Independent Owned Restaurants-How to Build Value?
As an Independent Owned Restaurant, how do you increase restaurant value for resale besides good food and environment? Independent Owned Restaurants for sale usually sell for less than Franchise Owned Restaurants.
Franchise Restaurants for sale provide a potential buyer with systems, training, and brand awareness to customers; these are non-tangible items that improve resale value.
The best time as a non-franchise restaurant to start thinking about organizing and operating your restaurant like a franchise is at the very beginning. Start thinking about training manuals, required training time for a position, social media presence, and misc.
60% of Independent owned restaurant operators will fail within three years of opening the doors for business. 80% will close within 5 years. The reality of opening a restaurant is you should always have an exit plan.
When it’s time to sell a restaurant, how does a non-franchise restaurant for sale increase its odds of selling a restaurant to a new buyer?
Dallas Restaurant Broker Dominique Maddox says, “ my suggestions to improve value are create a story behind the establishment, cook from scratch, have fantastic food, and create systems easy to follow.
After ten years of selling restaurants, I have found that non-franchise-owned restaurants for sale that are not unique and organized usually don’t sell.
EATS Restaurant Brokers provides TIPS to improve value!
- Story behind establishment: Have a story behind your restaurant; people relate and remember stories. This is one of the best ways to build brand loyalty from customers. Make sure your customers can read your story by posting on the wall, website, cups, etc.
Has the restaurant been passed down from generation to generation? Did a unique passion project inspire the owner to start the restaurant? These are exciting stories that make a restaurant unique. Key take-away people remember stories!
- Create Systems: The POS system should be updated to record all valuable sales information. POS systems are useful tools to analyze to improve restaurant profitability.
Create Training Manual: A manual with all the training material needed for a new operator is a valuable tool. The manual should have the job descriptions for each position. The manual should describe the process and time requirements for new hires.
- Unique Food– Do you have a unique cooking style, use exciting ingredients, how is the presentation? Outstanding food and experience will always get customers talking about a restaurant. Word of mouth referrals is the best and cheapest way to grow your restaurant.
Create a unique style of cooking that customers have to visit your restaurant to enjoy. Besides the type of cooking is the taste of food. The best non-franchise restaurants cook from scratch.
Create a menu book that lists all of the cooking recipes, measurements required and cooking time.
The suggestions listed in this blog are intended to help an Independently owned restaurant owner sell a restaurant business in the future. These tips should help the restaurant operator stand out from the competition.
Want more help selling a restaurant? Contact Restaurant Broker Dominique Maddox at 404-993-4448 or by email at sales@eatsbroker.com. Visit our website at www.EATSbroker.com
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10 Reasons for selling a restaurant
Reasons for selling a restaurant can differ from restaurant owner to owner. Everyone has a specific reason that they want to sell a restaurant.
EATS Restaurant Brokers list of Top 10 reasons for selling a restaurant:
Retirement– The baby boomers are ready to retire and enjoy the last chapter of their life in peace without the stress of restaurant ownership. The Covid-19 pandemic and worker shortage have baby boomers listing restaurants for sale faster than in the past.
Failing Restaurant– 60% of restaurants will fail within three years after opening the doors. 80% will close the doors permanently within five years of opening up for business. Restaurant ownership is a rewarding but demanding business to survive in for multiple years.
Lack of Capital- The restaurant business is all about the numbers and ratios to total sales. Many restaurant owners have to use personal capital to keep a restaurant operating. Liquid capital can quickly disappear from bank accounts when it comes to restaurant ownership; money is one of the most significant driving factors for restaurant owners to sell a restaurant.
Burnout– The restaurant industry is a lifestyle that most people cannot handle over an extended time. Restaurant owners can be asked to work 10-12 hour shifts and always be on call for problems.
Divorce- Several restaurants for sale on the buyer market are due to parties getting divorced.
Illness- To be successful in the restaurant industry, you need to stay healthy and active. The restaurant hospitality industry is for the strong mentally and physically and, individuals can endure long hours and stressful situations. Illness is a significant factor in the decision-making when it’s time to sell a restaurant.
Family – Time with the family or lack of time with the family is a big motivator to sell a restaurant. The kids grow up fast, the babies start walking before you know it, the time at night before bed with your soulmate means the world to most.
Bored-Depending on the type of restaurant owned, some restaurants have lots of downtown during non-peak hours. Restaurant owners whose sales are low and can’t attract customers can get bored with restaurant ownership.
