Fig and Thistle Bistro Stephens Brae Inverness Inverness City Centre, IV2 3JN

Charming restaurant set to 42 covers over two floors in prominent trading location in Inverness City centre.

• Superbly presented fully licensed restaurant set to accommodate up to 42 covers over two floors plus an alfresco dining area to the front aspects.

• Sustainable and highly profitable business model generating turnover of £385K (2018) and a Net Profit of around £150K. (2018)

• Excellent trading location in the city centre on a main thoroughfare amongst other destination venues with high levels of passing custom.

• Excellent service and food preparation areas plus ample staff / office facilities on a third floor.

• An ideal venture for a couple with a hospitality background and passion for quality food.

DESCRIPTION

The Fig and Thistle Restaurant is an attractive high-quality restaurant ideally situated in the heart of Inverness. This beautifully presented business benefits from an enviable position on the High street within the City Centre. This location guarantees a high footfall of passing trade and good brand awareness. The property is leased to the existing tenants who have created this charming restaurant, which has become a popular venue with the many tourists who visit Inverness swelling demand for tables in the main season (Apr - Oct) plus it has a great reputation with the residents of the City as well as evidenced on various review sites. The extant business model trades high quality food and excellent service to the 42 covers within the restaurant. The kitchen is modern and ideally set out for superb service provision. All the public areas and service aspects have been well-maintained.

The business is a walk-in opportunity where new owners wish to continue a similar quality operation, all fixtures and fittings are included in the sale. There is high demand in Inverness for restaurants such as the Fig and Thistle, making the business model highly sustainable. The level of trading is high but the current owners feel that new operators could take the business to the next level by driving output throughout the day and opening 7 days per week. The Fig and Thistle Restaurant has a truly alluring character offering an excellent mix of high-end modern Scottish cuisine utilising a range of locally sourced products.

TRADE

The Fig and Thistle Restaurant has a strong customer base generating an excellent level of turnover £385K (2018) with a high profit conversion ratio £150K (2018) making this an excellent trading entity. The business generates a high Net profit from fairly relaxed operating hours. The business is open 4.5 days out of 7, closing Sunday, Monday and opening for evening meal service Tuesday. The restaurant opens for lunchtime service on Wednesday through to evening meal service; this is repeated Thursday to Saturday. There is undoubted scope to expand the trade where new owners wish to increase income and service provision. The business is supported by excellent front of house staff and experienced team of chefs within the kitchen. The business is presented to the market requiring no further capital investment.

The business draws its income from the many tourists who visit Inverness and the Highlands plus is a popular destination venue for those living and working in the area.

REASON FOR SALE

The current owners purchased the restaurant in 2015 and after developing the business to a high standard, they feel that they wish to relocate and focus on their family which brings this attractive opportunity to the market.

LOCATION

The Fig and Thistle Restaurant is situated in a most prominent trading location ensuring a high level of passing trade both from tourists and locals alike. The business is immediately across from the Eastgate Shopping Complex which is the main retail area of the City. In addition, Stephens Brae is just off Inverness High Street which also generates a high level of footfall. Inverness is a popular tourist destination with a high number of hotels, guest houses and self-catering establishments swelling the number of inhabitants to the City during the spring and summer months. The City itself has extensive facilities boasting two golf courses, an excellent indoor swimming complex, cinema, bowling and ample opportunity to enjoy evening entertainment at a range of venues which includes Eden Court Theatre. Nearby Cawdor Castle offers a taste of Scotland's medieval past while Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre are most popular attractions with both UK and overseas visitors. Whether it is a Whisky Trail, a boat trip on Loch Ness or a visit to one of the many accessible Scottish castles, Inverness is an ideal base to explore the many visitor destinations across the Highlands. The City of Inverness is a vibrant centre of tourism and commerce presenting many opportunities for expanding this establishment. The new University of Highlands and Islands campus is indicative of the continuing growth of the City over recent years, as are the increasing number of housing developments.

THE PROPERTY

Fig and Thistle Restaurant operates from leased premises and is in an excellent trading location. The business operation is set over three floors with customer access at street level. The property is of stone construction under a slate roof. The building dates from the late 1800s.

PUBLIC AREAS

The business has a commanding presence on one of the main arterial routes through Inverness. With excellent signage and branding, customer access to the trading elements is off the pavement to the front through a glazed door. Once inside the restaurant, there is a server to the left-hand side with free-standing wooden tables and chairs. The ground floor restaurant has seating for up to 22 covers and stairs to the rear lead to a first floor restaurant seating 20 customers. There are good quality ladies' and gents' wash rooms on both floors with disabled access units on the ground floor.

SERVICE AREAS

There is a superb commercial kitchen located on the first floor with a 'dumb waiter' providing service to the ground floor units. This exceptionally well fitted out workspace comes complete with extraction unit, quality facilities, utensils, etc. The food preparation area has ample chill and freezer units. There is a large dry goods store on the second floor plus additional storage. Also, on the second floor is an office and spacious staff facilities including staff WC.

OWNER'S ACCOMMODATION

There is no owner's accommodation with this business.

GROUNDS

The Fig and Thistle Restaurant has an alfresco area set to the front aspects which is popular in the summer months. There is ample local parking.

SERVICES

The subjects benefit from mains electricity, gas, water and drainage. The premises are fully compliant with Environmental Health and Fire Regulations with modern detection systems.