Should I buy an existing crepe or waffle shop or start one?
Buying gets you a site with customers, fitted equipment, trained staff and working recipes, and you inherit its weaknesses. Starting gives you a blank lease, your own design and menu, and months of build-out before the first sale. Check the records on one path and the lease and costs on the other.
This choice rarely has a single right answer. It comes down to how much time you have, how much risk you want to take on at the start, and how attached you are to your own menu. A crepe, waffle or churro business is simple to describe but not simple to launch, because location, equipment and a menu that sells all have to come together.
What an existing shop gives you
An existing shop comes with a site that already has customers, equipment in place, staff who know the work and recipes that have been tested on real orders. You also take on its habits, its lease and any problems the records reveal. Ask for the financial statements, the equipment list and the lease, and have your accountant and lawyer review them.
What starting from scratch involves
A new shop begins with a blank lease and a build-out. Plan for design, permits, equipment orders and hiring before opening day, each of which can run late. You pick the location, the look and the menu, but you also earn every first customer. Ask landlords what the space needs before you sign, and talk to your local authority early about what the shop must meet.
Questions to ask on either path
How will customers find you in the first months? Who will cover the slow season? What happens if the key person leaves? On the buying path, how to find a crepe or waffle shop for sale is a good first step. For a different dessert format, see buying or starting a bakery.
Related reading
10 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Buying
- Expert answerShould I buy an existing bakery or start my own?
- Expert answerHow do I find a donut shop for sale?
- Expert answerHow do I find a juice or smoothie bar for sale?
- Expert answerWhat should I check before buying a board game cafe?
- GuideHow do I buy a cafe in Canada?
- Expert answerHow do I find a crepe or waffle shop for sale?
- Expert answerHow do I find a churro business for sale?
- Expert answerHow do I check whether a crepe, waffle or churro shop is profitable before buying?
- Expert answerFranchised or independent crepe or waffle shop: what should a buyer weigh?
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 CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentEquipment purchase financing for entrepreneurs
- 04Restaurants CanadaIndustryRestaurants Canada - The Voice of Foodservice
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.