Overwhelmed-Restaurant owners have to wear multiple hats when owning a restaurant. One minute they can be ordering inventory, next minute dealing with a busted leak in the ceiling, POS machine not working, and workers are calling out for work. Juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities can be overwhelming to even an experienced restauranteur.
Stress- The restaurant industry is notorious for sending people to the hospital. The stress related to the long hours, the bills adding up, labor work shortage, can lead to health-related stress issues for many individuals.
Additional Issues outside of Top 10 list:
All equity tied up in restaurant assets
The restaurant business is too risky
Want to focus on other business or core business
Outside factors (political/economic)
To raise capital/funds for another business
For more information on the restaurant market and other available consulting services or restaurant valuations, contact Restaurant Broker Dominique Maddox at 404-993-4448 or by email at sales@eatsbroker.com. Visit our website at www.EATSbroker.com
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What restaurant numbers should YOU know?
What restaurant numbers should you know if you own a restaurant or want to buy a restaurant? Every independently owned restaurant is unique, while franchise concepts have common similarities. How do you compare the two different restaurants if you want to buy or sell a restaurant? Analyzing the Financial and Operational ratios is a great starting point.
What numbers should be significant to a restaurant owner that wants to sell a restaurant or a buyer that wants to buy a restaurant? Some key impact ratios compared to annual sales are food, labor, lease cost, and Sales per square foot.
Dominique Maddox, a Restaurant Broker at EATS Restaurant Brokers, says, “when analyzing Profit and Loss statements to provide a restaurant valuation, I always pay cost attention to the critical impact ratios.
The numbers and ratios can help explain the heartburn or opportunity in a restaurant.”
EATS Restaurant Brokers shares RATIOS to consider list:
Food Cost: Food cost as a percentage of food sales (costs/sales) is generally in the 28% to 32% range in many full-service and limited-service restaurants. Ratios can fluctuate depending on the type of restaurant.
Upscale restaurants can range up to 35%-40%, while pizza concepts can range from 20%-25%.
EATS Restaurant Brokers Tip: Food costs seem to always be higher at absentee-owned restaurants than Owner/Operator restaurants. The employees don’t operate the restaurant like an owner that manages the day-to-day operations.
Labor Cost: Payroll cost as a percentage of sales should not exceed 30%-35% of total sales for full-service restaurants and 25%-30% of total sales for limited-service restaurants. This percentage includes payroll taxes, insurance premiums, and other employee benefits.
EATS Restaurant Brokers Tip: Generally, you don’t want to see management salaries, including kitchen managers, assistant managers, and General Managers’ salaries to exceed 10% of gross sales.
Build-out-cost: The sales-to-investment ratio should be at least 1.5 to 1. This means a minimum of $1.50 in sales should be expected for every $1 of startup costs, according to www.Restaurantowner.com.
This means if you spend $300,000 on a restaurant build-out, the location should be able to generate at least $450,000 annual sales. The best restauranteurs know how to keep build-out costs at a minimum to increase the Sales-to-investment ratio.
EATS Broker Tip: Buying an Asset Sale restaurant is an excellent opportunity to save money on the initial build-out cost.
Rent and Occupancy: The ideal range for rent expense is 6% or less of total sales. This ratio includes costs such as common area maintenance (CAM) and other occupancy expenses.
Many operators are satisfied with an occupancy cost of 8% or lower. Once a restaurant owner-occupancy cost reaches 10% or higher, the charges start to deduct from the owner’s net profit.
For more information on the restaurant market and other available consulting services or a complimentary restaurant valuation, contact Dominique Maddox at 404-993-4448 or by email at sales@eatsbroker.com. Visit our website at www.EATSbroker.com.
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Restaurant Seller and Buyer Meeting: Tips for Success
EATS Restaurant Brokers decided to create a Restaurant Seller and Buyer Meeting-Tips for Success checklist. The initial meeting between the buyer and a seller can dictate how the working relationship will be in the future.
The goal of the initial meeting is to familiarize both Restaurant Seller and Restaurant Buyer, view the back of the house, buyers get an opportunity to ask probing questions and review restaurant financials. The most straightforward deals are when the buyer and seller like and respect each other. When the personalities don’t mix, the restaurant closing process could be filled with turbulence.
Dominique Maddox of EATS Restaurant Brokers says, “ The best method to minimize differences in personalities is to keep the deal flow managed by a specialized trained Restaurant Broker. When Restaurant Sellers and Buyers communicate directly without a skilled Restaurant Broker, a deal can crumble quickly”.
