Hi all, new here As I'm sure many others have previously, I've been thinking about taking on a pub for ages but kept it on the backburner. In the last week my local - in a nice tourist village, SE England - has come up for lease. It's Enterprise Inns with a "partial tie" (gulp) on beers. As per my research I wouldn't enter into anything of the sort, unless it was free of tie. I've seen talk of negotiating with their pubco prior to taking on the lease - has anyone got experience with this?

There are a few free-of-tie Enterprise owned pubs round here so I'm sure it can be done. I know most recommend buying a freehold which is another option - do EI flog their pubs? I've seen talk of them preferring the planning/convert to flats route as it means more £££ for them - probably right.

FWIW my business partner and I wouldn't be "running" the pub, we'd find a pub manager as we have limited experience in catering although a lot of experience in retailing and marketing and have the funds, to an extent, to get this pub off the ground. Part of me think it's a big opportunity I'd regret if I let it pass, and yet part of me is telling me I'm barmy when X pubs are dying every day.

Anyone ever done anything like this with a pubco ? Definitely won't even consider a partial tie.

Cheers