Why So Many Restaurants For Sale?

TEAM said:

In July we visited Cabarete in order to check out a restaurant business that we were interested in purchasing. The deal did not work out, so we have been looking for other restaurant properties. We are becoming suspicious because there are so many for sale in Cabarete. It appears more restaurants are for sale than not. We thought that the area was an up and coming tourist spot, so why do so many people want to sell? Is there something that we should be aware of in regards to Cabarete? Does it have anything to do with the fact that you can usually buy the "business" but only lease the land/building from another party?
Anyone who can provide insight into this, please reply.
Thanks in advance,
Ed, Matt, Theresa, & Amanda:surprised

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EVERYTHING is 4-Sale here... which doesn't mean it's ON-SALE.
Many just fly a kite, some need and will love you to death if you only buy'em out an give'em a lift to the closest airport.
It's said to be paradise and those who come for a week-10 days have yet to tell the apple trees apart from the cocoteros. Apple trees are historically a huge issues when it comes to paradises.
Restaurant and bar operations are the most typical "paradise" dream biz of so many. Then, those who fell for it, discover it's a LOT of work, there's a LOT of competition and there's seasonality (tourist season on and off... actually mostly OFF). So they want out and/or fly a kite.
Only a few are successful with those types of operations... and even they will fly a kite, because they know they can repeat the same success somewhere else... while their buyer will likely never grow into any competition.


This is not only true for the DR, I've seen this in most all "dream" locations.

... J-D.

Oh I see - TEAM has posted twice. I responded here:
http://www.dr1.com/forums/north-coast/66408-cabarete-restaurants-sale.html#post556741

Too many people come here with idea to open a restaurant, beach bar, or what have you. Remember many hotels are AI, so thought the tourist population is large, the number of potential customers is lower.

All over the world there are restaurant problems. Only a few make it big time.

Whiy do you think that Sosua or Cabarete really needs the restaurant you want to have? Why would people leave other restaurants to eat at yours?

This is a tough audience. If you can convinced us, maybe you can convince others. But if it is just another restaurant, save your money.