EATS Restaurant Brokers 7 Tips for a Successful Seller and Buyer meeting.
- Buyer and seller should both have face masks on, even if social distancing is done.
- Walk around the restaurant to get the seller talking and to get the buyer more comfortable. Great way to break the ice between parties.
- We recommended starting with the back of the house (BOH) to show the kitchen area and cooking equipment. This task can range in time depending on the size of the restaurant and restaurant owner explaining items.
- Sit down for a meeting- This is a great time to introduce each party to start talking about why one party wants to sell and the buying party to explain the interest in buying.
- The sit-down meeting allows the buyer to ask questions about the restaurant operations, restaurant equipment, lease, employees, financials, and willingness to negotiate on price.
- Restaurant sellers should be prepared to explain the Cost of Goods (COGS), Labor, Sales, and potential to increase sales.
- Buyer should review financials before meeting with the seller. The buyer should come to the meeting with prepared questions to ask the seller.
- Follow-up questions after the meeting should be directed to Restaurant Broker to share with the seller.
For more information on the restaurant market and other available consulting services or a complimentary restaurant valuation, contact Dominique Maddox at 404-993-4448 or by email at sales@eatsbroker.com. Visit our website at www.EATSbroker.com.
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How to validate For Sale by Owner sales numbers
How to validate a For Sale by Owner sales numbers can be a challenge for buyers. A For Sale by Owner listing is a person that decided instead of hiring a Restaurant Broker; chose to represent themselves.
People decide to represent themselves as a For Sale by Owner for several reasons: they don’t want to pay a commission, think the restaurant sales process is simple, and lastly, the clueless restaurant owner that educates themselves on Google.
EATS Restaurant Brokers provides 3 Ways to validate For Sale by Owner sales numbers:
1st-Request a copy of Sales Tax Filings–This represents the gross sales amount the restaurant owner reported to the state government. Restaurant owners who keep accurate books and records pay the correct amount owed for sales tax.
Independent-owned restaurants have many restaurant owners who do not report the correct amount of gross sales to reduce their sales tax bill. Restaurant buyers should only look at the amount reported to State Government.
Sales Tax filings amount can fluctuate from state to state. The statewide sales tax rate is 4% in Georgia, but local rates typically vary from 7-8% (4% for state, plus an additional 3 or 4% for local).
2nd-Request a copy of Tax Returns filed with the IRS, confirm tax returns are the correct ones reported to state government. Tax Returns provide vital information regarding the Gross sales and net profit of a restaurant.
Dominique Maddox, a Restaurant Broker for EATS Restaurant Brokers, says, “I would recommend requesting a Request for Transcript of Tax Return(Form 4506-T) form. Filing this documentation allows the buyer or bank to request tax returns directly from the IRS.
I have experienced instances were the tax returns provided to the buyer did not match the tax returns the IRS had on file”.
3rd-Request a copy of the POS Sales report– The POS Sales report can help buyers understand and simplify the restaurant sales breakdown.
4th- Count the number of customers during peak hours– This is the least recommended method for confirming a For Sale by Owner’s financial numbers. Some buyers like to visit and sit around for a while to monitor the customer traffic count and buying habits.
EATS Restaurant Brokers Tips when buying a restaurant from a For Sale by Owner:
- Inspect the equipment during the due diligence period. Confirm that the restaurant owner owns the equipment and is not leasing it or the landlord owns it.
- Make sure the closing attorney does a UCC lien search days before the closing.
- Ask Restaurant Seller to provide a Sales Tax Clearance Letter before closing.
For more information on the restaurant market and other available consulting services or a complimentary restaurant valuation, contact Dominique Maddox at 404-993-4448 or by email at sales@eatsbroker.com. Visit our website at www.EATSbroker.com.
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Why Do Restaurant Sales Transactions fall apart?
Restaurant Sales Transactions fall apart for a collection of reasons. Some of these issues can be resolved before they derail a deal from closing, but several problems are discovered along the way.
Once the restaurant seller and buyer have agreed to terms and signed an Asset Purchase Agreement, the due diligence period will start, and the buyer will deposit $10,000-$30,000 in escrow with a closing attorney. The due diligence period for a buyer is similar to a monopoly get-out-of-jail-free card. This gives the buyer the right to cancel the agreement for any reason and get their 100% escrow deposit back.
Due diligence on a main street restaurant sales transaction usually ranges from 10-30 days.
