Sell My Restaurant in Southern California | Martin Navarro, Business Broker
Sell Your Business Buy a Business Sell My Franchise Free Valuation Insights Service Areas Contact (818) 633-3254
Restaurants & Bars

Sell My Restaurant in Southern California

A restaurant is a concept, a kitchen, often a liquor license, and either a valuable lease or the real estate itself. Martin Navarro, Business Broker, guides restaurant and bar owners through valuation, the liquor license, equipment and leaseholds, and the lease or the property, across Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire, and Ventura, and throughout Southern California.

Get a Free Restaurant Valuation Looking to Buy a Restaurant?
Answered Directly

Selling a restaurant, the key questions

What is my restaurant worth?

A restaurant is valued on the earnings of the business, usually a multiple of seller's discretionary earnings, and sometimes cross-checked against a percentage of sales. The value of your furniture, fixtures, and equipment, a transferable ABC liquor license, and your lease all factor in, and when you own the building, the real estate is valued separately and added on top. A valuation on your actual financials gives the real figure, not an online estimate.

Is my restaurant worth more if I own the building?

Usually, yes. Owning the real estate removes the biggest risk in a restaurant sale, an unfavorable or short lease, and lets a buyer secure the location long term. You can sell the business and the property together for a higher combined value, or sell the business and lease the building to the buyer as an investment. Selling the real estate is handled under my California DRE license, #02372118.

How does the liquor license transfer?

A California ABC on-sale license transfers to the buyer through escrow, which takes time and requires ABC approval, and in some areas the license itself carries significant value. I coordinate the license transfer with escrow so approval and closing line up and service is not interrupted.

What if I lease my space instead of owning it?

Most restaurants operate on leased space, and the lease is central to the sale, because the buyer and their lender need a long, assignable lease at a workable rent. I review your lease early, confirm it can be assigned, and, where needed, help negotiate terms so the lease supports rather than limits the sale.

Can I sell without my staff or regulars knowing?

Yes. Your sale stays confidential. The restaurant is marketed with a blind profile that does not name it, and every buyer is screened and signs a non-disclosure agreement before they learn which restaurant is for sale, protecting your staff, your regulars, and your reputation while the deal comes together.

What Makes A Restaurant Sale Different

Six things that drive a restaurant's value

A restaurant rarely sells like an ordinary business. These are the pieces that set the price, and the ones I manage for you.

The Liquor License

An on-sale ABC license transfers through escrow and can be a major asset in the right area.

Equipment & Leaseholds

Kitchen equipment, hood and grease systems, build-out, and fixtures a buyer steps into.

The Lease or Real Estate

A strong, assignable lease, or the building when you own it, one of the biggest value drivers. Handled under my DRE license, #02372118.

Concept & Brand

Whether the concept, recipes, and name transfer, or a buyer plans to convert.

Permits & Compliance

Health permits, ADA, hood and grease, and patio or entertainment permits, documented for a smooth transfer.

Revenue & Margins

Sales, food and labor cost, and catering or delivery income, the numbers buyers underwrite.

Why Work With Me

A broker who understands licenses, leases, equipment, and the land

Restaurants attract owner-operators, restaurateurs, and investors who weigh the concept, the license, the lease, and, when it is included, the real estate. Selling well means presenting all of it as one clean, credible package.

Businesses with real estate are a specialty within my full-service brokerage practice. I handle your valuation, confidential marketing, buyer screening, license, lease, and real estate presentation, and negotiation, from first conversation to close. When the property is part of the sale, that side is handled under my California DRE license, #02372118. I am a California business broker, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, bilingual in English and Spanish, and a member of CABB and IBBA.

The Selling Process

How selling your restaurant works

Confidential Consultation

We start with a confidential conversation about your restaurant, your goals, and your timeline.

Valuation

We establish a defensible value from your earnings, your equipment and leaseholds, your liquor license, and, when you own it, the real estate.

Review the Lease or Real Estate & License

We review your lease and assignment rights or your property, and your ABC license, so nothing surprises the deal.

Confidential Marketing

Your restaurant is marketed with a blind profile that does not name it, protecting your staff and regulars.

Buyer Screening & NDAs

Every buyer is screened and signs a non-disclosure agreement before learning which restaurant is for sale.

Escrow, License & Transfer

We coordinate escrow, the ABC license transfer, the lease assignment or real estate, and the handoff so the buyer takes over cleanly.

Start with a free, confidential valuation →

For Buyers

Buying a restaurant in Southern California

Restaurants and bars are a favorite for owner-operators, chefs, and investors, and a restaurant that comes with its real estate or a valuable liquor license is especially attractive. They also carry real diligence, and that is where guidance pays off.

I help buyers evaluate the concept and revenue, the furniture, fixtures, and equipment, the ABC liquor license, the lease or the real estate, and the permits, and line up SBA or conventional financing. Whether you want a turnkey restaurant to operate, a bar with a valuable license, or a building with the business attached, I will help you buy the right one at the right terms.

See how I help buyers acquire a business →

Also work with: gas stations, car washes, self-storage facilities, laundromats, hotels and motels, RCFEs and assisted living, and auto repair shops, plus other businesses that come with real estate. Ask me what is available.
By Area

Selling a restaurant near you

I sell restaurants throughout Southern California. Start with your area for local market detail, or request a valuation from any page.

Inland Empire → San Fernando Valley → Ventura County → Orange County → Los Angeles →
Frequently Asked Questions

Selling a restaurant, answered

A restaurant is valued on the earnings of the business, usually a multiple of seller's discretionary earnings, and sometimes cross-checked against a percentage of sales. The value of your furniture, fixtures, and equipment, a transferable ABC liquor license, and your lease all factor in, and when you own the building, the real estate is valued separately and added on top. A valuation on your actual financials gives the real figure, not an online estimate.

Usually, yes. Owning the real estate removes the biggest risk in a restaurant sale, an unfavorable or short lease, and lets a buyer secure the location long term. You can sell the business and the property together for a higher combined value, or sell the business and lease the building to the buyer as an investment. Selling the real estate is handled under my California DRE license, #02372118.

A California ABC on-sale license transfers to the buyer through escrow, which takes time and requires ABC approval, and in some areas the license itself carries significant value. I coordinate the license transfer with escrow so approval and closing line up and service is not interrupted.

Most restaurants operate on leased space, and the lease is central to the sale, because the buyer and their lender need a long, assignable lease at a workable rent. I review your lease early, confirm it can be assigned, and, where needed, help negotiate terms so the lease supports rather than limits the sale.

Yes. Your sale stays confidential. The restaurant is marketed with a blind profile that does not name it, and every buyer is screened and signs a non-disclosure agreement before they learn which restaurant is for sale, protecting your staff, your regulars, and your reputation while the deal comes together.

A wide range, from first-time owner-operators and chefs to experienced restaurateurs, groups, and investors, plus buyers who want the location or the liquor license for a new concept. I position your restaurant confidentially to the buyer types most likely to pay a premium for it.

Martin Navarro, Business Broker
About Your Broker

Martin Navarro, Business Broker

Martin Navarro is a California business broker, DRE #02372118, and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He is bilingual in English and Spanish and a member of the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB), the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), ACG Los Angeles (Association for Corporate Growth), and the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce. Gas stations, car washes, self-storage, and other businesses with real estate are a specialty within his full-service brokerage practice. Martin serves business owners across Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Ventura, and Orange County, and throughout Southern California.

Request a Confidential Restaurant Valuation

Tell me about your restaurant. Every inquiry is confidential and there is no obligation.