Buying a bar
 

Hi.
myself and my son are buying the lease on a bar in torrevieja.
We have had a pre contract drawn up and need to pay a deposit.
We are afraid this maybe a scam.
Can anyone please please advise or help.
If it is real then it's perfect and we dont want to lose out.
Thanks

Re: Buying a bar
 

Not sure how anyone in possession of those facts alone can answer that ...my instincts tell me to tell you there is one type of person who can advise you well and that would be a lawyer with first hand knowledge of the contract and what's on offer

Re: Buying a bar
 

Can I suggest that you have a read of the many threads here about buying a bar in Spain. The consensus is yes, do it IF you can afford to lose that sort of money. Depending on Brexit and what our lord and master Johnson decides to do, there may not be as many visitors from the UK. The majority of bars have different owners from one year to the next, with many of the owners doing a moonlight flit to get away from their debts. I lived not far from Torrevieja for 4 years and some bars were changing ownership every 6 months. With some they would be open one night and closed down the next day, no warning, just gone away.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Re: Buying a bar
 

Afraid this is another negative reply.
The only one making any money out of most "Brit" type bars is the person owning the freehold, who re- sells the lease every few months to yet another naive customer hoping to live their dream of running a bar in Spain.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Why do people want to run bars?

Re: Buying a bar
 

I lived in Torrevieja for many years - my advice is - don't.

Unless you want to lose your money - if so donate it to charity it will do more good.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Not the answer the OP wants to hear, but will they take any notice ?

Re: Buying a bar
 

Re: Buying a bar
 

I doubt it as this line from the post tells it all. (If it is real then it's perfect and we dont want to lose out)

Re: Buying a bar
 

The OP will have read the replies and dismissed them because their bar is unique/gold mine/can't fail.

Re: Buying a bar
 

I knew a Brit who had a grotty little bar in Orihuela Costa. He used to sit on a barstool customer side drinking the stock whilst he paid a barman to work but there were very few customers....guess what happened - the business model didn't work...

Another couple of friends who were professional hospitality people worked very hard in their bar (Vera near Mojacar) but that closed because they didn't have a kitchen to do any food and the terrace was too small.

There was an article in El Pais the other day about how many bars have closed down in Spain in recent years - things have changed people use them less and spend less apart from the peak weeks in the summer when maybe takings are good. In the meantime, overheads have shot up as has enforcement of kitchen regulations etc.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Although the experience was in the 80's I very much doubt things have improved.

People we know bought a bar with a very small kitchen in Fuengirola chasing the bar owning in the sun dream. It cost around GBP90K. Three years later they put it up
for sale and sold it for just under 50K, a week before they were going to close up and walk away. Why.. it was killing them, having to stay open into the small hours to grab whatever passing trade they could, opening up 6 hours later to compete with the nearby "full English breakfast " bars, barely making enough money to cover costs let alone rented accommodation and other living expenses.

Unless a bar is opened with a unique selling point and no competition nearby it is difficult to imagine why these days anybody would want to risk capital outlay to try and "reinvent the wheel".

To the OP, good luck I hope it works out for you and your son.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Drinking habits have changed dramatically over the last two or three decades. My base is South Wales UK and the local town is a 'one horse town' but while several pubs have shut for good we now have three coffee shops, a bar owned by a local micro brewery, a craft beer bar and more recently a wine/cocktails bar. People don't just pop down the pub for a few beers, they want food much of the time and this is true of Spain I think. On top of that you have the rise of the all inclusive holiday which is a godsend for families and couples alike but not good for local bars.

Re: Buying a bar
 

Whilst I don't object to food in bars I detest being hassled all the time to order food which I find to be the case in the USA and Canada
Just leave us alone to enjoy our drinks and we will order food if and when we want.