Restaurant and bar furniture showroom

Restaurant, bar, café and hotel owners, plus fit-out contractors and interior designers buying for clients.

Markup on furniture sold in volume, plus delivery fees, custom finishes and repeat orders as venues expand or replace worn pieces.

• Sales and negotiation
• Stock and supplier management
• Customer service

• Lease costs and zoning; check with your municipality that retail or showroom use is allowed at the unit
• Tied-up cash in stock, which sells slowly if the range does not suit local venues
• Check fire and flammability standards for commercial seating in your province
• Check commercial general liability and property insurance, plus WCB/WSIB once you hire
• A municipal business licence is commonly required to operate a storefront, so check your municipality's licence and signage rules before trading, and Quebec's French-language rules if relevant
• Demand can follow the restaurant industry and local economy, so keep a cash buffer

Estimates are typically around $30,000 to $150,000, depending on the unit you lease, the sample pieces on display and how much stock you hold. Cash tied up in stock is a key risk if the range doesn't suit local venues.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on location, range and how many venue owners and contractors you win. Demand can follow the restaurant industry, so keep a cash buffer.

Check with your municipality that showroom or retail use is allowed at the unit, plus its business licence and signage rules. Also check fire and flammability standards for seating, insurance, WCB/WSIB once you hire, and Quebec's French-language rules.