Leasing a convenience store in Davie involves three separate legal layers: the private lease contract, the Town of Davie's land use and licensing rules, and Florida state regulation covering the products you sell.
Missing any one of them stops a store from opening on schedule. This walks through all three, in the order they bite.
The Lease Contract Layer
Florida commercial leases are governed largely by the document itself, and courts enforce commercial terms with far less tenant protection than residential law provides. The clauses that decide your outcome are the permitted use, exclusive use rights held by you or by other tenants, assignment and subletting consent, the personal guarantee, CAM reconciliation and audit rights, holdover penalties, and the landlord's relocation and recapture rights.
Have the lease reviewed by a Florida commercial real estate attorney before signing. A convenience store lease with an unrestricted landlord consent right on assignment can make the business unsellable, which is a legal problem that only surfaces years later when you try to exit.
Local Land Use and Licensing
Confirm that the specific unit is zoned for your intended use and that convenience retail is permitted by right rather than requiring a special exception. Verify the certificate of occupancy matches the use, and confirm parking, signage, and hours conditions that may attach to the property through prior approvals or plat restrictions.
Then confirm the local business tax receipt requirements with the Town of Davie and Broward County. If the space is being altered, permitted build-out and inspections precede opening, and a delay here is the most common cause of paying rent on a store that cannot open.
State-Level Product Regulation
Beer and wine sales require a Florida alcoholic beverage license through the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, subject to distance separation rules from schools and churches that are location-specific. Tobacco and nicotine sales require separate state permitting. Any food preparation triggers Department of Agriculture or Department of Business and Professional Regulation oversight depending on the format.
If the site includes fuel, add underground storage tank registration and FDEP compliance to the list, and confirm who between landlord and tenant carries responsibility for tank compliance and any pre-existing contamination. Our environmental due diligence guide covers that exposure in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Speak With a Florida Gas Station Specialist
Request a confidential consultation or off-market opportunities and pricing through our contact page, or call +1-305-518-1545. The Gas Station Group is headquartered at 8603 S Dixie Hwy, Miami, FL 33143. Principal: Bobby Berrido.