Independent restaurants are being locked out of according to restaurateurs looking to invest.
The city centre is in danger of becoming a homogeneous succession of chains, according to senior figures in the region's acclaimed restaurant trade who claim landlords are only interested in letting property to larger companies.
Jabbar Khan, who owns the Lasan, said that, despite running four successful restaurants, he had been unable to conclude a deal without being pushed out of the city core because of landlords favouring large chains.
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He said he knew he had previously outbid competitors at least twice but lost out on both occasions to larger businesses.
Mr Khan added: "We are prepared to spend as much as the big boys, or more, but you are in a situation where as soon as a PLC comes in you have no chance.
"PLCs are always favoured over independents irrespective of whether there is a good concept or how important what they are doing is to the city.
"The problem with that is Birmingham becomes the same as every other developed city. We should be in a position where Birmingham can make itself a bigger global player. The question is what kind of city do we want to become?
"We either become homogeneous and give everything to PLCs or we try to be individual."
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Mr Khan is calling for city planners to set conditions which favour Birmingham-based independents and for landlords to see the bigger picture and invest in the best restaurant, rather than solely basing lettings on their own covenants.
The entrepreneur, along with chef Aktar Islam, has built up a small dynasty in Birmingham under with the original Lasan restaurant later being joined by Raja Monkey and Fiesta del Asado
Mr Khan added that it must be "almost impossible" for talented start-ups to secure city centre spots.
His views were echoed by another restaurateur, Dr Luca Laghi, who has been looking for a property for more than six months.
"Since I started searching for a venue, it has been incredible to see how difficult it is to find a place in a huge city like Birmingham," he told the Post.
"I spent days trying to find a venue to buy but no-one is keen to sell. If they are, they try to up the price to nearly three times the market value while finding Georgian houses to convert is just such a difficult thing as well.
"I keep trying and offering rewards for the person that will find me the right venue for an honest price but nothing is happening. Frustration is high."
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Andy Stubbs, is looking to make the move from street food into restaurants but has also been scuppered.
"After doing sell-out pop-ups for the past 12 months, I have reached a stage where the natural progression for me to keep pushing myself as a cook is to look for premises to open my first restaurant," he said.
"The biggest hurdle I come across is hearing about ideal 1,000 sq ft buildings before they go.
"I see a lot come and go to big nationals or restaurateurs with multiple sites already which is frustrating as I am ready to go on a site as soon as one comes up.
"I've looked at numerous sites and they are either too much in price for rent and rates or would require too much to be spent for the fit out. Location is key for me to cater to my existing customers and bring in new ones."
But Tony Green, chief executive of property developer Hortons' Estate, said landlords faced a difficult balancing act between supporting new businesses and signing tenants they knew would pay rents and honour leases.
Hortons' is currently in Colmore Row (above), where are opening
He said: "Landlords are in a slightly strange position as they're faced with a situation where they want to get as much rent as they can for as long as they can from someone who is likely to pay it.
"The way we approach it is to look at each individual unit, so in Piccadilly Arcade we have such as Faculty and you will also see a number of small businesses starting out in the Great Western Arcade.
"We've also let units to Urban Coffee Company and Adam's in Bennetts Hill. Adam's probably wouldn't have been able to move to the new location without having opened the old restaurant first.
"We are very happy to back independents when we get the chance but you have to recognise that, in high-profile locations, a landlord will always favour the certainty of a chain.
"In these locations where rents are high, such as in the city centre, people are looking not just at the interest of the eventual use, they're looking at the ability to pay for the long-term and that's where chains win out."