Restaurants for Sale [2019] Buyers Guide with Tools

Become a Restaurant Owner

Want to become a Restaurant Owner?

If you look for restaurants for sale, this guide is for you! We try to provide you with the best tools and infos available for this topic. Therefore, to become a successful restaurant owner, this guide can help you to master some important areas:

  1. Find a restaurant business [Directory]
  2. Value the restaurant [App]
  3. Plan your profits [App]
  4. Get proven strategies [Handbook]
  5. Gain more insights [Articles]
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
Worldwide Directory of Restaurants for Sale

[1] Search Thousands of Restaurants for Sale Worldwide

Our directory contains more than 100 platforms, business brokers and sellers in the United States, in Europe, in Asia and all over the world. Above all, it helps you to get directly to the restaurant listings and to keep an overview. You can sort the table by your own needs:

  • Click on the title “Platform” to sort by name.
  • Click on the title “Location” to sort by location.
  • Select a certain location of your interest. i.e. “California”
  • Search the whole directory (platform, location, link) by any search term

Worldwide Directory of Restaurants for Sale

Find a Restaurant Business for Sale by searching our Directory.
PlatformLocationLink
Cityfeet.comArizonaLink
The Boston Restaurant GroupBostonLink
BizBenCaliforniaLink
RestaurantBrokersCharleston, SCLink
Kudan GroupChicagoLink
SanbornColoradoLink
Restaurants for Sale MiamiMiamiLink
Des Moines RegisterIowaLink
Carey CommercialMassachusettsLink
Permier CommercialMassachusettsLink
BizBuySellUSALink
BizQuestUSALink
BusinessBroker.netUSALink
BusinessesForSale.comUSALink
LoopNetUSALink
Restaurant Realty CompanyUSALink
Restaurants for Sale GlobalUSALink
Restaurants for Sale OnlineUSALink
Subway Restaurants for SaleUSALink
SunbeltUSALink
We Sell RestaurantsUSALink
TransworldUSALink
The Shumacher GroupAtlantaLink
42floorsMinnesotaLink
Restaurant Brokers and DevelopersUSALink
New England Restaurant BrokersNew EnglandLink
Pacific Restaurant BrokersCaliforniaLink
LinkUSALink
Franchise DirectUSALink
eatzUSALink
Business MartUSALink
Corbett Restaurant GroupUSALink
Vincenzo LoCricchioFloridaLink
Great American BrokerageNew YorkLink
KSLUtahLink
Saint Louis GroupSt. LouisLink
National Restaurant PropertiesNashvilleLink
Restaurant ExchangeCaliforniaLink
Bar Business BrokerSpainLink
blogTOTorontoLink
Boxers RealtyNew YorkLink
Gorebayrestaurant.comCanadaLink
Jeff MartinezOregonLink
FleuretsUKLink
Real Estate LanzaroteLanzaroteLink
Casas sur TenerifeTenerifeLink
Palm LivingBaliLink
Sarantis RealtyNew YorkLink
CatimmoSpainLink
Ensure CapitalGeorgiaLink
Marlene AronMassachusettsLink
323 Life WorksTennesseeLink
AIC DominicanaDominican RepublicLink
Divide Riders HostelsColoradoLink
Equity LtdMichiganLink
Elephant BricksThailandLink
PME ProgresMontrealLink
Restaurant Business BrokerVancouverLink
Costa CovetaSpainLink
AzureFloridaLink
MarlinOregonLink
cdg leisureUKLink
Company FinderDubaiLink
Sidney PhillipsUKLink
Thornhill RealtyTexasLink
RBMNMinnesotaLink
TranioEuropeLink
daftIrelandLink
Property TurkeyTurkeyLink
Real Estate CroatiaCroatiaLink
Business2SellSouth AfricaLink
First LightTexasLink
National Restaurant PropertiesTennesseeLink
european propertyEuropeLink
Greek XclusiveGreeceLink
Commercial Real EstateAustraliaLink
GumtreeSouth AfricaLink
trademeNew ZealandLink
BettesworthsUKLink
ColliersUKLink
Arizona Restaurant SalesArizonaLink
Nexus RealtyNew YorkLink
myhomeIrelandLink
EG PropertylinkUKLink
bsaleAustraliaLink
Toronto Restaurant BrokerTorontoLink
realestate.com.khCambodiaLink
OMGTorontoLink
Barry CruxUKLink
reno gazette journalRenoLink
EuroburoAustriaLink
SMERGERSWorldLink
TenzerCaliforniaLink
Restaurants for Sale or RentUSALink
Costa Vida FranchiseUSALink
SofrankoPennsylvaniaLink
DealstreamFloridaLink
Falling RockMichiganLink
Scooter´s Coffee FranchiseUSALink
Modern SpacesNew YorkLink
ColliersArizonaLink
Advantage Business AcquisitionsChicagoLink
EaterChicagoLink
TopFranchise.comWorldLink
AlibabaMovable Coffee ShopLink
Michigan Business BrokerMichiganLink
Deutsche UnternehmerbörseGermanyLink
GastroanzeigenAustriaLink
ebay KleinanzeigenGermanyLink
LebensmittelweltGermanyLink
immowelt.deGermanyLink
VendeooGermanyLink
Immobilien Scout 24GermanyLink
Focus KleinanzeigenGermanyLink
ImmmoAustriaLink
Gastro for YouSwitzerlandLink
Gastro ExpressSwitzerlandLink
AlleKleinanzeigenSwitzerlandLink
GastrobörseGermanyLink
hotelforsaleSwitzerlandLink
Süddeutsche HotelvermittlungGermanyLink
AHGZ ImmoGermanyLink
ImmotopLuxembourgLink
Star PropSpainLink
Van Restaurant ListingsVancouverLink
Valuation of restaurants for sale

