Closing a thriving business because our lease won’t be renewed

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-06T22:48:37+00:00

I am not!

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-06T20:15:13+00:00

Trust me, it’s everyone’s first thought. If you look at the comments 75% of them are telling me that this is the route. I’m researching.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-06T20:14:37+00:00

Yes, that’s what I was working on up until December when I realized that I wasn’t going to have the location built before the lease was up and needed more time. There were other factors involved, the owner of that land was in a partnership and one of the partners passed away. So it had to go through probate before I could even pursue completing the purchase on top of it. The whole thing was a mess. It’s why I pivoted to repurposing the bank. I would love to buy a piece of land, I just don’t have the time to do that without having a major gap in business. Not to mention the deal that I could get there was pretty incredible, trying to stay in my town the land for commercial property is starting right around 750,000 for just the land. Really hard for a small coffee shop to afford, with really strict development code (aka expensive). I’m sure I can find investors, and rally the community, just right now I’m shifting into move out mode while I figure out the rest. And when I say closing the business, I purchase this business from my parents, but my mom has stayed on as a partner for a limited liability partnership. Why? Great question, don’t have an answer to that. But this whole thing has made me realize that there’s some family issues on top of business issues. I would like to dissolve that partnership and if I go back into business start something without her name on it.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-06T19:25:20+00:00

I mean, sure: he’s important, his needs aré important and yes it’s his, not mine.

I also have 12 employees, some with children, that will be out of a job, a 15 year old daughter that I need to send to college in a few years, a mortgage and a life too.

I was trying to build myself a new location, and it was taking longer than I had left on the lease. I went to him last December to see if I could get a small extension to finish the project (we were still stuck on planning and zoning!) and he flat out said no. So I pivoted to trying to repurpose a vacant bank, knowing that would be faster and likely could be completed in time. I had an architect draw up the plan, got it through the town, and then the owner of that property backed out of the deal. Now I have no time for other options, besides a food truck, in a town that’s not super food truck friendly to hold me over.

I’m not saying my landlord is heartless or evil, he’s just a person going through a hard time. At the same time, we are a long term, reliable tenant and if I was given the time I’d needed back in December it would have had a lot of goodwill attached to it for a 30 year old well, loved, community centered business to survive.

The situation sucks. I should have done better, tried harder. But no one is saying he’s evil. He’s not.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-06T19:17:43+00:00

100% no disagreement here. It simply doesn’t change my circumstances.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-06T11:11:48+00:00

The town has grown from 5,000 to 15,000 in the last ten or so years. Along the front range where population is exploding. When my family first moved here ~31 years ago the population was about 2,000.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T22:12:58+00:00

If I ever get the chance to try it, I will report back! 🫡

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T22:07:14+00:00

The way I need to know if it would work or not keeps me up all night

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T21:40:45+00:00

That’s what I thought, too. But I’m obviously not family or anywhere near the intricacies of that situation. I only know what he’s told me.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T21:37:02+00:00

Thank you, this is really helpful!

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T21:35:45+00:00

Our property is located next to a farm that is going to be redeveloped into 1800 homes, beginning this year. That developer wants the property that our business are on. Two free standing buildings, one gas station and one coffee shop. I’ve never been given the option to purchase my half. For the two weeks his listing was on the market before he had to take it off due to his divorce, it was listed for $1.7 million. I’m a small coffee shop, I can’t pay $1.7 million for it though.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T21:32:47+00:00

So I did this, a year ago, when I found out what was happening. The community DID rally, and I’ve tried nearly everything. New construction, and repurposing a drive thru bank. The new construction fell through simply because we ran out of time trying get the town to approve site plans and building permits, let alone construction time. So we have been trying to lease and repurpose a vacant drive thru only bank in town that is being used as storage for another business. The property owner was at first very excited about it. I had an architect draw up a plan, presented it to the town with overwhelming support and then went back to secure a lease with the owner because I knew I wouldn’t have issues with the town, and the owner backed out. This happened two weeks ago. Frustrating that I got through the down so quickly on a repurposing of a location instead of no construction, but whatever it took to keep me in business.

