Pre-lease
Eight Things to Check Before You Commit
Every one of these is negotiable before signing and none of them is afterwards.
Before you sign. We will tell you what the landlord has actually delivered and what it will cost to make it a restaurant.
The eight
Walk the space with somebody who can answer these, and read the work letter at the same time.
- Is there a route for kitchen exhaust to reach the roof, and is a penetration permitted?
- Is there a grease interceptor, what size, and can a truck service it?
- What electrical service is actually delivered to the unit?
- Is there gas, and at what capacity?
- Is HVAC provided, existing and working, or is it yours?
- Who modifies the fire sprinklers for your layout?
- What does the work letter actually promise, in specifics?
- When does rent commence relative to when you can start work?
The two that end a deal
No exhaust route to the roof, and no way to get grease waste to a serviceable interceptor. Neither is solvable by design, budget or ingenuity.
If either is true, the space is not a restaurant, and it is far better to learn that from an afternoon's walk than from a permit rejection on a lease you have already signed.
Why we do this for free
Because a client who signs a bad lease has a project that goes badly regardless of how well we build it, and we would rather have the good ones.
Ask us to walk a space. It takes an afternoon and it is the most useful thing we do on a restaurant project.
FAQ
Common questions
- Will you walk a space before we sign?
- Yes. It is the most useful thing we do on a restaurant project.
- What are the deal-breakers?
- No exhaust route to the roof, and no serviceable grease interceptor. Neither is solvable.
- Is the work letter negotiable?
- Before signing, yes. Afterwards, no.
- When does rent usually commence?
- It varies enormously and it matters enormously. Check it against when you can actually start work.
Next step
Find out what is actually wrong with it.
An inspection, photographs of what we found, and a written scope. If the honest answer is that it can wait another season, that is the answer you will get.