Cafés for sale

A café earns its money on coffee, breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch. Ask for revenue by weekday and time of day, and how much comes from takeaway. Check how busy it is outside summer: many Danish cafés take a large share of their revenue from outdoor seating, which depends on the weather and on a permit from the municipality. Ask whether that permit can continue in your name.

Espresso machines and grinders are often provided by a coffee roaster in return for an agreement to buy their coffee. Ask who owns the machines, how long the agreement runs and what it costs to leave. The same goes for agreements with breweries and suppliers of ice cream or soft drinks. They can offer good terms, but they also tie you in.

Many cafés are run by the owner with a few permanent staff and part-time students. Guests often come as much for the person as for the coffee, so agree a transition period in which the seller introduces you. Employees transfer on their existing terms. As the new owner you must register the café with the Danish food authority yourself, and if you want to serve beer and wine, you must apply for your own alcohol licence from the municipality.

• Revenue by weekday and month, including outdoor seating.
• Coffee and brewery agreements: machine ownership, commitments and termination.
• The outdoor seating permit and whether it can continue.
• Staff, rotas and employment terms.
• The lease and the landlord’s consent to the sale.

See indicative valuation and due diligence under restaurants and cafés for sale, and try the price estimate.