Negotiate Your Commercial Lease

For many commercial restaurateurs, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While restaurateurs think of marketing, managing, and menus, they are not real estate focused; savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized sales people. It is the agent’s or broker’s job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate. 

Restaurant tenants may go through the leasing process once or twice in their entire lifetime – yet they have to negotiate against seasoned professionals who negotiate leases every day for a living. 

Whether you are leasing a new location for the first time for your new restaurant or negotiating a lease renewal, these are some tips for restaurant tenants: 

Allow Sufficient TimeFor a new location lease agreement, get started nine – 12 months in advance to avoid unexpected situations and delays. Lease renewal negotiations should begin between 12 and 15  months…