Data rooms for pub, bar and hotel sales in the UK

Pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels are sold as single freehouses, regional groups, leased and tenanted estates and large managed portfolios. Buyers include other operators, brewers, property investors and private equity. Whatever the size, the buyer needs to know that each site can keep trading legally from the moment it takes over, what the property is really worth with and without the business, and whether the people and the takings will survive the change.

One template, many sites

The biggest practical improvement in a hospitality room is consistency. Build one folder template, use it for every site, and add a central folder for anything that covers the whole group. A bidder reviewing forty pubs can then open “Licensing” for each site in turn rather than hunting through different naming conventions.

Licensing on completion day

Selling alcohol in England and Wales needs a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003, and a designated premises supervisor (DPS) who holds a personal licence. On a sale of the business the premises licence must move to the buyer. An application to transfer it under section 42 of the Act can be made to take effect immediately, which is how most completions avoid a gap in trading, and the buyer usually needs a new DPS in place at the same time. Scotland has its own licensing regime.

Put the current licence and plan, its conditions, the DPS details and any history of reviews or police representations in each site’s licensing folder. Buyers will read conditions closely, because a licence that restricts hours or late-night music can cap the takings they are paying for.

Tied pubs and the Pubs Code

Many pubs are let to tenants on tied leases, buying beer from the landlord. Where a pub-owning business has 500 or more tied pubs in England and Wales, the Pubs Code etc. Regulations 2016 give tenants rights, including in some cases the option to go free of tie, overseen by the Pubs Code Adjudicator. Buyers of a tenanted estate need the leases, rent review history, tie terms and any pending Code requests for each pub, because they change both income and future flexibility.

Takings, tips and staff

Trading figures are the heart of the valuation. Provide weekly takings split between drinks, food and rooms, gross margins and the stock and supplier terms behind them. Buyers will test the figures against bank statements and VAT returns, so make sure all three agree.

Since the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 took effect, employers in Great Britain must pass all tips and service charges to workers, have a written tipping policy and keep records. Buyers now ask for those records along with rotas, contracts and holiday pay calculations. Staff usually transfer under TUPE, so share anonymised staff lists early and named details only when the TUPE information is due.

Mistakes in hospitality sales

• Discovering a few days before completion that a site has no DPS ready for the buyer
• Different folder names on every site, so bidders cannot compare like with like
• Trading figures that do not reconcile with VAT returns or bank deposits
• Sharing full staff files, including tips and disciplinary records, with every first-round bidder
• Missing fire risk assessments or gas and electrical certificates for older sites

Budget

A single pub sale through an agent fits a short monthly plan. A portfolio of dozens or hundreds of sites needs bulk upload, a consistent template and often quoted pricing for an auction with several rounds. Our commercial property page covers title and lease review in more depth, and the cost calculator shows typical ranges.