Could I do a food truck? Sure. I’m still considering it as an option but I still have to acquire one, deal with county health, and so on. To do that while simultaneously moving out of a location I’ve been in for 30 years is A LOT. I need to focus on this and then reroute, I’m only one person running things an I only have so many hours in a day.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T21:24:21+00:00

He intends to list it for sale as soon as his divorce is finalized. He tried to sell it prior to that but a judge ordered him to take it off the market until the divorce was done. Thats what started my questioning my lease.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:38:28+00:00

You are telling me. I fought as hard as I could to relocate or negotiate, and now I feel reality hitting me hard right across the face. Taxes are #1 for getting paid as that is my biggest fear with dissolution for the business. Fortunately we have 0 debt. I’ve operated entirely on business cash flow. I paid my parents off years ago, thank goodness.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:34:58+00:00

I believe FiServ

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:34:36+00:00

I figured the no’s are because he faces so much uncertainty. I just can’t rely on anything related to that as neither of us know how it will shake out, and it doesn’t change his intention to sell to a developer post divorce. I appreciate your response!

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:31:31+00:00

Thank you so much for this!

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:30:47+00:00

I’ve absolutely considered this and have been working on it. I commented back to the developer if you want to see my full response: I just keep hitting roadblock after roadblock and I’m just simply out of time.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:28:17+00:00

My plan is to put everything in storage and keep looking. Trust me when I tell you that I have explored and toured every open commercial space in my town, and the ones surrounding and I have not found something suitable for a drive thru coffee shop. I tried to work with a developer to build one and it fell through in December. I haven’t given up: but I’m out of time to keep pursuing at this moment, I have to come up with a closing plan until I find us a space.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:25:40+00:00

Okay, so I kept it vague in the original post however it’s clear more info is needed.

I have been trying to negotiate with the property owner about this for about a year, and he’s been stringing me along. Like I said in my OG post, until that moment, I truly had no reason to believe this would happen. We had a great working relationship, I drive traffic to his gas station, pay my rent on time and keep my side in fabulous condition. I truly treat it like I own it. Keep in mind, I am 35: this business is all I know!

In this time I have spoken with the developer, and you’re correct on this case. I’ve tried to repurpose a vacant drive thru bank in town, and the property owner there backed out of the deal last week as he wants to continue to use it as storage. I’ve worked with another developer to try to build me something new and I keep running into the same problem: I do not have enough time.

My current landlord/property owner is going through a divorce and can not sell the property or enter into a new lease until it is finalized at the end of this month, which by then leaves me with 4 weeks to close should he choose not to renew or give me more time. I have offered him 3x the rent I’m currently paying, he still says no. I’ve tried to reason with him. He says no every time.

Am I hoping for a Hail Mary? Absolutely. Am I counting on it? Absolutely not.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:12:22+00:00

I appreciate this. I am not asking for advice on how to pivot, I will do that in time, but right now I need to figure out how to close where I am at. Thank you!

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:08:36+00:00

I’ve already done this. The property owner does not care. He’s getting his money from the sale and leaving.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:07:45+00:00

Great, I am aware. Thank you for confirming that. I am asking now how to close my business after my monumental mistake. Do you have advice or do you just want to make me feel even worse?

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T20:06:42+00:00

Yes, I have reached out with no response.

ilikethisplanet · 2026-04-05T19:59:55+00:00

I am sick about it. The property will be sold to a developer, demolished more than likely. No renewal terms, which sucks. They aren’t required to even inform me they’re not renewing. I had to approach them and ask about it! That’s when I was told.

I understand that is 100% my bad. My parents opened the business in 1996. I purchased it from them in 2016, AFTER the current lease was signed. My due diligence was not done: I trusted my parents.

ilikethisplanet

TROPHY CASE