A main street restaurant can be described as a business that:
- Have less than $3 million in sales revenue.
- Have a restaurant valuation of $1 million or less.
- Have adjusted earnings or EBITDA of $1 million or less.
Dominique Maddox, a Restaurant Broker and Founder of EATS Restaurant Brokers says, “I can handle the lion’s share of the problems if I know about them at the start of the selling process.
The more information I can collect upfront can help me resolve future issues that might happen. I have been specializing in selling restaurants for over 8 years now, and I encounter new problems every day helping a buyer and seller arrive at the closing table”.
EATS Broker provides the Top 2 Reasons Restaurant Sales Transaction fall apart?
The Restaurant Seller does not tell the truth and is not upfront with important information.
The restaurant owners know the restaurant’s pros and cons better than anybody (or they should). The individual can be upfront with information or hold back valuable information, hoping it will not come back and hurt the deal.
When working with a restaurant brokerage, sellers are usually required to sign a listing agreement that indemnifies the Restaurant Broker from any future liens or lawsuits because they are only representing the information provided by the seller.
The biggest lies or half-truths a seller will provide will cover:
- Books and records-Profit and Loss Statements and Tax Returns
- Tax liens or UCC liens
- Kitchen equipment working status
- Partnership status
- Franchise required training
- Their current financial situation-includes monthly lease status (do they owe landlord money for back rent?)
Buyer changes mind about buying the restaurant
Owning a restaurant is a lifestyle choice that buyers have to realize before they buy a restaurant. During the diligence period, the buyer will start to poke and analyze the restaurant under a microscope. The buyer begins the buying process with tons of enthusiasm and thoughts of being a successful restaurant operator.
The buyer can easily change their mind once they start noticing errors and mistakes in the financials provided to them to analyze. Restaurant buyers will look at the kitchen equipment with a heavy microscope and detect if the restaurant kitchen equipment is outdated or not working.
The most significant issues for buyers to cancel contracts during the due diligence period:
- Books and records were not accurate
- They don’t like or trust the restaurant seller
- Can’t agree to terms with the landlord
- Can’t attend the required franchise training
- Spouse disapproves
- The restaurant lifestyle and hours are not a good fit
- Want to renegotiate the sales price and terms
- Can’t get approved for bank financing
For more information on the restaurant market and other available consulting services or a complimentary restaurant valuation, contact Dominique Maddox at 404-993-4448 or by email at sales@eatsbroker.com. Visit our website at www.EATSbroker.com.
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What do Restaurant Business Brokers Do?
Restaurant Business Brokers are more similar to a quarterback on a football team than most people think. Restaurant Brokers are the quarterbacks for the sale process. Quarterbacks are known to be some of the smartest people on the team. A team that has a great quarterback has a competitive edge over another group.
Restaurant Business Brokers are responsible for coordinating all the various aspects of the restaurant sale. Restaurant Sales can be more complicated than residential real estate sales or general business brokerage. Remarkably similar to a quarterback position being a specialized position, it takes Restaurant Brokers years to specialize in the minor details of Restaurant Brokerage.
Dominique Maddox, a Restaurant Broker and Founder of EATS Broker, says, “a Restaurant Broker and a Quarterback have to be leaders for the team.” To get a Restaurant listing to the closing table, it takes a team effort’. The more complex the deal gets, the more team members will be added.
Nobody wants the deal to get to the closing table more than the Restaurant Broker. A good Restaurant Business Broker should be able to call an audible if he or she notices the deal is falling apart”.
Facts about a Quarterback:
– Playing a Quarterback is the most demanding position on the field.
– Has to know all the responsibilities for every player on the offensive
– Has to understand how the defense is trying to stop them from scoring
– Has to be able to call audibles if play will fail
– Quarterbacks can be expensive; they usually are the highest-paid player on the team
Facts about a Restaurant Broker:
Specializing in selling restaurants is a tough business; over 60% of Restaurant Brokers will fail within the industry in the first two years.
– Has to know the role of every individual or professionals involved in the deal
– Experienced Restaurant brokers should understand items that could affect the deal from closing.
– Most deals require written amendments to get the deal closed; a Restaurant Broker needs to know when to call an audible to save a deal
– A good Restaurant Broker should contact the lawyers, accountants, landlords, lenders, buyer, seller, and closing attorneys throughout the sales process.
