Anyone know of rules for running a tavern or inn?

[Arravis]

Anyone know of rules for running a tavern or inn? What kind of expenses would you have? What kind of profit, etc? This is specificly for a village of 700 or so. Thanks guys!

 

[Crothian]

Take a look out how much they are charging and what services they offer. How big is the place? How many people do they need to run it and how well are they paid?

Or the simple way: Proffesion Innkeeper. Make a check oncea week. Half the check is how much gold is earned that week.

See Profession skill pg 72 PHB.

 

[SableWyvern]

Depending on your local laws, you'll be needing a liquor licence of some sort. Are you planning to provide accomodation, or is this more of a nightclub thing? You'll probably need some kind of planning permit, and you'll need to look into zoning as well. Profit? Heh. By the time you've actually covered your start-up expenses, it's going to be time to sell it off to someone else. You're profit comes by increasing the sale value....
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Oh. You mean in game....

Damn, I'm funny.

Some of that stuff may remain relevant.

 

[Arravis]

An Innkeeper isn't necessarily the owner of the inn. Anyone know of any rules for this that don't require a business degree? I've never run a business myself and really don't have the slightest clue of whats involved.

 

[BButler]

An Innkeeper isn't necessarily the owner of the inn. Anyone know of any rules for this that don't require a business degree? I've never run a business myself and really don't have the slightest clue of whats involved.

I don't know, but isn't this the type of stuff you'd find in the Tournaments, Fairs and Taverns book by Natural 20?

 

[Henry]

Darnit, BButler beat me to it!

http://www.enworld.org/d20reviews.asp?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=ttf

 

[SableWyvern]

Nope. No idea on actual rules.

Working out expense and income sources would be a good start though. If you could work out approximate values for each, you would get an average profit/loss.

Once off (or rarely recurring) expenses:
Purchase of land/building (if not leasing)
Furnishings/Refurbishment
Brewing Equipment
Initial stocks of food/drink
Cash float


Regular Expenses
Brewing ingredients
Other beverages not produced on site
Food
Firewood
Staff (cook x 2, serving wench x 2, manager, odd-job boy??, stable-hand)
Repairs after revelry
Entertainment
Advertising
Rental (if property not owned)
Taxes (including licencing if necessary)

Income Sources
Drinks
Food
Stabling
Lodging

How many patrons are you expecting? Do you have competition? Are you offering stabling? What drinks are you brewing on site?

(Cost per drink - cost to purchase - tax paid) x expected sales = cash income per night from drinks.

Keep in mind that medieval beer and many other drinks did not "keep" and had to be brewed and brought in fresh on a regular basis.

 

[Arravis]

Nope, it's not. That Tournaments, Fairs and Taverns has stuff on tavern games, getting drunk, etc, not on running a tavern. Zip on that.

 

[Oracular Vision]

Geez, you buy grog cheap, water it down, and sell it to the marks...what is so complicated about that?

 

[Arravis]

Anyone here have a clue how much firewood a tavern goes through a night? What percentage of the townsfolk would visit per night? How much one patron drinks...
There are just too many variables. I want to have the tavern make a semi-reasonable or realistic amount of money, but I don't have a clue what that would be. In a trade-way village of 700, would 10 gp a month profit be about right? Would 200 gp? I don't have a clue.