Buying a bar in Space Coast and Volusia

• 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.

• 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.

• 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?

This region covers Brevard, Volusia and Flagler counties: Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, DeLand, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach and Palm Coast. Brevard's economy is built around space. Rockets launch often from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and aerospace and defense manufacturers and their suppliers employ engineers, technicians and machinists across the county. Port Canaveral is a major cruise port.

Volusia depends more on tourism, beaches and big events, with Daytona's motorsports and motorcycle rallies drawing crowds. Health care and a large retired population matter too. Flagler County, around Palm Coast, is mostly residential. Machine shops, electrical and engineering firms, home service companies, marine businesses and restaurants all have a place here.

Brevard's fortunes follow the space and defense programs. A company that sells to aerospace firms should be able to show you how many customers it depends on and how secure their work is. Business in Volusia spikes around big events and the winter season, so look at revenue by month.

The whole coast faces storm risk. In 2022, Hurricane Ian brought flooding to much of Volusia, and Hurricane Nicole, which came ashore near Vero Beach six weeks later, washed away beaches and seawalls along the Volusia coast. Beachfront property needs careful insurance and structural checks. The Indian River Lagoon and the St. Johns River make boating and fishing part of daily life, which keeps the marine trades busy. Palm Coast and the Palm Bay area have added many new homes, and companies serving those areas have grown with them.