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

[mel reckling]

Over the years some of the one's I've seen not make it have made some errors like:

Buying new kitchen equipment. A fortune can be spent on coolers, sinks, stoves, grills, silverware, dishes when used ones can be had for a song. Pictures and eye-candy fixtures cost big bucks too. Sure it's nice to have all new stuff, but a little humility will save you tons. Old tables and chairs can be as good as new ones too.

Not running it like a Chinese restaurant(ever see one go out of business for other than health reasons?). Owner is first in and last out every day with his being the only hand in the cash register.

Your best money makers are the beers on draft. Give away the food (daily happy hours), hold firm on the price of liquor. A 40 lb. box of good wings and some cheese and veggies keep people moving around and are fairly cheap. I agree you have to keep the folks from sitting there thinking about their problems.

You also have to determine if you are a restaurant that sells liquor or a bar that serves food. Different strategies for the 2 scenarios.

I also agree that most come through it with the idea that those '2 happiest days' is an accurate account of their experience.