EATS Broker attends the 2026 IBBA Conference, and what it brought home from the event in Minneapolis matters for restaurant owners in Texas and nationwide.
The “Super Bowl” of business brokering is officially in the books. I just wrapped up an incredible week in Minneapolis at the 2026 International Business Brokers Association Conference, and to say I came back energized would be an understatement.
Every year, the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Conference brings together the top business brokers, advisors, dealmakers, and industry leaders for a week of sharpening skills, trading hard-won insights, and pushing each other to raise the bar of business brokerage.
For EATS Broker, this was not just another conference. It was a chance to sharpen the tools, strengthen the network, study the market, and bring new ideas back to the restaurant owners, franchise operators, multi-unit owners, and buyers we serve every day.
But this year hit differently. Dallas Restaurant Broker Dominique Maddox, CBI, CFE, didn’t just attend; he came home with hardware.
3rd
Year Attending IBBA Conference
CBI
Certified Business Intermediary — 2nd year holding this designation
2×
Million-Dollar Club — top producer recognition
1st
Years as an Official IBBA Ambassador
Why the IBBA Conference Matters to Restaurant Sellers and Buyers:
Restaurant owners do not hire a restaurant broker to “post a listing. “They hire a restaurant broker to help protect confidentiality, price the business correctly, qualify buyers, manage the process, explain the numbers, work through lease assignment issues, communicate with landlords and franchisors, and guide the transaction from valuation to closing.
The IBBA Conference is where serious business brokers go to get better at that work. The sessions, conversations, and professional development at the 2026 IBBA Conference focused on what matters in real-world business sales: valuation, deal structure, buyer behavior, financing, due diligence, confidentiality, negotiation, and closing strategy.
The CBI designation -Certified Business Intermediary is the gold standard in this industry. It’s not honorary. It requires demonstrated transaction volume, passing a rigorous exam, and ongoing professional education. I hold mine with pride because it means that when you sit across the table from me, you’re working with someone who has been tested, vetted, and measured against the best.
The Million-Dollar Club recognition means I’m consistently closing deals, real transactions, real sellers, real buyers, real outcomes. In restaurant brokerage, talk is cheap. Results are what protect your retirement.
And being named an IBBA Ambassador for the first time? That’s a recognition that goes beyond transaction volume. It means I’m actively contributing to elevating the profession, something I take seriously, because a stronger industry means better outcomes for every restaurant owner who trusts us with one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.
What Minneapolis Taught the Dallas Restaurant Broker About the Market Right Now:
One of the most valuable things about the IBBA Conference isn’t the awards ceremony, it’s the hallway conversations. It’s sitting next to a broker from the Southeast who’s seeing unprecedented buyer activity, and another from the West Coast who’s watching sellers wait too long, leaving significant money on the table.
Here’s what I took away that directly affects restaurant owners across Dallas, Houston, and Austin right now:
Qualified buyers are in the market. Across the country, there’s a wave of first-time business buyers, people who left corporate, people who received an inheritance, people who want to stop building someone else’s wealth, who are specifically targeting restaurants with proven cash flow. The demand is real. The question is whether your restaurant is positioned to capture it.
Confidentiality is non-negotiable. One of the biggest fears I hear from sellers, right up there with not knowing their value, is that word will get out before they’re ready. Employees panic. Suppliers get nervous. Regulars stop coming in. The IBBA training reinforced something I already practice: the process of selling a restaurant must be confidential, strategic, and controlled. That’s not optional, it’s foundational.
Timing matters more than most sellers want to hear. The restaurant industry in Texas is dynamic. Dallas is expanding. Houston’s food scene is one of the most competitive in the country. Austin continues to attract buyers from both coasts. But none of that guarantees a great outcome if you list at the wrong time, at the wrong price, without the right buyer pool. Professional restaurant brokerage is not about luck; it’s about strategy.
What Restaurant Owners Should Be Thinking About in 2026:
The restaurant resale market in 2026 is not the same market that many owners remember from years ago. Buyers are more educated. Lenders are more careful. Landlords are more selective. Franchise brands are more involved in the approval process for resales. And restaurant sellers are facing buyers who want to understand every detail before they make a serious offer.
That does not mean restaurants are not selling. They are. But the restaurants that sell are usually the ones that are prepared. If you are a restaurant owner planning to sell in the next 6 to 24 months, you should start planning your exit strategy now.
If you’ve been running your restaurant for 15, 20, maybe 25 years, you’ve built something real. You’ve shown up through recessions, through a global pandemic, through supply chain chaos, and staffing shortages that would have broken most people. You deserve to exit on your terms, with a number that reflects everything you’ve built.
But here’s the truth nobody wants to say out loud: waiting until you’re burned out to start planning your exit is one of the most expensive mistakes a restaurant owner can make. Buyers can smell urgency. They can see when cash flow has dipped because the operator checked out emotionally before they checked out professionally. The best time to start your exit plan is when the business still has momentum.
I’ve helped independent operators in Dallas sell concepts they built from scratch. I’ve worked with franchise owners in Houston, helping them navigate multi-unit exits. I’ve assisted restaurateurs nationwide who thought they had nothing to sell and walked away with life-changing proceeds. In every case, the first step was the same: find out what you actually have.
Start with a Complimentary Restaurant Valuation
No pressure, no obligation, just a professional assessment of what your restaurant is worth in today’s Texas market. Whether you’re in Dallas, Houston, Austin, or nationwide, EATS Broker is ready to put the tools and connections from the 2026 IBBA Conference to work for you.
About Dominique Maddox, CBI, CFE and EATS Broker
Dominique Maddox is a Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) and Certified Franchise Executive (CFE), and the founder of EATS Broker a national restaurant brokerage firm specializing in restaurant resales, restaurant acquisitions, and restaurant valuations across Dallas, Houston, Austin, the broader Texas market, and 15 states nationwide.
A 3-time IBBA Conference attendee, 2026 IBBA Million-Dollar Club award recipient, and newly named IBBA Ambassador, Dominique brings national-level credentials and a deeply personal commitment to every transaction. Whether you’re a Baby Boomer planning retirement, an independent operator ready to exit, or a franchise owner considering a multi-unit sale, EATS Broker is your first call.
Visit www.EATSbroker.com to schedule your complimentary restaurant valuation today.