Hospitality

Sell Your Restaurants Business in Canada

Canadian restaurants are notoriously difficult to sell well. Most owners get less than they should because they list on Kijiji, attract tire-kickers, and let competing operators learn their financials. We run confidential restaurant sales using anonymized teasers, NDA-gated CIMs, and a buyer database of independent operators, franchise groups, family offices and immigrants seeking PNP-qualifying businesses.

Typical Revenue
$500K – $5M CAD
EBITDA Margin
8–18% (full-service), 12–22% (QSR)
Typical Multiple
2.0x–3.5x SDE for full-service; 2.5x–4.0x SDE for QSR / specialty

Typical Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) for this sector: $80K–$700K

Why Selling a Restaurants Business Is Different

Generic business brokers handle this wrong. These are the specific challenges in your sector.

Most owners under-document cash sales and over-document expenses
Lease terms (assignment, renewal options, demolition clauses) make or break the sale
Owner-operator skill often inseparable from the brand — buyer worries about replicability
Liquor license transfer is BC-specific and time-consuming
Equipment age, kitchen condition, and pest history all surface in DD

What Sophisticated Restaurants Buyers Look For

Build these into your business 12–24 months before listing, and your multiple rises 1–3 turns.

Clean two-year P&L with verifiable cash deposits
Long lease (5+ years remaining) with assignment language
Documented recipes, SOPs, and supplier relationships
Liquor license transferable to buyer
Working POS data showing sales-mix and trends

Who Buys Restaurants Businesses in Canada

We've mapped the active buyer universe for your sector.

1
Independent operators expanding from one location
2
Restaurant groups acquiring concepts
3
Franchise operators changing concept
4
Immigrants buying for BC PNP / Federal investor program
5
Family offices investing in food & beverage

Industry-Specific Challenges We Handle

The deal-breakers we've seen — and how we address each one.

Cash Sales Documentation

Most restaurants under-report cash. Buyers need verifiable bank deposits matching reported sales — or a credible discount for documentation risk.

Lease Assignment

Most BC commercial leases require landlord consent. Start lease negotiations 90 days before close.

Liquor License Transfer

BC LCRB takes 8–16 weeks. Buyer typically can't take possession until transfer approves.

What We Play Up in Your Marketing

These are the value drivers that move restaurants buyers from interest to LOI.

Established customer base with documented repeat-visit frequency
Below-market lease with attractive remaining term
Working kitchen equipment under 7 years old
Trained, retained kitchen staff (chef, sous-chef, line cooks)
Liquor license included in sale
Social media presence and review scores (Google, Yelp, OpenTable)

Comparable Transactions

We've sold downtown bistros ($1.2M–$2.8M), suburban family restaurants ($350K–$900K), and QSR locations ($500K–$1.5M) across BC.

Specific transaction details confidential. Ask for redacted case study under NDA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sector-specific questions restaurants owners ask.

Ready to Sell Your Restaurants Business?

Confidential, no-obligation conversation. Tell us about your business, your timeline, and your goals. We'll respond with a written engagement proposal within 24 hours.