[2] Value the Restaurants for Sale

To find the right price for a restaurant business you need to understand the mechanics of valuation. In a nutshell, the buyer of a restaurant buys earnings. Experience shows, that many restaurants are sold in the range of 2.5 to 4.5 times the earnings per year. To make this task more simple, our free app helps you to calculate the value by setting only 3 sliders:

  1. How much sales does the restaurant make per year?
  2. What is the profit margin in %?
  3. How much is the multiplier?

By moving the sliders you can easily test various inputs and scenarios.

Online app to calculate the value of a restaurant for sale
Click to use our free app!

The app also shows you the ROI [Return on Investment] of the calculated price. Investors and business buyers express their risk by this number. The less safe a stream of income is, the higher the ROI needs to be. The more safe a stream of income is, the lower the ROI can be.

Therefore, every restaurant buyer should assess the risks and opportunities of the business by asking questions:

  • How strong is the market position?
  • Does the restaurant have trademarks and/or a USP?
  • How strong is the competition?
  • How many potential customers pass by the restaurant every day?
  • Is there a base of loyal regular customers?
  • Is there a well maintained (email) list of customers?
  • Does the restaurant provide a loyalty program?
  • Are furniture and equipment well maintained?
  • How easy or difficult is it to find new employees in the restaurants area?
  • Is it easy or difficult to train new employees?
  • Is the staff well trained?
  • Are there standard procedures and recipes?
Plan your profits - restaurants for sale

[3] Plan your Profits

With our free app you can develop your first business plan for your restaurant in 5 minutes or less. This way, you can discover the strategy with the best results by testing various inputs. Simply click on the picture to start the app.

Build a business plan for your restaurant in 5 minutes or less [ restaurants for sale ]
Click to use the Restaurant Business Plan Simulator!

How to use the Restaurant Business Plan Simulator

1. Sales

By setting the sales sliders the app calculates the total sales per month. Think about the following questions and put in your data.

  • What are the opening days of your restaurant?
  • How many customers per day do you expect to serve?
  • How much money are your customers spending on average?

2. Cost of Goods

How much do you spend on goods in % of sales? The benchmark for COGS is about 25 to 35 % of sales. As a result, the app tells you how much you spend on goods and it also shows you the profit. Please complete all input fields and sliders to get helpful results.

Tipp: Use our free Restaurant Price Calculator App to find profitable sales prices for your menu items.

3. Personnel Costs

Labour costs have a big impact on your success. Therefore you can define the average costs of one employee per month, which should also include all ancillary wage costs. i.e. 1900 $ per month.

Set the number of employees and you will see the total personnel costs per month and the sales per employee. Of course these numbers are approximate, but it is a starting point for your business plan. The sales per employee should be at least between 5.000 and 7.000 $ per month to run the operation profitable.

Most restaurants are small businesses and the owner often works full time in his business. Check the box, if this is so in your restaurant. Then the app includes the owner in the calculation of sales per employee.

