gerardtweedie

Hi there, i'm just looking for as much info as possible on setting up in the costa del sol and running a bar. I plan to do this with a friend as we are fed up of life in the uk. we have both worked in bars for years and have a wealth of experience but i think that i may have over estimated how much a bar on the costa takes we plan to visit a few bars in february and hopefully seal a deal on 1 of them. What would be a realistic ammount of money to see us safe and when does the summer season really kick in on the costa. If anyone can help me out with these questions or just any experience you'd like to pass on it would be much appreciated.

kind regards

gerry tweedie

this charming man

Id say itll Costa lot.

sensationalfrog

probably 90% of bars bought buy expats here fail,most lose money some lose a lot if not everything

i ran a bar here for 7 years and did ok,its what i do for a living so at least you have that in your favour

main rule,do not listen to whatever the agent tells you they are all crooks

rule 2 position is so important,be on the seafront,not a back street

rule 3 think about the rents charged,some are silly and dont forget you will likely be renting an apartment too,these costs add up

i could go on,bars here only last as the owners cant sell,seen many lose 50-200k in a year or so

if you are looking at fuengirola,i can give advice,no cost just my opinions

most that come here to buy are so ignorant that they wont listen to anything they are told,blinkered with the dream life they are offered,3 months later they take 10 euros a day after 12 hours of sitting in their dream bar
fuengirola is tough atm,benalmadena is worse

on the upside you can negociate as most bars are for sale and are desparate
let me know if u need more advice on a particular bar or area
cheers

gerardtweedie

thanks mate. we were looking at benalmadena but after doing hours of research we are not too sure about it any more. We have no problems with the high level of work that will have to be put in as we are more than used to it by now, might take a while to adjust to the heat though lol. What's feungirola like atm, we were also looking into marbella. To be honest with you we are not looking to make millions, just enough to keep us in a decent lifestyle. we have been in touch with both Kingsway Estates and Sol Commercials, have you had any dealings with these agents. At the moment we would be looking to negotiate a rent only contract for the first year with a view to buying a leasehold after this, do you think many owners would go for this.

Cheers

Dick Dasterdly

24/7, or pretty darn close, plus all the graft,hassle,documentation,bureaucracy and the rest, is hardly a "decent lifestyle",..... all just to earn a crust,.... if you're lucky.
More a form of legalised slavery.
Suggest you try a maximum one year rental option, before jumping in the deep end.
Best of British.

lynnxa

read this thread & all the links on it


please

jdr

The only people that make money out of bars are the lease sellers.

GrapeEater

OK. Save yourself a lot of time and effort. May as well give your money away to charity rather than the bar owner / lease...

After being in Spain 4 years I have seen Expats throw money away on all manner of business ideas that rely on Expat trade, work 7 days a week, never see the sunshine, constant worry and friendships/relationships break through the strain.

You'd have to be pretty special, savvy and resourceful here... and speak Spanish will help no end... and in the current climate you'd be mad !!!

At least live here first to see how it all works - else you'll be juggling 'lifestyle' issues with bureaucracy and employment law.

agoreira

I was just about to say similar, save him going through all the hassle, red tape etc just to lose money, much easier to simply send it to me.
As some wag once said, if you want to end up in Spain with a million, start with two. Or three! But you sound determined, so best of luck, you'll need it.

jojojojojojojojojojojojo

I´d say if you've got the money and no family ties or responsibilities then give it a go, but dont think it´ll be easy, cos it wont. Its grim down on the costas at the mo (we went to Benalmadena yesterday and it was empty), but this time of year is not representative. Theres a lot of closed bars down there and alot for sale/rent! Who knows what the holiday season will be like this year? It was a bad last year and caused alot of bars to go under - it also depends on what tourists are there cos there is a sway now for visitors to want to go to "Spanish" type bars as opposed to "Brit" bars
One tip, when looking at bars, do make sure you look at them when the agents/owners dont know you're looking because alot of them will organise a "rent a crowd" for the time when you officially view so that it looks busy! (I know this for a fact cos I have been part of a "rent a crowd" - free drinks and everything!! LOL

Jo xxx

JLFS

So you mean to say that you will do almost anything for a free drink?...........

You sound like my kinda woman..................

jojojojojojojojojojojojo

LOL!! I only drink alcohol at christmas and weddings!!! Just a nice refreshing glass of coke light! I dont think thats quite what you meant is it!''!! ç


Jo xxx

HBG

From what you’ve written, there might be a way to do it, but you need to leave all of your money in the UK. Come over in February, it doesn’t matter whether to Fuengirola or Benalmadena, and look for a bar that you think you could run and make a profit from.

It’s likely to be for sale anyway, but ask around to find one that’s obviously failing and hasn’t been trading under the present owners for very long.

Then make the owners an offer to run their bar for a year, while it’s still for sale, and offer to pay their rent monthly and pay for the stock, it’s unlikely to be much.

Don’t register anywhere, if the authorities visit you, you’ve got three months to register, and that might be the time to move on. Or, if you’re absolutely sure, you could buy the lease then and make yourself legal.

The present owners shouldn’t mind, instead of sitting around all day losing money, their bar is still on the market, the bills are being paid and it’s being run by experienced traders which should make it easier to sell.

Jur

That´s a brilliant move, seriously.

gerardtweedie

well I must say it hasn't painted a very pretty picture. My plan for the past few months is to rent a bar for a year and see where it goes from there. I do not plan on creating another typical brit bar, not a Red Lion or Arthurs Seat, i'm sure there are plenty of them already. I want to create a classy cocktail-esque bar suitable for everyone. I hope that by keeping overheads at a minimum and focussing all our efforts on building a good rapour, creating a welcoming atmosphere and serving perfect drinks everytime that we might manage to get through our first year without too much financial stress.

I appreciate everyone giving advice and am glad of it, however i would rather that if you are going to tell me not to do something you give me a reason or two backing up this advice. I want to understand why i should/shouldn't, i don't want to simply be told yes or no.