Business Rates Guide

Business Rates for Restaurants & Cafes

Restaurants face tight margins at the best of times. Make sure you are not overpaying on business rates too.

location_on

Free, instant check. No email required.

verifiedVOA-Registered Agent
paymentsFlat £99/year
shieldMoney-back guarantee
savingsKeep 100% of savings

Common Issues for Restaurants & Cafes

These are the most frequent problems we find when checking business rates for restaurants & cafes.

1

Restaurant valuations often use Zone A pricing similar to shops, which can overvalue properties with large kitchen and storage areas

2

RHL Relief provides valuable discounts for restaurants, but many operators have not confirmed it is applied

3

Delivery-focused and takeaway restaurants may be valued on the wrong basis compared to traditional dine-in restaurants

4

Rising costs across the hospitality sector make it more important than ever to ensure your rates bill is correct

Reliefs That May Apply to Your Restaurant

We check every available relief as part of your property assessment. These are the most common for restaurants & cafes.

restaurant

Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Relief

40% (2025-26)

40% relief for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses in 2025-26.

store

Small Business Rate Relief

Up to 100%

Up to 100% off your rates bill if you occupy a single property with a rateable value under £15,000.

domain_disabled

Empty Property Relief

100% (time-limited)

No rates to pay for the first 3 months your property is empty (6 months for warehouses and industrial).

Example Savings

A typical restaurant with a rateable value of £22,000.

Current Bill

£10,978

/year

Potential Saving

£3,800

35% per year

Optimised Bill

£7,178

/year

Example for illustration only. Actual savings depend on individual property circumstances, location, and applicable reliefs.

How We Help Restaurants & Cafes

1
search

Check

We compare your restaurant's rateable value against VOA data for similar properties and check for RHL Relief, Small Business Rate Relief.

2
gavel

Challenge

If we find you're overcharged, we write to your council for relief claims and submit a formal Check and Challenge to the VOA on your behalf.

3
shield

Protect

Year-round monitoring, compliance handling, and annual reviews. You keep 100% of your savings.

One plan, one price

£99/year

Check, challenge, monitoring, compliance. No percentage fees.

searchCheck My Restaurant

Check Your Restaurant's Rates in 60 Seconds

Free, instant check. No email required. See your savings potential and find out if you are overpaying.

Restaurants & Cafes: Frequently Asked Questions

How are restaurant business rates calculated?expand_more
Restaurants are usually valued using a combination of the Zone A method (similar to shops) and adjustments for kitchen, storage, and ancillary areas. The VOA considers the size, layout, and location of your premises. Non-trading areas like kitchens are typically valued at lower rates per square metre than the main dining area.
Does RHL Relief apply to my restaurant?expand_more
Restaurants, cafes, and takeaways generally qualify for Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Relief. This can provide a meaningful discount on your rates bill when available. Your local council should apply it, but we recommend checking it is correctly reflected on your bill.
I run a takeaway or delivery kitchen. Are my rates different?expand_more
Takeaways and dark kitchens may be classified differently by the VOA. If your property is primarily used for food preparation and delivery rather than dine-in, the valuation method and comparables used should reflect that. We check your SCAT classification to ensure it matches your actual use.
Can I reduce my rates if my restaurant is seasonal?expand_more
Seasonal trading patterns alone do not automatically reduce your rateable value, as the VOA values based on a hypothetical tenancy. However, if your property is genuinely empty for extended periods, you may qualify for Empty Property Relief during those periods, and the VOA valuation should reflect seasonal factors if comparable evidence supports it.