Buying a bar
 

Lots of people on here have a massive downer on people doing this. Where are they seeing all these bars that are failing?

Having been to Spain many time over the last 8 years I've seen plenty of Spanish run bars that have remained the same in that time. So most are doing ok.

Is it, as I suspect, in the tourist resorts such as Benidorm? Having been to there and other resorts, I'm not surprised, most of the British bars there are shocking and a bad advert for the British.

Anyway, I'm planning to leave for Spain soon to buy a bar. Do it with savings and rent out the house in the UK. Will be getting advice from my Spanish girlfriend in Spain, and a friend who speaks fluent Spanish will help run the place. I think we can do it correctly, although we if we can't, I'm not coming back to nothing.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Just have a look in the papers and ask yourself, why are all these bars for sale ?

Re: Buying a bar
 

Hi. You're right regarding Spanish-run bars. The majority remain under the same ownership/management for many years. That's because they know what they're doing, are dedicated to it and are good at it.
However, the "typical" (if there is such a thing) Brit-run bar changes hands or opens/closes with alarming regularity. In the towns/villages near to where I live there are a number of these bars. They are certainly not in tourist areas and so have to rely on "local" year round trade. Unfortunately they are all trying to attract the same customers (Brit expats) by means of Sunday lunches, pub grub, karaoke, quiz nights, bingo, the odd live band or drag act etc (which is what they think the "typical" Brit expat wants) and there simply aren't enough customers to go round.
Also, with a few exceptions, most of those who take on a bar here have had no previous meaningful experience in the pub or catering trade and so have completely unrealistic expectations of the hours, stress, sheer hard work and profitability of the bar trade. Many have never even run any sort of business or had to employ people before. So disillusionment (and/or divorce/poverty/ill health) soon sets in and the bar changes hands...and so it goes on.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Yes Hillybilly thats what happens. Another reason why the Spanish bars survive is that the bar has usually belonged to the same family for years and they own the property and don't have to find around 1000 euros a month out of the profits to pay rent.

Barrer you have made your mind up anyway so it is fortunate you will have something to return to in the UK.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Hello mate,welcome to the forum:)
Possibly the best thing to do would be to contact (surreptiously),some of the Spanish bar owners,and find out what makes them such a success:)
Are you going to aim specifically at the expat community,IMO,it would be best to aim at both markets:)

PS,Have to completely agree with the comments about Brit bars in Benidorm,they are completely uninviting,depressing to look at and be in!:)

Re: Buying a bar
 

I live in 'inland Spain' not one of the coastal resorts and the same applies here. Bars runs by the Brits seem to fail and change hands frequently.

I suspect, as suggested, that it's because they're rented and not owned but also I think it's because expectations are too high. Salries (profits) are very low and hours very long.

I also see (here anyway), that Brit bars don't attract too many Spanish and that's got to be the 'bread-and-butter' trade, surely.

Anyway, best of luck to you, as I'd like to see someone beat the trend.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Hi everyone. Thanks for the replies.

We will not be aiming at the ex-pat market, but at the local market, mainly because we intend not be in an ex-pat area.

My friend lived in the centre of Valencia for 6 years, so has very good experience of the Spanish bar scene.

Re: Buying a bar
 

here in our small village (permanent residents about 400), there is only one Brit Bar and she has been there for a number of years.

However, she does speak Spanish and has a Spanish boyfriend, so does get Spaniards in as well as Brits.

There is a Brit restaurant down the road, the person who runs that has run a restaurant for years in Portugal. She also has Spanish and Brit clientèle.

Both own their premises.

TheBrit Bar in the next village which is rented and only caters for Brits is always changing hands.

Most of the Spanish bar owners here have other ways of making a living as well as the bar, such as building or selling the produce from their land.

Re: Buying a bar
 

What about other expats, i mean there are many swedish, german, dutch, etc expats in the coastal area, dont these "brit" pubs get visits from them, or do they have there "own" bars that open and close as frequently?

Where i live in Panama, there are just a couple of "brit style pubs" like 2 actually. They get a good trade from the local men, since the bar is usually frequented by blond european or amercian girls.But you seldom see a panamanian couple there. I guess its the taste of music, food etc, that doesnt fit with the locals.

n

Re: Buying a bar
 

Probably the prices too, if you want to go in a Brit owned bar be prepared to pay double for your drinks etc.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Hmmm whi is that? If there were a brit and a spanish bar on either side of the street, what would be the brits argument for hiking up the prices?

n

Re: Buying a bar
 

In areas where there are lots of Brit bars, Fuengirola and Benalmadena the Brit bars a cheaper than the Spanish. It is rare to see any Spanish in foreign bars, only place I have seen Spanish in is the Manila bar in Fuengirola.

Re: Buying a bar
 

sorry to bump this but i just have to say that many brit bars in fuengirola are frequented by the spanish generally on the sea front and it may be to rob your customers,or you,if you are not a bar owner,you can generally tell as they pay up front(unusual for the spanish) so they can make a quick exit,seen it a few times
cheers
the real frog

Re: Buying a bar
 

To put it politely, what a load of crap.
Do you have proof, or did you hear off a friend of a friend ?

Re: Buying a bar
 

Because they are relying on their fellow Brits to never go into a Spanish bar. In Spain the Brit bar is rarely run with the intention of attracting Spanish customers. The people running the Brit bars cannot understand the Spanish (indeed Mediterranean) life style of family first and not material goods. All the expat can relate to is making money to fund his lifestyle. And some of them must be right. There are plenty of "British supermarkets" selling unbranded cola at many times the price of the local product (in this case Coke)!