Lively Broad Street Bar | Kitchen | From £800/mo

There's currently no food. The bar opened three years ago with a drinks-only concept and it's worked, but the owner has reached the same conclusion as many late-night operators: customers who eat stay longer and spend more. The service counter faces the bar, so whatever you're cooking becomes part of the atmosphere — food theatre works here. The kitchen is compact at 200 square feet, so keep the concept tight. Tacos, smash burgers, or loaded fries — something that works fast and pairs with cocktails. The previous space assessment suggested a two-person kitchen operation maximum. The extraction handles smoke and steam but won't cope with heavy deep-frying in a continuous service. Reading's tech-worker population gives the after-work crowd more disposable income than you'd find in most regional cities. These are people earning London-adjacent salaries — a £10-£12 bar food menu is well within their comfort zone. The short commitment and low base rent make this a low-risk way to test whether your concept works in a late-night South East market.