Thread: Taking over a Bar Restaurant in Spain

I am writing this as the landlord of a huge bar restaurant on the Costa Blanca, as I have rented the place for a whole year and have been paid up front for the whole year.
The following are the trails and tribulations of the new tennant and his journey so far.
Stew a UK landlord, whose 3 pubs have been hit hard by recession has decided to come to Spain to start a new life here. First he packed up all his personal belongings in UK and got a Transport company to ship them over. First mistake was not specifing when his furniture would arrive. Two weeks later than promised. Second mistake was to pack his UK reg RHD Volvo and drive down through France not being used to the roads, Quite often he found himself on the wrong side of the road, also attempting to go around roundabouts the wrong way. Once he got here his wife was a nervous wreck and wont get back into the car as she was facing all the oncoming traffic.
Fist day in Spain, signed contracts in Solicitors paid all moneys over and recieved the keys to his new bar. Next was to put electric into his name, 4 hours queing and a promise the electric would be on in 4 days.
Next I suggested he stayed in the bar and I would send all the reps to him. A stream of reps appeared, The spanish brewery man, the english beer man, the butcher, the cleaning products guy, the veg man, the egg man, the satellite man, the internet guy, the entertainers, the radio station, the local english newspaper guy, the gasman, the iceman, the fag machine guy, the fruitmachine man, the sign writer guy, a stream of people looking for work.
All this in just two days. Stew was amazed on how quickly every thing was coming together. So next job was cleaning the place, every machine emptyed, cleaned out, all old out date stock binned, more cleaning, new bulbs for lights, oh yes we have electric just as Iberdrola promised 4 days after signing contract. Amazing for Spain.
Stew unpacked his worldly goods from his ex uk pubs, the beer glasses, the football shirts, tv's, projectors, tills, carvery for sunday lunchs, now putting all this stuff in the place is coming together, just 5 days from arriving the place is like a new place, the stock arrives on monday, should be open on tuesday.
So in just 7 days he has taken a place that is been closed for a year turned it around and is open for business. It has been a pleasure to work with stew, I wish him the very best for the future, and hope that in this recession he shines above the rest and comes out a winner.
His thing is to offer Sunday carvery with four meats for just 6,95 a head, he is going to do two for one meals in the resturant, menu of the day for 5 euros, happy hours, free buffets for parties etc etc, So low profits and high turnover should keep the place busy.

OMG what a whirlwind ! I wish Stew the very best for his business in 2010, I hope all the hard work pays off and his business thrives.

Wow! My head is spinning.

I hope he does really well, sounds like a hard worker.

Some worker, deserves to do well. Are you introducing him to the forum or do you think he won't have time to get on here?

Can you give us the name and location of the restaurant.. I for one would like to try it.
CD

I too wish Stew all the best and as CD states above please do post the name and location of the restaurant......also do you know whether Stew plans to setup a website advertising his business?

Thank's guys. The place will be called The Tavern Bar and Steakhouse, Listen out on radio TKO (Local to Torrevieja) It is on the CV951 road to Torremendo, Just out of San Miguel de Salinas. But give us a week to get open first.

Sounds like he has worked, I wish him all the best. If he decides on a web site my wife is doing a special offer at the moment of €199 for a site of up to 5 pages(more on request).
An about to tell people you have arrived, an events page ie. Friday band night and a menu page. Then finally a contacts page with phone numbers for bookings and an email.
If this is not for you then I again wish this venture great success.

Thanks for your offer calpe, Website is nearly done, will go live in a week.
To the others, bar is open really busy the last few days, hotel was full over this weekend.
Just getting the restaurant side ready to open now. Adverts already on the radio and in the newspapers. Live bands booked such as Kylie Minougue, Justin Timberlake and a few other tribute bands. So touch wood all going well.