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Pub or bar companies in Edinburgh

434 pub or bar companies have a registered office in Edinburgh, and 103 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £30,187 in cash and owed £74,312 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Public houses and bars” (SIC 56302).

The numbers

Pub or bar companies in Edinburgh compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureEdinburghUK
Registered companies43433,937
Formed in 2025 or 2026103 (24%)26%
Being struck off or in liquidation88 (20%)19%
Typical cash at year end£30,187134 accounts£20,671
Typical amount owed at year end£74,312204 accounts£54,849
Typical number of employees5207 accounts5

What this means if you’re starting one

More of these companies are closing than in most trades

15% of pub or bar companies in Edinburgh are currently being struck off, against 7.1% of all companies there. Nationally that rate is higher than 96% of UK industries.

Closures run high here. It is a churn signal, not a survival rate, but it means the common failure points are worth learning before you start.

Cash is tight in this trade

At year end the typical pub or bar company in Edinburgh holds £30,187 in cash and owes £74,312; that cash figure is lower than 59% of UK industries.

Typical operators end the year holding less cash than they owe, so there is little slack if takings dip or a big bill lands early.

At least a quarter of these companies owe more than they own

The lowest quarter of pub or bar companies in Edinburgh report net assets of -£11,597 or less; the median is £13,126 (187 filings).

Many operators are propped up by loans, unpaid bills or money from the owner rather than by profit kept in the business. It is easy to keep going for longer than the numbers justify.

Planning a business like this in Edinburgh?

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Pub or bar in other places

Other businesses in Edinburgh

All business benchmarks in Edinburgh