Different revenue levels and periods with lower levels of activity.
Restaurant lease review
Can the premises support a viable restaurant?
An attractive property is not necessarily the right place for a restaurant. We assess the finances, capacity, kitchen facilities and day-to-day operations before you make your decision.
Have a lease assessedA complete assessment
The premises must work in practice
The rent, service charges, capacity, kitchen facilities and required investment must be realistic in relation to the revenue the restaurant can generate.
Restaurant premises need to do more than look the part. The kitchen, storage areas, deliveries, guest capacity, staff facilities and daily workflows must all work together.
The business must also be able to afford the rent—even during periods when revenue is lower than expected.
Gastroplan assesses the lease and the premises as a whole—before you sign, when the terms need to be renegotiated or when an existing lease has become a challenge.
Our assessment can include
- Rent and service charges in relation to realistic revenue.
- Deposit, rent paid in advance, rent reviews and other fixed costs.
- Refurbishment, equipment and investment required before opening.
- The number of covers and the premises’ actual revenue potential.
- The size and layout of the kitchen, including ventilation, power supply and other installations.
- Storage, deliveries, waste handling and operational workflows.
- Whether the concept, staffing model and opening hours suit the premises.
- Factors that may affect daily operations and profitability.
Before you sign
Make the decision using realistic figures
Once the lease has been signed, it can be costly to discover that the kitchen is too small, the ventilation is inadequate or the rent is too high for the revenue the premises can support.
We prepare an operational, commercial and financial basis for your decision, making the opportunities, limitations and risks clear.
The aim is to ensure that your decision is based on realistic figures, clear assumptions and premises that work in day-to-day operation.
The decision basis can show
- Whether the restaurant can operate profitably from the premises.
- How much revenue is required to support the lease.
- How much investment will be needed.
- How long the investment is expected to take to repay.
- Which practical, financial and contractual matters need to be clarified.
- Whether the project should proceed, be revised or be renegotiated.
The full picture
We assess the full cost of the lease
Rent cannot be considered in isolation. Premises with a low rent can become expensive if they require extensive refurbishment, additional staff or inefficient working practices.
Conversely, more expensive premises may be the better option if their location, capacity and layout support stronger operations and higher revenue.
Changes to rent, service charges and other fixed costs.
The kitchen, equipment, installations and required refurbishment.
Numbers of covers, table-turn rates and the premises’ revenue potential.
Opening hours, staffing requirements and the impact on operating costs.
The consequences of higher costs or changes to the underlying assumptions.
Existing leases
If you already lease the premises
A restaurant lease does not always perform as expected. Revenue may be too low, costs may increase, or limitations within the premises may make the restaurant more difficult and expensive to operate.
We identify the causes, model the options and prepare a financial basis for your next decision.
We can help you
- Review the restaurant’s operations and total occupancy costs.
- Identify where the problem arises and what needs to change.
- Prepare a realistic budget and model different solutions.
- Assess potential changes to the concept, capacity, opening hours or staffing.
- Create a financial basis for negotiations with the landlord.
- Prepare for the renegotiation of lease terms.
- Develop an action plan if the restaurant needs to be adapted, relocated or closed.
Legal assistance
When the matter requires more
If legal questions, disagreements or a formal dispute arise, legal assistance can be included in the process.
At the same time, Gastroplan provides budgets, operational analyses and supporting documentation, ensuring that the matter is assessed from financial, operational and legal perspectives.
This may include
- Reviewing and negotiating the lease.
- Clarifying rights, obligations and contractual terms.
- Disagreements concerning payments, rent reviews, maintenance or defects.
- Renegotiation, breach of contract, termination or expiry of the lease.
- Representation if the matter develops into a dispute.
The process
How it works
Initial consultation
We discuss the premises, your concept and financial position, along with the opportunities or challenges you are facing.
Review
We examine the relevant figures, the terms of the lease, the layout of the premises and the operational requirements.
Assessment
We calculate the financial implications and assess the opportunities, limitations and risks associated with the lease.
Recommendation
You receive a clear basis for your decision, together with our recommended next steps.
Further support
Where required, negotiations, legal assistance and additional advisory support can be included in the solution.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
Can you help before we sign the lease?
Yes. This is often when our assessment creates the greatest value, as financial, practical and contractual issues can be identified before you make a binding commitment.
Can you review the lease agreement?
Yes. The lease and its financial and operational implications can form part of the overall assessment. Legal assistance can also be brought in where required.
Can you help if the rent is already too high?
Yes. We can review the restaurant’s operations, model different solutions and prepare the financial case for renegotiating the lease or pursuing another option.
Can you assess premises before we have finalised the concept?
Yes. We can assess the opportunities and limitations of the premises and use the findings to develop or adapt the restaurant concept.
Can you help with both the finances and the practical layout?
Yes. We assess how the finances, capacity, kitchen, guest areas, workflows and staffing requirements affect one another.
What will we receive after the assessment?
The deliverables are tailored to the assignment and may include financial calculations, scenario modelling, a risk assessment, recommendations and a practical action plan.
Have your restaurant lease assessed
Are you considering new restaurant premises, or have the rent and limitations of your current premises become a challenge? Let us review the figures and practical considerations before you make your next decision.