Buying a bar in Orlando and Central Florida

Orlando and Central Florida has 28 established bars and taverns by our count: companies in business at least 15 years that still file with the state every year and aren't part of a larger group. Of those, 61% have been in business 20 years or more. Most will never be listed for sale, and many of their owners have never been asked.

established companies

61%

built over 20+ years

$206k+

a year, earned by the top quarter

21%

built over 30+ years

What it takes to own one

Bars and taverns in Orlando and Central Florida come in every size. Here's what owning one could look like at three levels, from a solid company to one of the leaders, with a small business loan covering most of the price.

A solid company

Earns about: $92,000 a year
Price about: $204,000
Your cash: $28,000
Could pay you: up to $56,000 a year

A strong company

Top quarter in Orlando and Central Florida

Earns about: $206,000 a year
Price about: $453,000
Your cash: $63,000
Could pay you: up to $124,000 a year

One of the leaders

Top tenth in Orlando and Central Florida

Earns about: $302,000 a year
Price about: $664,000
Your cash: $93,000
Could pay you: up to $182,000 a year

Earnings are owner earnings: profit plus what the owner pays themselves, before loan payments and taxes. They and the prices are our estimates from public records, not the owners' figures, and we value companies like these at about 2.2 times a year's owner earnings. Your cash covers the down payment and closing costs, and what the business could pay you is what's left after the loan payments and the cushion lenders require. The more cash you bring, the further up you can go.

Age, size and location

Revenue is our estimate from public records, grouped into wide ranges.

In business	Companies
Under 20 years	11
20 to 29 years	11
30 to 39 years	4
40 years or more	2

Estimated yearly revenue	Companies
Under $1M	7
$1M to $2M	4
$2M to $4M	2

County	Companies
Orange	12
Seminole	6
Marion	5
Other counties	5

Town	Companies
Orlando	9

What the best bars and taverns have in common

A liquor license (or the right license for what the bar serves) in good standing, with no open cases against it.
Pour cost (what the liquor in a drink costs, as a share of its price) and inventory checked at least weekly, with a point-of-sale system that ties every drink to a bartender.
A bar manager who handles staff, schedules and ordering, so the business doesn't depend on the owner being there every night.
Real weeknight business, not only Friday and Saturday.
A lease that outlasts your loan, and zoning that allows the hours you need.
Good relations with the neighbors and local police: few noise complaints and few late-night calls.
No history of selling to minors.
Food, events or entertainment that bring in more than one crowd.

What to check before you buy

The license itself. Look it up on DBPR's site and confirm its type, county and any pending cases.
Who holds it. The license may belong to a different company than the bar, or be pledged to a lender. Make sure it's part of the sale and free of liens.
Purchases against sales. Compare what the bar buys from distributors with the sales it reports. A big gap can mean theft, free drinks or unreported cash.
The seller's taxes. Buying more than half of a business or its assets can make you liable for the seller's unpaid state taxes (section 213.758). Get a certificate of compliance from the Department of Revenue first.
Liability. Florida's dram shop law generally protects a bar from liability for what a customer of legal drinking age does after drinking (section 768.125). The exceptions: willfully serving someone under 21, or knowingly serving someone habitually addicted to alcohol. Get insurance quotes early.
Staff training. Under Florida's Responsible Vendor Act, a bar that qualifies generally keeps its license if a trained employee sells to someone under 21 without the owner's knowledge (sections 561.705 and 561.706). Ask whether this bar qualifies.

Questions to ask the owner

How long have your bar manager and lead bartenders been with you?
How do you keep track of pour cost and inventory, and how often do you count?
Is the liquor license in the name of the company I'd be buying, and has it ever had a violation?
Which nights carry the week, and what have you tried on the slow ones?
How do you get along with the neighbors and the local police?
What do you pay for liquor liability insurance, and has the bar ever had a claim?
How much time is left on the lease, and what hours are you allowed to stay open?

To learn what these companies do, which licenses they need and how ownership works, read our full guide to buying a bar in Florida.

Owning a company in Orlando and Central Florida

The local economy

This region covers Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Sumter and Marion counties: Orlando, Winter Park, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Sanford, Clermont, Leesburg, Ocala and the large retirement communities of Sumter and Lake counties. Tourism is what the area is best known for, built on the theme parks, the hotels, the vacation rental homes around Kissimmee and the Orange County Convention Center. It's far from the only business. The University of Central Florida and the military simulation and training offices near it support a technology base, and health care is a major employer.

Marion County is horse country, with thoroughbred farms around Ocala, and it has added warehouses and distribution centers along Interstate 75. Retirees in Sumter and Lake create steady demand for medical practices, home care, home maintenance and auto services. The building trades, restaurants, and companies that serve hotels and rental homes do well across the region.

What's different about owning a company here

Central Florida is inland, so storm surge isn't the worry it is on the coasts. Hurricanes still bring wind damage and flooding, though: Hurricane Ian flooded neighborhoods in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties in 2022. Ask whether the business or its customers were affected.

Tourism keeps demand steadier through the year than in markets that depend on winter residents, with busy stretches around school holidays. Hotels, parks and restaurants compete hard for workers, which pushes up wages for any company that hires hourly staff. New homes have spread fast in Osceola, south Lake and southeast Orange counties and around Ocala, so check whether a company's customers are in growing areas or older ones. Traffic on Interstate 4 limits how much ground a service company can cover in a day.