THE AGENTS

Never before have top-quality, high-turnover food outlets been available in such numbers on the retail-to-lease market, allowing those big company outlets not fitting a specific brand template to be released to individual entrepreneurs.

Search the pages of this publication and the agents'

websites to identify an outlet that fits your criteria. Go and view and envisage what you'd like to make of it. You might have fallen in love with the Dog and Duck, but it may not work if there are already lots of Dog and Ducks in the area.

Look at the type of people living there and those driving out to other destination food outlets in the vicinity. Consider the demographics, such as a carvery a mile up the road and an Italian restaurant a mile away. How busy are they? Look at what the major operators are doing elsewhere. Imagine what type of offering would go down well at the outlet you've identified. Are you looking at something new or trying to create a combination of what other operators are already doing?

Consider the level of quality the local butcher and

greengrocer can provide and at what price. Ensure that if you're competing with other (often big company) value offerings you can also leave yourself in profit. You'll often be surprised - what may not work in a managed pub often works for a caring, hands-on lessee.

Would you need a chef? What about a cook or a kitchen

assistant adapting pre-supplied produce? Sausage and mash, or speciality sausage with mashed potato and red wine gravy served on a square dish in an ambient atmosphere? Is a

gastro-offering going too far?

Will the pubco landlord assist with training, historical trading detail, staff wages and sample menus? Often they will.

It may be challenging, but it's not rocket science - give it some thought and seize the day - the opportunities out there right now are unprecedented.