wet led leaseholds or tenancies are rarely successful due to the expense of the beer tie often associated with this side of the market.

We are on hand to discuss your vision for your business and then help you implement it. We will be honest with you about the costs involved in delivering your ideas such as buying new equipment, re-designing your business, recruitment of back and front of house teams etc.

It’s very important that you understand basic accounting when taking on a pub business. Many people take on pubs with no knowledge of the industry or business. We can help you put into place valuable and simple processes to help you monitor the business from the start and know where your money is being used and how the pub is performing. Then there are no surprises when it comes to VAT returns, tax liabilities and P+Ls, as you will already know what is coming.

Putting the right team together for your business is paramount. We have a huge amount of experience doing this and can help with the recruitment, interviewing and contracting process. Training is equally important with staff needing to comply to health, safety, food hygiene and licencing laws as well serving your customers to the highest standard.

Controlling your customer base is so important in the trade. One bad apple can ruin your business if you let them. It is very important to set your standard for your customers on day one and stick to it. This might mean the odd difficult conversation but you must be prepared to have it.

You will also find that the pub trade is the only trade in the world where all your customers have an opinion on how you should run your business. Being a strong leader, having a business plan and sticking to it should help you navigate the world of customer service and we can help prepare you and your staff for every eventuality.

Make the most of every part of your business. Could you be offering a function room service, do you have rooms you could offer for let, could you develop parts of your site to gain more income?

Do you want to run a weekly quiz night, offer mid week food nights to boost trade, run beer promotions, do band nights or offer a loyalty card service for local business or your loyal customers?

We can talk you through the pros and cons and help get you started.