Can I buy a bar with no experience running one?
Some people do, but lenders and landlords may ask about your experience, so plan for it. Learn the trade before closing, negotiate a training period with the seller, try to keep the current manager and staff, and hire for the skills you lack. The lender will set its own terms.
A bar is a hands-on business with late nights, stock to manage, staff to lead and rules to follow, and the first months are the steepest. If you have never run one, the goal is to close the gap before you sign and then to cover what remains with people you can rely on.
Learn the trade before closing
Work a few shifts in a similar bar if you can, or spend time with an experienced operator. Learn ordering, cash handling, scheduling and what a bad night looks like. Ask the seller whether you may shadow the operation during due diligence. What you learn will sharpen your questions and tell you whether you want this life at all.
A training and handover period
Ask the seller to stay for a set time after closing, introduce you to suppliers and regulars and show you the routines. Put the terms in writing, including what the seller will and will not do. Your lawyer can draft this into the agreement.
Keep the manager and the staff
A good manager and a steady crew can help a new owner. Ask early whether they plan to stay, and treat them with care during the sale. Losing both on the same week would leave you running a bar you do not yet know. See what to do in the first months after buying a pub.
What lenders and landlords will ask
A lender may ask about your background and your plan for the gaps. A landlord who must approve the new tenant may do the same. Prepare a short plan: who runs the floor, who does the books, what you will learn and who you will hire. Pair it with a business plan, and ask your accountant to read it before you submit it.
Related reading
15 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Buying
- Expert answerIs buying a bar a good idea?
- Expert answerHow much cash do you need to buy a bar?
- Expert answerWhat should I do in the first months after buying a pub?
- Expert answerHow do I check a pub’s regulars and event nights before buying?
- GuideBuying a bar and pub in Canada
- GuideHow to buy a liquor store or licensed bar in Saskatchewan: licences, ownership rules and what transfers
- GuideBuying a brewery or brewpub in Canada
- Expert answerHow do I find a bar or pub for sale?
- Expert answerWhat is different about buying a nightclub instead of a pub?
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentAfter buying a business, what is the next step?
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentBusiness plan template for entrepreneurs
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