Buying a restaurant is often like a first date.  After all, you encountered both online and loved what you saw (even though one’s on match.com and the other’s on bizbuysell).  In both instances the online photos are great (airbrushed?? – we’re not sure).  The description sounds like just what you’re looking for (after all the copy is written to show only the assets) and the email exchanges lead to dinner at the restaurant.  Everything seems great over that first glass of wine.  The food tastes a little better, the service a little nicer.  After all, you don’t know much about the other party early in the game. 

It’s the exact same process when buying a restaurant.  You start by going to dinner.  At first glance, you’re blown away by just how gorgeous the place is.  The business (like your date) is on their best behavior.  A nightclub featuring private seating, open just four nights a week looks ‘oh so good’ at first pass.  Dig a little deeper and you learn that they have issues with their liquor license or none of the income can be proven.  Take a sports bar where the restaurant broker quotes what an owner “takes out” of the business but can’t put it together on a piece of paper or produce a  financial document to back it up.  Even gorgeous restaurants with all the bells and whistle can attract a buyer to begin with but that won’t necessarily translate into the best kind of restaurants for sale.  Getting past that first look and getting to know those businesses a little better can reveal that beyond a “not so perfect” exterior may be a money making machine.   At the same time those that look great on the outside may produce little in the way of earnings.

As time goes on and more frequent get-togethers occur, you learn a little more about the other person (or restaurant).  That initial “glow” or attraction wears off and you begin to think they may not be the perfect match.   There’s a deeper level of conversation that doesn’t deliver what you were originally attracted to.  

That’s why the best kind of restaurants for salewill not have anything to hide.  The restaurant brokers are open and up front about what they are selling.  They won’t be accompanied by listing language that says “owner states” or “owner pulls out” a certain amount of money each month.  Instead, they will settle for telling it like it is; earnings on the books, an actual number or verified books and records.

These are the best kind of restaurants for sale – the “keepers” in the bunch.  These are the ones that deserve that second and third look until you ultimate make the decision to buy. 

When buyers are searching for restaurants for sale it’s easy to be seduced by listings that have flash over substance.  Smart restaurant brokers will steer you towards the ones that deliver cash or whatever it is you’re looking for.  Sometimes it is best to remember the words of your mother who warned you not to judge a book by its cover – especially on the first date.  Things that look great by candlelight may look much different in the light of day.

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