How do I find out if a buffet depends on bus tours or large groups?

Ask the seller to separate sales into walk-ins, reservations and group or tour business over a good stretch of time. Request the group booking records and invoices. Check whether groups pay on the day, by deposit or on account, and how reliably.

Then see who the groups come from. If most come through one or two operators or hotels, find out how long those links have lasted, what is agreed and whether anything is written. Ask whether the relationship is with the restaurant or with the owner personally.

Ask what the buffet does when a tour is late, cancels or arrives larger than expected. The answer shows how much the kitchen and staff are built around groups. Check the weekly pattern as well; groups often fill slow days that walk-ins would not. Finally, speak with the main operators, if the seller will allow it, to confirm they intend to keep booking. If the business depends on them, your lawyer can help you think about what to ask for in the sale terms. Compare the picture with what a broker has told you. Ask what happens in the weeks when a main operator takes a break from the area, since the gap reveals how exposed the buffet really is.

Key takeaways

• Split sales into walk-ins, reservations and group business.
• Find out who books the groups and whether any terms are written down.
• Confirm with main operators that they plan to keep booking after the sale.