Howies Restaurant Group owners to sell off business

Scottish based restaurant group Howies has been put on the market following its owner’s decision to sell off the business.

The unlicensed restaurants – four in Edinburgh and one in Aberdeen – which are all said to be trading successfully, are available either as a group or individually.

Set up in 1990, the group opened its first site in St Leonard Street Edinburgh before going on to operate more in the capital as well as Aberdeen, St Andrews and Dundee.

Kath Byrnes, operations director for Howies, told BigHospitality that the current owners felt ‘unable to devote enough attention to the business’ because they are based overseas, hence their decision to sell the business as a going concern.

“The availability of the five units throughout Edinburgh and Aberdeen represent a superb opportunity for a motivated individual or operator. Purchasers will inherit a high quality and high calibre business with a motivated staff and management team already in place,” she said.

The restaurants and their sale price, which are available through property agents Christie & Co are:

  • 50/52 Chapel Street, Aberdeen, with offers over £50,000 invited for the leasehold interest
  • 10-14 Victoria Street, Edinburgh, with offers over £170,000 invited for the leasehold interest
  • 29 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, with offers over £130,000 invited for the leasehold interest
  • 208 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, with offers over £75,000 invited for the leasehold interest
  • 1/1 Alva Street, Edinburgh, with offers over £60,000 invited for the leasehold interest

Barry McNeil, associate director of Christie & Co, said: “Individually they represent a strategically well-positioned and well-performing restaurant. As a group they offer existing operators an opportunity to expand while giving new investors to the sector a chance to create a significant presence in the Scottish restaurant scene.”