Restaurant companies in the Southend-on-Sea area
600 restaurant companies have a registered office in the Southend-on-Sea area (SS postcodes), and 130 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £22,688 in cash and owed £60,686 at year end.
The numbers
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Registered companies | 600 | 54,142 |
| Formed in 2025 or 2026 | 130 (22%) | 27% |
| Being struck off or in liquidation | 124 (21%) | 21% |
| Typical cash at year end | £22,688213 accounts | £23,201 |
| Typical amount owed at year end | £60,686316 accounts | £62,010 |
| Typical number of employees | 5321 accounts | 6 |
What this means if you’re starting one
More of these companies are closing than in most trades
12% of restaurant companies in the Southend-on-Sea area (SS postcodes) are currently being struck off, against 7.3% 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 restaurant company in the Southend-on-Sea area (SS postcodes) holds £22,688 in cash and owes £60,686; that cash figure is lower than 54% 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 restaurant companies in the Southend-on-Sea area (SS postcodes) report net assets of -£20,332 or less; the median is £5,926 (288 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 Southend-on-Sea?
Answer two questions about your customer and what makes you different, and get a free three-week plan to test the idea before you spend real money. No account or card.
Check my ideaWhat 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.
Restaurant in other places
- Norwich583 companies
- Chelmsford476 companies
- Peterborough476 companies
- Ipswich353 companies
- London11,111 companies
- Birmingham1,492 companies
- Manchester1,395 companies
- Glasgow1,334 companies
Other businesses in Southend-on-Sea
- Buy-to-let landlord2,267 companies
- Business consultancy1,683 companies
- Dog grooming and other personal services1,466 companies
- Electrician984 companies
- IT support or consultancy983 companies
- Handyman975 companies
- Online shop921 companies
- Takeaway and street food783 companies