An honest answer before the capital moves.
Thinking of investing in a restaurant concept, site or operator? I give you an independent, numbers-first view of whether it will work, and what could go wrong.
The questions that decide whether it pays back.
Restaurants rarely fail for one reason. These are the areas I test in every feasibility study.
The location
Who walks past, when, and what they will spend. Competition nearby.
The economics
Rent against realistic sales, break-even covers, and margins after labour.
The build
Fit-out cost range, kitchen requirements, permits, and the payback period.
The structure
Lease length against payback, who controls key decisions, and what happens if plans change.
The expensive mistakes are made before opening day.
A restaurant can be busy and still lose money. It can trade well and still be undone by a short lease, an unrealistic fit-out budget, or partners who stop investing when it matters. I have seen each of these from the inside as an operator.
A feasibility study gives you a clear go or no-go recommendation, a three-year profit forecast and a fit-out range, so you can decide on evidence. It can also be used to test an operator's own business plan before you commit.
Please note: I advise on the operational and commercial viability of hospitality concepts. I do not arrange investment, hold client funds or give regulated financial, legal or tax advice.
Test it before you fund it.
Share the concept, site or plan you are considering. Everything is treated as confidential.