TILLYS OF MIDHURST
Highly Regarded Café – Affluent West Sussex Location – Turnkey Restart Opportunity
OVERVIEW
Tillys of Midhurst presents an excellent opportunity to acquire a well-established and highly regarded café business, located in the heart of the affluent market town of Midhurst, West Sussex.
The business traded successfully for approximately 8 years, building a strong reputation for high-quality food, friendly service, and a consistently welcoming atmosphere. It became a well-known destination within the town, supported by a loyal base of repeat customers and strong word-of-mouth recommendations.
The business has now ceased trading. However, this creates a significant opportunity for a new owner to step into a fully fitted premises and relaunch immediately. With all infrastructure in place, this represents a genuine turnkey restart opportunity without the cost, delay, and risk of starting from scratch.
LOCATION
Midhurst is one of West Sussex’s most desirable and affluent market towns, positioned within the South Downs National Park. The area benefits from a strong local economy, high levels of disposable income, and consistent tourism throughout the year.
The town attracts a mix of residents and visitors, including high-net-worth individuals drawn to nearby attractions such as Cowdray Park, creating a strong and stable trading environment.
Key location benefits include:
- Affluent and high-spending customer demographic
- Strong year-round tourism and visitor footfall
- Established independent retail and café scene
- Consistent local trade alongside seasonal uplift
- Excellent reputation as a premium lifestyle destination
BUSINESS MODEL
The business operates as a traditional daytime café, offering breakfast, brunch, light lunches, and a range of hot and cold beverages.
One of the most compelling aspects of the business is its historically limited trading pattern. Operating for approximately 21 hours per week across four days, it has still achieved strong levels of turnover and profitability, clearly demonstrating underlying demand.
Operational highlights include:
- Simple, proven café model
- Owner-operated structure
- Approximately 16 internal covers
- Additional external seating
- Efficient layout supporting strong service flow
This provides a clear opportunity for a new owner to increase revenue through extended hours and additional trading days.
MARKETING & DIGITAL PRESENCE
Tillys of Midhurst has built a strong and credible online presence, which has been instrumental in driving trade.
The business benefits from consistently high ratings across major review platforms, with a significant volume of positive customer feedback. Reviews regularly reference the quality of the food, friendly service, and overall customer experience, reinforcing the strength of the brand.
Key highlights include:
- Strong ratings across Google and TripAdvisor
- Large volume of positive customer reviews
- Established reputation within the local community
- Active social media presence supporting engagement
- High levels of repeat business and referrals
This provides a solid platform for a new owner to relaunch and quickly re-establish trade.
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
The business has historically delivered strong performance relative to its size and operating hours.
- Annual Turnover: £87,000
- Net Profit: £25,000
These figures have been achieved on a restricted trading schedule, which highlights the opportunity to increase revenue through extended hours and a more proactive operating approach.
From a buyer’s perspective, the business currently represents a solid owner-operator opportunity, with clear scope for income growth.
ASSETS & FIT-OUT
The business is being sold with a fully fitted café setup, enabling immediate recommencement of trading. The premises are well presented and equipped with all essential catering and service equipment.
Included within the sale:
- Commercial coffee machine
- Commercial dishwasher
- Commercial convection oven
- Fixtures and fittings
- Internal seating
Estimated second-hand asset value:
• £10,000 – £15,000
The cost to replicate this setup would be significantly higher, offering immediate value and reducing upfront capital expenditure.
TENURE & TERMS
The business is offered on a leasehold basis with favourable terms that support profitability.
- Tenure: Leasehold
- Lease Remaining: Approximately 6 years
- Rent: £9,000 per annum
The relatively low rent is a key strength, helping to maintain strong margins and reduce financial risk. The business also benefits from Business Rates exemption, further reducing overhead costs.
CURRENT POSITION
The business is currently not trading, providing a clean and straightforward handover for a new owner.
Importantly, the premises remain fully equipped and ready for immediate reopening, meaning there is no requirement for a costly refit or setup period.
Key points:
- Fully fitted and operational setup in place
- Immediate relaunch opportunity
- No initial capital expenditure required for fit-out
- Flexibility to retain or rebrand the concept
- Established goodwill within the local market
This type of opportunity is rarely available, particularly in a location of this quality and as the business is currently not trading, there will be minimal or no stock included within the sale.
GROWTH POTENTIAL
There is clear and immediate scope to increase both turnover and profitability under new ownership.
Opportunities include:
- Extending opening hours beyond current levels
- Introducing weekend and evening trading
- Expanding takeaway and delivery services
- Increasing marketing and social media activity
- Leveraging local tourism and events
The historic performance demonstrates a strong base, with significant upside available through relatively simple operational changes.
ASKING PRICE
Offers in the Region of £49,950 + SAV (Stock at Value)
SUMMARY
Tillys of Midhurst represents a compelling opportunity to acquire a well-known café business in a prime and affluent trading location.
The combination of strong historic performance, excellent customer reputation, low overheads, and a fully fitted premises creates a highly attractive proposition for a new owner.
Ideal for:
- Owner-operators
- First-time buyers entering the sector
- Buyers seeking a lifestyle business
- Experienced operators looking for a relaunch opportunity
With the ability to recommence trading immediately and scale the business through straightforward improvements, this is a rare and accessible opportunity in a premium location.
NEXT STEPS
All enquiries are strictly confidential, and viewings will be arranged by appointment only.
Goodwins Business Brokers
1 Phoenix Riverside, Sheffield Road, Rotherham, S60 1FL
Tel: 0330 236 7030
Email: [email protected]