4. Monthly Rent

Enter the amount of rent for your restaurant or bar. i.e. 2.270 $ per month. As a result, the app also calculates the rent in % of sales, which should be in the range of 7 to 10 %. It´s OK to pay a high amount of money for a high quality location with high traffic. But if you cannot generate enough sales in relation to your rent, reaching the profit zone will become very difficult.

5. Other Fixed Costs

The further costs for energy, fees, insurance, operation, marketing, administration, maintenance, depreciation, leasing and interest are defined in the app by setting a certain percentage. The benchmark is about 18 to 25 % of sales.

Monthly Budget

As a result of your inputs, you get a monthly budget with sales, costs of goods, personnel costs, rent, other fixed costs and profit.

Please note, that this free simulation is not a substitute for a full-fledged business plan and serves only to demonstrate economic context.

Get strategies to succeed in the restaurant business

[4] Get proven Strategies to increase your Profit

From the Handbook for Restaurant Owner´s you can learn about the following topics:

  • How to get more customers
  • Ways to increase sales
  • Making more profit
  • Lowering costs
  • How to calculate profitable prices
  • Optimizing the menu
  • How to improve the use of drinks
  • The influence of the scope of the product range on sales
  • Psychological success factors from behavioral research
  • and much more
Profit - The Restaurant Owner´s Handbook
Profit – The Restaurant Owner´s Handbook, 333 pages + Excel Tools, 57 $

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Insights into the restaurant business

[5] Gain more Insights into the Restaurant Business

Search our Data Base with Articles from various Industry Experts.

Articles about the Restaurant Business and Restaurants for Sale

Find helpful Tipps and Infos about Managing, Buying and Selling a Restaurant.
TitleLink
How to Start a Successful Restaurant BusinessArticle
10 Cafe Marketing Ideas for Covid 19Article
How to Open a Restaurant - 3 StepsArticle
How to Start a RestaurantArticle
How to Open a Restaurant - 11 PointsArticle
The Best POS Systems For Cafés And Coffee ShopsArticle
7 Ways to Run a More Successful Coffee ShopArticle
How 3 Baristas Built Their Coffee Shop for the Price of One Espresso MachineArticle
Ideas & Resources for Marketing your Coffee ShopArticle
How to Start a Coffee Shop: Costs & ConsiderationsArticle
Why are Amsterdam's cannabis 'coffeeshops' closing?Article
Houston’s Most Unique Coffee ShopsArticle
The Most Beautiful Coffee Shop in Every State in AmericaArticle
10 Ideas to Attract New Customers In Your Coffee ShopArticle
8 Best Coffee Franchise Opportunities 2018Article
A Technology Guide for Coffee Shops and CafesArticle
Computer Needs for a Coffee Shop BusinessArticle
How To Start A Coffee Shop 01Article
Coffee Franchise OpportunitiesArticle
How to Open a Coffee Shop: A Step-by-Step GuideArticle
6 Coffee Shop Marketing Strategies that cost less than $100 a MonthArticle
How to Start a Coffee Shop and NOT Go BankruptArticle
Survey Results: Why Do Coffee Shops Fail? 232 Owners Share Top ReasonsArticle
10 Coffee Franchises to Challenge StarbucksArticle
Are Coffee Shops a Good Investment? Article
Bitter Brew - I opened a charming neighborhood coffee shop. Then it destroyed my life.Article
How Does That Independent Coffee Shop Survive?Article
How to Run a Successful Coffee ShopArticle
How to Start a Coffee Shop That Will Be a Great SuccessArticle
Want to Open a Coffee Shop? Read ThisArticle
The Ultimate Guide To Restaurant Staff Management – All You Need To KnowArticle
Choosing The Right Restaurant Location For Different Restaurant TypesArticle
How To Run Restaurant Ads Online To Attract More CustomersArticle
Reduce Restaurant Labor Costs with these 7 TipsArticle
Average Restaurant SalaryArticle
Restaurant Worker Salaries in the United StatesArticle
60+ Delicious Restaurant Industry Statistics – 2019 EditionArticle
The 39 Best Franchise Opportunities to Buy & Own in 2019Article
How to Open a New Restaurant Article
6 Questions to Ask Before Buying an Existing Restaurant Article
Subway Got Too Big. Franchisees Paid a Price.Article
The Top 50 Fast Food Restaurants in America Ranked by SalesArticle
How to Value a Restaurant BusinessArticle
Twin Peaks Franchising - $4.34 M av. Unit VolumeArticle
These are the 50 highest grossing restaurants in the USArticle
How to Buy a Restaurant in 7 Easy StepsArticle
7 Questions to Ask Before Buying a RestaurantArticle
5 Affordable Restaurant Franchises You Can Start for 5 FiguresArticle
Subway is one of the cheapest restaurant chains to open — here's a breakdown of all the costsArticle
How Much Would Buying A Local Restaurant Cost?Article
Steps to Buying a Business Opportunity in UtahArticle
What you should know about buying a restaurantArticle
Preparing to Sell Your Restaurant – What You Should KnowArticle
Why Buy an Existing Business?Article
Basic Requirements for a Good Restaurant, Bar Or Club Business PurchaseArticle
What to Look For Before Signing a Restaurant LeaseArticle
How Buyers Evaluate a Restaurant, Bar or Club BusinessArticle
McDonald´s U.S. Real EstateArticle
The Ultimate Guide to FranchisingArticle
Buying A California Business: A Checklist For Business BuyersArticle
Opening a RestaurantArticle
Why has my broker not found a suitable buyer for my fantastic restaurant?Article

