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]

The owner has had live music for 25 years...never got the new permit that was required of live music places four years ago. (hypothetical) The law cannot enforce him to do it because he has been doing his business this way for 25 years. The existing owner has non-transferable rights based upon history, and based upon his rights that existed prior to certain laws taking affect. He is granfathered in. He may have certain things that are considered "pre-existing non-conforming" (that is the legal term) under the law.
He is not breaking the law. But he cannot transfer those rights. He may not even know about the new law because it would not affect him.

This is what I was refering to! Our problem with one of the properties is we had a conditional use permit that my uncle didn't renew in 1994 and they are saying the new owners will have to reapply and be approved before they can conduct buisness! Even then they may be denied!

Check everything twice!!