High demand means 'never been better time' to open eatery in Inverness, commercial agent claims
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THERE has never been a better time to open a café in Inverness – especially if it is offering a quality dining experience.
Paul Hart, the director of commercial sales at ASG Commercial in Kenneth Street, said despite a rise in visitor numbers it could still be difficult to find somewhere to eat in the evening in the city.
He said: “The thing that we were seeing is there is a high demand for covers in Inverness in the main season but there is such a shortage of somewhere to go to eat. There are more and more bed spaces being created – we have a situation whereby there are even more tourists but there is not an increase in dining outlets.”
Mr Hart, a former squadron leader and previously a patron chef at five hotels, said: “If you want a good dining experience you have to book well in advance. Inverness is getting bigger and there is going to be a demand for restaurants.”
So far this year ASG has sold around 50 food outlets and he said he hoped to complete the sales of up to 15 more before the end of the year. He added: “We see that the demand for good quality businesses is high and that is on the back of the last five years where there has been a very buoyant hospitality market.”
Mr Hart said that, as well as Inverness, other strong Highland areas in the hospitality sector include Pitlochry, Aviemore, Fort William and Skye. He added: “Most places, where there is a strong tourism business, there is going to be a demand for hospitality.”
There are currently two Inverness businesses on the market highlighting different aspects of the sector – Nourish in Church Street and the Fig and Thistle in Stephens Brae.
Mr Hart said Nourish was quite a small café that would be perfect for someone starting their first business. He said an upstairs area could be used to extend the dining area and the current owners concentrated on healthy eating and vegan dishes.
He said the Fig and Thistle was for anyone taking over the business would need a good team working for them. He added: “One of the owners should be a chef who is able to produce food to a good standard. It is one of my favourite restaurants in Inverness.”
n The Ivy Bar and Kitchen in Church Street has been placed into liquidation.
