By Dominique Maddox, CBI, CFE | EATS Broker – Dallas Restaurant Broker | www.EATSbroker.com
Most restaurant owners I talk to have the same first question: “How long is this going to take?” And I get it. When you’ve been running a restaurant for years, managing staff, dealing with vendors, watching food costs, the idea of adding a sale process on top of all that is exhausting just to think about. You want a number.
So here it is: on average, it takes 6 to 12 months to sell a restaurant from the day you list it to the day you sit at the closing table. But like any number in the restaurant business, the real story is in the details. The Honest Answer: It Depends on Four Things
At EATS Broker, I’ve been brokering restaurant sales since 2010. I’ve sold independent restaurants, franchise resales, bars, and nightclubs across Dallas, Houston, Austin, Atlanta and beyond. And in every deal I’ve worked, the timeline came down to the same four variables.
1. Your asking price. Overpriced listings sit. Period. If your restaurant is priced above what the market will support, you’ll get inquiries but no offers. In the Dallas/Fort Worth market, buyers are sophisticated. They’re running the numbers, and they walk away fast when the math doesn’t work.
2. The strength of your financials. Buyers want 2–3 years of tax returns, monthly P&L statements, and ideally POS sales data going back at least 12 months. If your books are clean and consistent, due diligence moves fast. If they’re messy or incomplete, expect delays or a dead deal.
3. Your lease situation. A lease with 5+ years remaining and a cooperative landlord can accelerate closing. A lease near expiration or a landlord who is difficult about assignment? That’s one of the most common reasons deals fall apart in Texas markets like Houston’s Midtown or Austin’s South Congress corridor.
4. Franchise approval (if applicable). About 70% of the transactions I close at EATS Broker are franchise resales — Papa John’s, Firehouse Subs, Marco’s Pizza, and others. Franchise approval adds 30–60 days to the timeline in most cases. Training requirements, application reviews, and franchisor due diligence are real; plan for them.
Restaurant Broker Tip: The fastest deals I’ve closed happened because the seller had their documents ready before we listed. Three years of P&L statements, the lease, an equipment list, and their POS history. When a buyer asks, you can answer immediately — and that momentum matters.
Phase by Phase: What the Timeline Actually Looks Like
Here’s a realistic breakdown of the 7 phases in a typical restaurant sale. I walk every seller through this process with EATS Broker’s proven framework.
- Pre-Sale Preparation (Weeks 1–3): Gathering financials, drafting the equipment list, fixing deferred maintenance, and getting your restaurant “show-ready.” This phase is often underestimated. Sellers who skip it regret it later.
- Listing (Week 3–4): Signing the listing agreement, providing all required documents, and going live on buyer networks nationwide.
- Discovery / Buyer Inquiries (Months 1–4): Buyers sign Confidentiality Agreements, review financials, and may conduct a secret shopper visit. In active markets like Dallas and Plano, serious buyers typically emerge within the first 60 days on a well-priced listing.
- Offer and Negotiation (Month 3–5): EATS Broker drafts the Asset Purchase Agreement. Both parties negotiate terms. Establish escrow of $10,000 or more within three days of a signed agreement.
- Due Diligence (Month 4–6): Buyers review tax returns, request vendor lists, confirm there are no liens, and begin the lease assignment process. For franchise resales, franchisee application and training approval run concurrently.
- Securing the Win (Month 5–7): Lease assignment approval, lender confirmation, new entity setup, and insurance. The Woodlands and Sugar Land markets, for example, often have landlords experienced with restaurant transfers—which helps.
- Closing (Month 6–9): Wire transfers, lease signing, POS transfer, inventory count within 24 hours of closing. Then you get paid.
Restaurant Broker Tip: The average restaurant sale at EATS Broker takes 6–8 months when the seller is prepared and the price is right. I’ve closed deals in 90 days and I’ve seen others take 14 months. The difference is almost always preparation and pricing.
What Slows a Restaurant Sale Down (And What Speeds It Up)
After closing transactions in Georgia and Texas for over 15 years, I can tell you the most common speed bumps:
- Sellers who are not responsive to buyer requests or showing requests
- Financials that don’t match tax returns
- Leases with less than 2 years remaining or a landlord who stonewalls assignment
- Unrealistic price expectations — especially for restaurants with declining revenue trends
- For franchise resales: delayed application submission to the franchisor
What speeds things up? Pre-qualifying your listing before it goes live. At EATS Broker, we do a thorough Complimentary Restaurant Valuation before we list anything. We look at your Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE), your lease terms, your equipment condition, and comparable sales in your market. That valuation meeting often surfaces problems we can fix before a buyer ever sees your listing.
In markets like Cedar Park, Frisco, and Katy, where restaurant demand is strong and buyer competition is real, a well-prepared listing at the right price can generate multiple offers within 60 days.
Why Working with a Restaurant Broker Changes the Timeline
General business brokers handle laundromats, car washes, accounting firms, and restaurants. They treat every deal the same. Restaurant sales don’t work that way. The lease assignment, the franchise approval, the POS transfer, the inventory count, the SBA lender requirements, these are restaurant-specific processes that a generalist learns on the fly while you’re waiting.
At EATS Broker, we only sell restaurants. That means when a due diligence issue comes up at a Houston listing or a Frisco franchise resale, I’ve seen it before. I know who to call, what to say, and how to keep the deal moving. That expertise is not abstract — it shows up in the timeline.
I hold both the Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) from the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) from the International Franchise Association — making me one of the few restaurant brokers in the country with both credentials. For franchise resales especially, the CFE designation means I understand the franchisor’s expectations from the inside.
The Real Cost of Waiting
Here’s what I tell owners who are “thinking about it”: the time to start is not when you’re desperate. Every month you delay is a month of ongoing operating risk, potential lease erosion, and market-timing uncertainty. The restaurant industry in Texas is active right now — there are serious buyers in Dallas, Houston, and Austin looking for opportunities.
I’ve talked to Baby Boomer restaurant owners who spent two years “thinking about it” while their lease ticked down from 4 years to 2 years. A buyer with an SBA lender won’t touch a lease under 3 years. That’s two years of lost optionality.
The best time to get a valuation is before you’re ready. Know your number. Know your timeline. Then you’re in control of the process, not reacting to it.
Ready to Find Out What Your Restaurant Is Actually Worth?
Whether you’ve been thinking about selling for years or this week’s numbers finally pushed you to the edge, the first step is the same: find out what your restaurant is worth.
Take the first step:
Get Your Complimentary Restaurant Valuation → www.EATSbroker.com/restaurant-valuations
Book a Confidential Consultation with Dominique Maddox, CBI, CFE → www.EATSbroker.com/contact-us
EATS Broker serves restaurant owners and buyers across Dallas, Houston, Austin, and nationwide.