What should I ask about a restaurant’s busiest and slowest months?

Ask the seller to show sales month by month, then explain the shape. Is it weather, tourism, school calendars, events or a single large customer? Ask which weeks are truly busy and what the room feels like on a quiet night. Your accountant can compare the sales with the financial statements, so you are not relying on a verbal account. Next, look at the cost side. Ask how staffing changes between seasons, whether hours are cut, and who is let go or rehired. A restaurant that depends on seasonal staff needs a plan for finding them again.

Cash is the hard part. Slow months still bring rent, loans and supplier bills. Ask how the seller managed it, and whether a line of credit was used. Make sure you start with enough working cash for a slow stretch right after closing. Also ask about plans to smooth the swings: catering, events or off-season menus. Visit on a quiet day as well as a busy one, and ask staff what the slow shifts are like to work.

Key takeaways

• Get monthly sales over several years, not a single recent period.
• Ask what explains each peak and each slow stretch.
• Plan working cash for a slow period right after closing.
• Ask how staffing changes between busy and quiet times.