Wickers World , Cafe, B&B Rooms and Owners Accommodation, Highland

PROPERTY TYPE

House

BEDROOMS

7

TENURE

Freehold

Attractive café ideally situated overlooking Wick harbour on the North Coast 500 route

Easy-to-operate business model with all year around trade

Profitable 86 cover café supported by generous service areas

Offering four substantial and recently renovated en-suite letting bedrooms with harbour views

Separate three-bedroom flat/owners accommodation with potential to be used as letting rooms if required

Wickers World is a popular and busy restaurant / café with rooms, overlooking the harbour in Wick. The business is successful and enjoys a consistent turnover level, but there is still potential to increase this significantly by extending opening hours, opening Sundays and utilising the letting rooms more effectively. The area is popular with locals and tourists alike, and there is a further captive customer base from the workers involved with the offshore Beatrice windfarm.

The business comprises 3 distinct properties located within one building on the harbour in the Highland Town of Wick. The property on offer provides a rare opportunity to purchase a prominent, versatile business which enjoys spectacular uninterrupted views over Wick Harbour and Marina. This substantial building originates from circa mid-1800s. Since purchasing the business in 2019 the vendors have undertaken an extensive sympathetic modernisation programme, presenting both the external and internal aspects in fantastic condition. There is ample parking for both personal and business use in and around the harbour area. The café itself is busy and popular, offering quality meals utilising a range of locally sourced products and with a reputation for delightful home baking. The premises are presented in excellent condition with immaculate décor throughout both the business operation areas and the owner?s accommodation.

Wickers World comes to the market ready to operate with no requirement for further significant capital investment. The current owners have carried out expensive refurbishment during their tenure, resulting in the turnkey opportunity on offer. The café sales account historically accounted for the majority of the turnover, but the current owners have invested in the self-catering rooms resulting in the provision of high-quality self-catering accommodation. The two / three bed flat is currently used as owners accommodation, however this would certainly make an extremely comfortable holiday let, with the appropriate statutory authority approvals.

TRADE

The business trades profitably and generates consistently high turnover with the resultant profitability. The Café opens 6 days a week from 9am to 4pm. There is scope to extend the opening hours to include both an evening service and Sunday opening. There is a capable team of full and part time staff. Full accounting information will be made available to seriously interested parties subsequent to viewing.

LOCATION

The population of Wick is approximately 7,500 but with a much broader catchment area. Tourism is one of the main sources of income to the county in the main season with the locale being highly popular with walkers, cyclists, ornithologists and anglers and is a popular stop on the North Coast 500 route which passes through the town. The Wick Heritage Centre also provides a steady stream of clientele as this museum is a popular attraction, which attracts a high level of visitors and thus the location to Wickers World is ideal. The harbour itself draws many tourists who enjoy the location or take a trip on the inflatable rib offering coastal tours. The area offers a host of interesting archaeological sites and tourist attractions which include The Castle of Mey, residence of the late Queen Mother. Day trips to the Orkney Islands are another option for tourists. Caithness is also highly popular with people retracing their roots as the surrounding area has a long association with the Highland clearances. The Old Pulteney distillery, the most northerly mainland distillery, is a popular attraction and the harbour itself was substantially renovated a few years ago bringing both commercial and domestic trade into the area. The Pentland Firth area is a centre for renewable energy which attracts commercial trade to the general area. Projects such as the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm site was set up to install and maintain up to 110 large offshore wind turbines.

One of the main towns on the North Coast 500 route, Wick is a great location to visit the many other local attractions along the A9 corridor and situated within the towns of Thurso, John O' Groats, Helmsdale, Golspie and Brora. In terms of infrastructure Wick is very well supported and benefits from Primary and Secondary education, good leisure facilities and communication links with a railway station and airport. Wick also has excellent medical facilities available locally.

THE PROPERTY

Wickers World is an exceptionally well-presented business with attractive and spacious owner?s accommodation. The business operation is laid out over three floors from street level, with a basement storage area. The property splits into 4 different use areas, all with direct access from the pavement; the café, the B&B, the owners accommodation and a storage area, which could be used as a separate complimentary retail space with its associated basement storage. The owners accommodation is set over two floors. The building is of traditional stone construction with pitched slate roof.

PUBLIC AREAS

This is a spacious, modern café which has been extended into 3 distinct sections providing 86 covers. Décor is light and bright with the facilities being of a good standard. Picture windows face the harbour and benefit from being double glazed. Furniture is wooden and practical with a country kitchen feel. Trade is consistent, with operating hours 9am to 4pm, 6 days a week, there is scope to offer evening service, as well as offer Sunday opening. Future potential is exciting given the recent redevelopment of the harbour. The clean and functional aspects of this business are evident, but it also presents a warm and welcoming atmosphere. With a stylish and practical laminate floor and attractive servery, the natural feel of this establishment is apparent. The service point has a good quality countertop and display areas. This first area is presently set to 14 covers. An opening leads into the second café area which is currently laid to 26 covers and continues with the same style of décor into the main portion of the property which is located to the front of the building which benefits from harbour views. Within this area are the toilets which are fitted out to a high standard; there is a ladies/disabled facility and a gents toilet.

LETTING BEDROOMS

Accessed externally, a private entry door is located on the pavement next to the main entrance to the café. A small reception area sits at the bottom of a staircase which leads up to the first and second floors. Two spacious and beautifully finished bedrooms are located at each level. All rooms a set with king size double beds, however the larger room on each floor could be set up as a family room. All rooms are en-suite and offer shower facilities. The letting room accommodation rooms benefit from recent refurbishment, stunning views over the harbour and are double glazed offering flat screen TVs, hospitality trays and hairdryers. There is storage on the upper two floors for linen and general housekeeping material.