Party and event venues for sale in Montevideo and Uruguay

Future bookings and deposits collected

Events already booked are future sales, but also commitments the buyer will have to honour. During due diligence, it is worth checking the calendar of committed events, amounts, deposits collected and balances outstanding, while respecting client confidentiality, and putting in writing who keeps the deposits and who is responsible for each event after signing.

Where the revenue comes from

An event is charged in parts: venue hire, food, bar, decoration, sound. It helps to understand how revenue is split across those items, and which parts the venue provides itself and which are outsourced. If the venue operates inside a restaurant or coffee shop, it is also worth knowing how much events weigh in the total.

Events per month

The number of events per month over at least the last year shows when the venue is busy and when it is not. That tells you what income has to cover fixed costs in the quiet months.

Permitted capacity and hours

In Montevideo, a party venue is category A1 if it has more than 200 square metres and A2 if it has 200 or less. In both cases the limit is one person per square metre of floor area for the public, and the authorised capacity and opening hours must be posted on a visible sign (Decreto JDM 36.615). Compare that capacity, and the one in the approval from Bomberos (the national fire department), with the size of the events held today.

Categories (D.2856.3) · Capacity (D.3146.30)

Soundproofing and permits

Public entertainment venues, party venues included, must have acoustic insulation. They also need the permit from the Intendencia de Montevideo (the city government) for public entertainment venues, which requires the final Bomberos approval, the commercial permit, the Mechanical and Electrical Installations permit, the food regulation permit and a guarantee deposit based on capacity.

Ask for the documentation and acoustic insulation tests that apply to the premises, as well as the current permit. After recorded noise violations, the Intendencia can require sound-logging systems or noise limiters (Digesto, D.3146.37): ask whether the venue has one installed.

Acoustic insulation (D.3146.36) · Sound logging and limiters (D.3146.37) · Public entertainment permit

Owned or rented equipment

Sound, lighting, tableware, furniture and kitchen equipment can belong to the business or be rented for each event. What the business owns goes into the inventory; what is rented is an ongoing cost, and you should know from which supplier and on what terms.

In-house or external catering

If the venue cooks, that kitchen needs a food safety permit. If it works with external caterers, check on what terms and whether there is an exclusivity arrangement.

How bookings come in

Instagram, Google, referrals, event planners, companies. If a significant share of bookings depends on business relationships the owner has built, it may be worth agreeing on a handover that helps keep those relationships going.

Which digital assets are transferred

Trade name, domain, social media accounts, phone number, Google profile and customer database, the latter to the extent that personal data law allows. Everything that is transferred must be listed in the inventory.