OT: any club/bar owners on here?, thinking about taking over a club ... Options

[SirAndy]

so i've been thinking about opening a bar/club here in oakland for a while now and yesterday i was offered what i would consider the ideal venue.

the club has been at the current place for 25 years, comes with full inventory, liquor license, venue license, got a large outside patio where people can smoke & drink, full bar, full kitchen (!), large stage for shows. about 3000 sf of inside space.
the current owner has simply been burned out and wants to retire.

now i have run my own bar back in germany and i'm friends with several club owners back home, so i know the business side of it, but it would be great if i could pick someone's brain who has run a bar/club here in the US.
i'm sure there'll be quite a few differences.

if you know anything about the club/bar business, please PM me so i can annoy you with lots of questions!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Andy

[Jeffs9146]

Hey Andy I currently own 2 bars in Hollywood! We are selling them as we speak! www.yamashirorestaurant.com & www.magiccastle.com

One of the problems we are encountering is the liquor licence. Transfer in California is issued to an "individule" not a buisness. Do your due dilligence! It can take up to 2 years to successfuly transfer a licence.

First I would check the local laws and current zoning for the buisness as it is now. Then check to see if they have any conditional use permits as well as the last time they were renewed.

Create an LLC and put the buisness licence, and everything involving the club, in that name. Then get insurance for the buisness and alot of extra for you! More than $1M to cover you if the liquor served causes a death! We are currently sued at least once a month for everything under the sun so make sure you have a lawer on your side and your insurance will pay them.

Install a drop safe that is poured in concrete and can not be accessed by the night manager or anyone on staff other than to drop $. Set up a log and double check (two people verification) for all drops and when the safe is opened do not count the money without a very secured bullet proof door or have a security company pick it up and deliver it to the bank where you take the drop log and verify the deposit corisponds to the drop tags in each envelope. We have the person do a duplicate deposit slip and seal the envelope with two people counting the deposit and signing the slip and the envelope. We were robbed of Fri, Sat & Sun night tickets at gun point when the manager was walking from the drop safe to the office! We lost over $55k and the manager sued us for on the job stress!

OK I can go on forever but you get the idea! Feel free to ask me anything you want and I will try to help!