Colliers launches free real estate helpdesk for independent London restaurants

Property advisory firm Colliers International has launched a free helpdesk to provide London's independent restaurant, retail, and leisure companies with real estate advice during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The helpdesk will also offer guidance to landlords and is due to be rolled out nationwide at a later stage.

Colliers' panel of property experts will be on hand daily to provide support to occupiers and landlords, helping them to look at their options and offer property-related guidance where possible on areas such as lease and rent renegotiations, deferring or cancelling payments, business rates, insolvency and restructuring, and debt advice and government assistance schemes.

Josh Leon, head of central London restaurants at Colliers International, said: "Many of London's defining and most loved businesses are small independents run by brave, passionate and driven entrepreneurs and many of these are now at great risk. These businesses do not have big cash reserves and the financial support on offer is proving hard to access. It is a daily struggle for them.

"Their landlords are facing difficult decisions too. We must do all we can to help this sector or the true cost to London is hard to imagine. We hope that by offering to be on the end of the phone with some free professional guidance on some of these issues it might at least be helpful to some. The future of London's global appeal and the speed with which we collectively bounce back as a city will depend on the steps entrepreneurs and landlords take now."

For further information and to receive advice, fill out the form on the website and the team will respond with a call back or invitation to join a group discussion.

Photo: Shutterstock

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