[6] Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a business plan? [ restaurants for sale ]

Yes, because a well thought out plan is the foundation of your success. Imagine steering a ship. Without a plan, you don´t even know, where to go. Therefore, you cannot arrive anywhere, as you have no goal. Take the time to prepare your plan. As soon as you open your restaurant, you should execute your plan step by step. Although there are always challenges, which you can´t foresee, most of your working efforts should become routine, in order to increase quality, reliability and profit.

How do I get customers?

Probably the most important source of customers are the location and the traffic of potential customers, that pass by every day. It´s much easier to win a passerby as a customer, than to motivate someone to travel a longer distance in order to visit your site. Therefore, high traffic locations are mostly more expensive than low traffic locations. But locations with a high passerby frequency have the advantage, that you can estimate your sales potential much better and sales are probably more stable. If you decide to open your restaurant at a location with weak traffic at your front door, then you need to do a lot of marketing to get customers. And marketing also costs money. So in any case, you need to invest money to get customers.

How much experience do I need to succeed as a restaurant owner?

Running a restaurant is not rocket science, but don´t underestimate the complexity of a restaurant business. If you don´t care about the details, you probably won´t become profitable. A bucket with too many holes looses too much water. Industry experience is gold! Try to learn as much, as you can. Starting a restaurant without any experience is not a good idea. Learning this business as an employee has the big advantage, that you get paid, even if you make a mistake. An unexperienced restaurant owner probably won´t even see the mistakes until they become obvious or until the cost a lot of money. It´s wiser to take enough time to prepare and to keep your powder dry, before you shoot.

Is theft by employees a real threat? [ restaurants for sale ]

Unfortunately, yes. On average a restaurant, café or bar loses about 10 to 20 % of sales through theft by employees. In some cases the damage is even bigger. You should keep an eye on this topic and implement inventory control systems.

How can I calculate prices, that are profitable? [ restaurants for sale ]

A simple method to find profitable sales prices for food and beverages is the so called “premium calculation”. You start with the net costs of goods sold (COGS) and add a premium in % of COGS and the VAT. The approximate premiums usually amount to 180 % to 300 % of the cost of goods.

How can I attract more customers?

The unique selling proposition (USP) is a very effective way to get more customers. In short, it´s a special promise about what you offer. It should be the answer to the question, that the customer asks himself: “Why should I visit your restaurant?”

What is the 80/20 principle? [ restaurants for sale ]

The 80/20 principle was discovered by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, as he realized, that only 20 % of the population had 80 % of its wealth. Very often the economy shows a strong imbalance between causes and consequences or input and output. In a business, a huge amount of sales can come from a relative small group of customers. By focussing your efforts on this group and on their special needs, you can improve your results dramatically.

How can I increase sales in my restaurant?

The customers birthday is a great opportunity to offer a special birthday party package. You can combine it with a gift voucher and personal congratulations.

How can I optimize my menu for more sales? [ restaurants for sale ]

One of the simplest hacks is to leave out the currency symbols with the price, as they only remind your guests of the pain of paying. In a study, sales rose by 8.1 %, only because of this measure.