– Restaurant Brokers usually charge 10%-15% or a minimum commission of $10,000
EATS Brokerunderstands the importance of running the offense to score a touchdown and get everyone paid at the closing table. Interested in selling your restaurant? Don’t just hire any Broker; hire a quarterback to get your restaurant sold.
For more information on the restaurant market and other available consulting services or restaurant valuations, contact Dominique Maddox at 404-993-4448 or by email at sales@eatsbroker.com. Visit our website at www.EATSbroker.com
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Dominique Maddox of EATS Broker sells Sidebar
Dominique Maddox of EATS Broker Sells Sidebar. EATS Broker represented buyer and seller. The new owner Chan will reopen Sidebar in the next 60 days. Sidebar was affected by Covid-19 and doors have been closed since March. Chan plans to make some improvements inside, improve marketing, and keep the legacy of Sidebar alive.
Dominique Maddox of EATS Broker says, “ this transaction was extremely satisfying because I helped a seller out of a tough financial position. Sidebar has been part of the Atlanta Downtown community for over 15 years. I can remember visiting as a customer while in college”.
Dominique Maddox is the President and Founder of EATS Broker and www.EATSbroker.com, a business brokerage firm specializing exclusively in restaurant franchise resales, restaurants for sale, bars, and nightclubs. After working with one of the nation’s largest restaurant brokerage firms for seven years, Dominique decided it was time to bring a new flavor to the Restaurant Brokerage Industry and founded EATS Restaurant Brokers.
Dominique Maddox has been selling restaurants since 2010 and has undergone intensive training in the Restaurant Brokerage Industry. Dominique attended Morehouse College on a football scholarship, he brings that same competitive spirit and energy to the field of restaurant brokerage.
EATS Broker are Restaurant Resale Specialists that can guide you thru the complex process of buying or selling a restaurant. EATS Restaurant Brokers is a full-service Real Estate Business Brokerage practice focused on the restaurant industry. Our company specializes in selling Restaurant Franchise Re-sales and Restaurant Sales. We also help clients with Restaurant real estate site selection, Tenant Representation, Franchise Consulting, and Business Price Evaluation.
Let us show you how Restaurant Brokerage is done with flavor!
Thinking about selling a restaurant contact EATS Broker. For more information on the restaurant market and other available consulting services or restaurant valuations, contact Dominique Maddox at 404-993-4448 or by email at sales@eatsbroker.com. Visit our website at www.EATSbroker.com
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Thinking about selling a restaurant?
What should you know today if you are thinking about selling a restaurant? The restaurant resale market has drastically changed from January 2020 to now. The Covid-19 pandemic has reset the restaurant market for available restaurant lease spaces, restaurant price valuations, and increased buyer’s negotiating power.
Dominique Maddox a Restaurant Broker and Founder of EATS Broker says, “ Restaurant owners have to be honest with themselves about the value of their restaurant in today’s market. The Covid-19 pandemic reduced the 2020 restaurant valuations based on 2019 sales numbers for a majority of restaurants.
Some of the buyer’s offers I receive today to present to sellers would have been offensive and considered low in January are now being accepted by sellers in July and August.”.
Financial Books and Records– buyers have an enhanced curiosity regarding the restaurant sales Pre-Covid and Post-Covid. Restaurant Buyers will still request 3 years of income statements, sales tax filings, and POS sales reports.
The most requested information now is monthly sales reports for 2019 and 2020 to compare, and sales information for 2020 thru July. Sellers should have these documentations prepared before listing the restaurant for sale.
Bank Lending– banks are lending in today’s market but they are requiring much more information from buyers and sellers. The newest requirement is a plan for recovery from the pandemic if the restaurant was negatively affected. Pre-Covid banks did not require a semi business plan for recovery and guidelines from seller’s.
Buyer’s negotiating power– savvy buyers are mindful of the economy and challenges restaurant owners are facing to keep the doors open. The buyers looking for restaurant resales are optimistic about the economy recovering. They understand restaurant price valuation has been reduced due to a reduction in sales.
A handful of restaurants that showed a strong profit in 2019 and were listed to sell in 2020 are now shutting down the business and filing for bankruptcy. Other restaurant owners are trying to sell to get out of the lease obligations. Sellers whose cardinal intention is to get out of the lease are settling for lower prices to remove the stress of the lease payments.
Thinking about selling a restaurant contact EATS Broker. For more information on the restaurant market and other available consulting services or restaurant valuations, contact Dominique Maddox at 404-993-4448 or by email at sales@eatsbroker.com. Visit our website at www.EATSbroker.com
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