Whether you are just setting up your first independent restaurant, cafe or coffee shop, or you have several and have been serving customers for years, Luscombe Gray can offer you the exceptional legal support your business needs to secure its future.

Many restaurants, cafes and coffee shops operate as franchises, which requires the parties to enter into complex franchise agreements setting out their respective obligations. Luscombe Gray has experience of providing legal support to franchisees and franchisors, in both agreeing terms at the outset and ensuring compliance with those terms for the duration of the agreement.

We can help with a diverse range of commercial and property matters, including:

Running a successful restaurant, cafe or coffee shop is never easy, so ensuring your business is legally protected from the outset helps to secure your efforts against the risk of costly and damaging legal disputes.

Luscombe Gray provides practical guidance, tailored to your business and the commercial realities it faces. Our firm was founded to provide clear and honest commercial and property litigation advice to each of our clients, with a strong commitment to delivering an ethical and effective legal service.

If you would like to discuss how Luscombe Gray can help your business, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Legal issues faced by restaurants, cafes and coffee shops

Many restaurant, cafe and coffee shop premises are leased from a landlord. It is therefore crucial for the lease terms to be fit for your business purposes before you agree to them. Luscombe Gray can provide practical, detailed advice about potential commercial leases and may be able to negotiate more favourable terms on your behalf.

Helpful terms for a new restaurant, cafe or coffee shop can include rent- free periods. Fitting out from scratch is an expensive undertaking and, whilst works are taking place, the business is unlikely to provide you with any income. A negotiated period during which rent will not be payable can ease this financial burden.

Including a break notice clause in the lease can also be useful for a restaurant, cafe or coffee shop. Given the challenges of building a new establishment’s profile, a break notice could cut the lease short if your enterprise proves to be unsuccessful, removing a significant financial liability from a future in which you may no longer be operating.

Where a commercial property needs significant work to adapt it to its purpose as a restaurant, cafe or coffee shop, or you plan any major redevelopments, it is likely that your landlord’s consent will be required. This may involve structural work to the property, such as fitting flues or air conditioning systems etc. Obtaining consent
from your landlord can be a complicated area, and may lead to legal disputes. Luscombe Gray can help you ascertain your legal rights and obligations and to handle the process effectively.

Franchises

Many restaurants, cafes and coffee shops are run as franchises, with the parties entering into franchise agreements. Franchise agreements impose specific obligations on franchisees and franchisors. Franchisees are generally required to run their business in a certain way, buy certain products from a particular supplier and pay percentage of their turnover to the franchisor. In return, franchisors are required to provide franchisees with a certain level of support in running the business.

Franchisees and franchisors often end up in dispute regarding the terms of franchise agreements. Luscombe Gray has a great deal of experience in relation to such disputes and is able to advise parties of their legal options, with a view to resolving matters as quickly and cost effectively as possible.

Instructing Luscombe Gray

Luscombe Gray is a boutique commercial property litigation firm, providing a legal service tailored to the needs of our clients.

We believe first-class commercial legal support should be available to all organisations. Whatever the size of your business, we are more than willing to provide our services and put our specialist skill and knowledge at your disposal.

Your case will be handled by Chris Luscombe personally, so you can be certain that your business will be able to call upon the expertise of an experienced commercial property litigation solicitor. Throughout his career, Chris has helped a wide range of businesses with their commercial property disputes, from small businesses, to national pub companies, to multi-national telecoms giants.

Luscombe Gray is based in the heart of Yorkshire, in Harrogate, with the reach to assist clients across the country.

If your restaurant business needs legal support for any kind of commercial or commercial property dispute, contact Luscombe Gray for clear, ethical, expert advice.

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