What should I check before buying an Indian restaurant?
Beyond the lease and licences, check the tandoor and its venting, how much the kitchen depends on one specialist cook, who holds the house spice blends, where specialty ingredients come from, and how much revenue rides on buffet, catering and delivery-app orders. Ask for each in writing and have them confirmed.
An Indian restaurant is built around a few things that a general restaurant checklist does not reach: a clay oven, a cook who knows the curries, spice blends made in house and a supply chain of specialty goods. A buyer who tests these early learns what the business really rests on. Start here, then add the usual lease, licence and financial checks that apply to any restaurant.
The tandoor and the kitchen it sits in
A tandoor needs strong heat, a proper hood and a safe fuel supply, and it is hard to move or replace. Ask who installed it, when it was last serviced and whether the venting has been inspected. Ask your landlord whether the space can host that equipment if you plan to change it. Have a qualified tradesperson look at the hood and gas lines before you commit to anything.
The cook behind the menu
Many menus lean on one tandoor chef or one curry cook. Find out who that is, how long they have worked there and whether they plan to stay after the sale. Ask whether the spice blends and sauce bases are written down or live only in someone’s head. If the recipes stay with the seller, the food you taste today may not be the food you serve next month.
Suppliers and the revenue mix
Ask which suppliers provide specialty spices, lentils, breads and halal or vegetarian proteins. Ask for supplier invoices, any account terms and whether pricing depends on the owner’s relationship. Then split sales between dine-in, buffet, catering and delivery apps. Each channel has its own margins and its own risks, and catering clients may be tied to the owner personally.
- Service records and inspection notes for the tandoor and hood
- A list of key kitchen staff, their roles and how long they have been there
- Written recipes or a plan to transfer them
- Supplier invoices and account terms
- Sales split by dine-in, buffet, catering and delivery apps
For the general restaurant checks, see what to check before buying a sushi restaurant and what turnkey means in a restaurant listing.
Related reading
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Selling
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Restaurants CanadaIndustryRestaurants Canada - The Voice of Foodservice
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat is EBITDA?
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