REAL ESTATE LESSONS
NEGOTIATING A BETTER LEASE
PHOTO COURTESY S. WEBB
By Anthony Coppola
Commercial leases are usually the largest single expense that restaurant owners incur. So it is worth taking the time to think carefully about a lease before signing. In this article, we tackle some responses to common questions that restaurant owners encounter. What are some common misconceptions about what can and cannot go into a lease to protect the restaurant owner?
Leases, at their core, are what lawyers like to call “creatures of contract.” No, it’s not some storybook monster made out of paper and intent on papercutting you. It simply means that the parties, the lessor and lessee in case of a lease, decide what goes into the agreement. The single biggest misconception that business owners have about leases is that they tend to believe it’s a “take it or leave it” deal. In good and bad markets, terms are always up for debate. 09 | EATERY PULSE NEWS