Small tiki bar with your own premises

Groups of friends, couples, birthday and party bookings, and after-work drinkers in a town or city centre.

Drinks sales, with higher-priced signature cocktails and sharing serves. Extras can include snacks, private hire and ticketed events.

• Cocktail making, or willingness to hire and train staff
• Customer service
• Stock control and budgeting
• Creating a consistent theme and atmosphere

• A premises licence to sell alcohol is needed, and a personal licence holder is normally required as designated premises supervisor. Check the rules for your part of the UK
• Planning permission or change of use may be needed for the unit, so check with the council before signing a lease
• Register as a food business with your local council if you serve food, and check food hygiene requirements
• Public liability insurance, plus employer's liability once you hire staff
• High fixed costs such as rent, business rates and staff wages, so test your numbers carefully
• Music licences may be needed for playing recorded music, so check what applies

Startup costs are typically around £40,000 to £150,000, depending on the unit, lease, fit-out, licensing, stock and how much theming you do. These are estimates, so test your own numbers carefully, especially fixed costs like rent and wages.

Monthly revenue is typically around £15,000 to £60,000, depending on location, opening hours, pricing and how busy you are. High fixed costs such as rent, business rates and staff wages mean revenue is not profit. These are estimates only.

Check that you have a premises licence to sell alcohol and a personal licence holder as designated premises supervisor, as rules vary across the UK. Also check planning or change of use, food business registration, insurance and music licences.