Also, look for closed down pizza shops, ice cream parlors, etc. Again, we have lots of those up here too. The reason I say that is that they already have the sinks/plumbing/drains that the HD will require. Or in other words, the plumbing is in. A bare property will get expensive when you have to install plumbing and possibly having to bust up the floors and roof to install the needed drains, roof vents and sewer hook ups.

I have spent the past few months looking at properties, and that was the biggest draw back when looking at what I would consider a good location. Most were not setup with plumbing, and some even shared bathrooms. The bill to properly plumb and vent for sinks was not cheap. And we have not even gotten to the install of the hood and fire suppression system along with some of the other demands that the HD placed upon me. 

Have you contacted your local HD to see what they will require in regards to how your restaurant will need to be setup? If not, get down there, as most will have a packet that you can pick up with all of the needed requirements you will need to comply with. Along with info regarding your SOP, permit costs and inspections. The entire process can be rather daunting and expensive if you don’t think this through.

Mike

Thanks again Mike, I plan on taking a trip to my HD on Tuesday to get all this info from them.