How to evaluate a food-court unit before you buy

What food-court units does China Center list, and what do they cost?

The developer’s current inventory sheet lists four units under the food-court heading: FC3, FC4, FC9 and FC10. They are the largest units on the sheet, 570 to 617 sq ft each, and they carry the same rate as the lower-ground, first- and second-floor shops: Rs 40,000 per sq ft. That makes them the highest tickets in the building, from Rs 2.28 crore to Rs 2.468 crore. Every figure in this guide is taken from the developer’s current inventory sheet and is confirmed at booking.

Unlike a shop, a food-court unit has no printed floor on the sheet. The developer’s 8th-floor plan draws a food-court hall wrapped by a dining terrace, but the four FC units are not placed on it, so their floor is to be confirmed with the developer. Treat that as the first question to settle, not a detail to tidy up later: the floor decides how customers reach you, how your kitchen is serviced and which neighbours you trade beside.

• FC3 – 595 sq ft – Rs 2,38,00,000 (Rs 2.38 crore)
• FC4 – 595 sq ft – Rs 2,38,00,000 (Rs 2.38 crore)
• FC9 – 617 sq ft – Rs 2,46,80,000 (Rs 2.468 crore)
• FC10 – 570 sq ft – Rs 2,28,00,000 (Rs 2.28 crore)

How does the 30 / 24 / 10 plan work on a food-court unit?

The plan is the same as for every unit on the sheet: 30% down, 24 instalments of 2.5% each (60% in all) and 10% on possession. On a food-court ticket each stage is large, so work out every one before you commit. FC10 (570 sq ft) is Rs 2,28,00,000: Rs 68,40,000 down, then 24 instalments of Rs 5,70,000 each, and Rs 22,80,000 on possession. FC9 (617 sq ft) is Rs 2,46,80,000: Rs 74,04,000 down, 24 instalments of Rs 6,17,000 each and Rs 24,68,000 on possession. FC3 and FC4 (595 sq ft each) are Rs 2,38,00,000: Rs 71,40,000 down, 24 instalments of Rs 5,95,000 each and Rs 23,80,000 on possession.

The sheet does not say how often the instalments fall: the instalment schedule is confirmed at booking. Ask for it in writing, with the amount and due date of each instalment, and pay only by cheque or pay order to Creation Developers (Pvt) Ltd, the payee named on the developer’s commercial payment plan. Keep every receipt. The payment plan page (/payment-plan) sets out the mechanics for every price on the sheet.

How does a food-court unit compare with buying shops?

Per square foot, nothing is different: the food-court rate is the same Rs 40,000 as the lower ground, first and second floors, and below the Rs 55,000 ground-floor rate. The difference is size and use. The smallest food-court unit, FC10, is 570 sq ft; the largest shop on the sheet, SF01 on the second floor, is 306 sq ft at Rs 1,22,40,000. For roughly the price of FC10 you could, on paper, buy several smaller shops instead: five 100 sq ft lower-ground shops such as LG45, at Rs 40,00,000 each, come to Rs 2,00,00,000.

That comparison is the honest core of the decision. A food-court unit concentrates your money in one space intended for one kind of trade – cooking and serving food. Several shops spread it across units that could suit a wider range of uses, though each needs its own paperwork and fit-out. Neither is better in general; the answer depends on whether you, or an operator you already know, will run a food business. The guide to choosing between a shop, a food-court unit and an apartment (/guides/shops-vs-food-court-vs-apartments) sets the three side by side.

What services does a food-court unit need, and what should I ask?

A restaurant kitchen asks far more of a building than a retail counter does. None of the following is published for China Center’s food-court units, which is exactly why you should ask for each in writing before booking, and note who pays for any work involved.

If an answer comes back as “to be decided”, record that too. A unit whose services are unconfirmed is a unit whose final cost is unconfirmed, and that belongs in your sums before you pay a down payment of Rs 68,40,000 or more.

• The confirmed floor and exact position of the unit, marked on a copy of the plan
• Gas: whether a connection is provided to the unit, and of what type
• Kitchen exhaust and ventilation: the route, and who installs the ducting
• The electrical load allocated to the unit, and how it is metered
• Water supply and drainage, including grease-trap arrangements
• Fire-safety requirements for cooking, and who fits the equipment
• Shared seating: whether hall or terrace seating is common area, and how it is managed
• Service charges: how they are calculated, and from when they start

Can I know what a food-court unit will earn?

No, and anyone who gives you a figure for China Center is guessing. There is no published rent, no trading history and no signed tenant for any unit. The owner’s planned focus for the 8th floor is restaurants and terrace dining; that is the owner’s plan for the floor, not a signed tenant, a lease or a promise of footfall. Ask at booking what it means for your trade.

What you can do is build your own case. If you intend to operate, cost your own business: fit-out, kitchen equipment, staff and stock, set against a realistic view of who your customers will be. If you intend to let the unit, talk to restaurant operators about what they would need from a space of 570 to 617 sq ft and what they would expect to pay, and test that against the full cost of the unit, including every stage of the plan and any charges. The investment page (/investment) explains how to evaluate China Center on its published numbers.

Allow for time as well. Nothing is earned from the unit before possession, and no possession date is published, so plan to fund the down payment and all 24 instalments from your own resources.

What should I get in writing before booking a food-court unit?

A food-court unit is a larger commitment than any shop on the sheet, so the paperwork deserves more attention, not less. Before any payment, ask the sales desk for the following and keep copies of everything.

Then take the next step: WhatsApp Al Faisal Properties, the sales desk, on +92 334 9107537 with the unit codes you are weighing. Ask for the official schedule for each and book a site visit before you decide.

• The unit code (FC3, FC4, FC9 or FC10), its area and its total from the developer’s current inventory sheet
• The confirmed floor and position, in writing
• The full instalment schedule, with the amount and due date of each of the 24 instalments
• Whether any other charge applies on top of the price, stated in rupees
• The services list above, answered item by item
• Any rules on use, opening hours, signage and fit-out in the food court
• The documents in the due-diligence checklist (/guides/due-diligence-checklist-documents-to-ask-for)