If you’re searching Google for “how do I sell my pizza shop in Tampa?”, let me give you the short answer:
You need to make the business attractive to a buyer before you put it on the market.
Tampa Bay is a competitive restaurant market.
A buyer looking at your pizza shop has choices.
So what are they looking for?
Cash Flow
First and foremost, buyers want to know:
How much money can I make owning this business?
That’s why SDE is so important for many smaller restaurants.
A buyer isn’t simply buying ovens, refrigerators, tables and chairs.
They’re buying the future cash flow of the business.
A Good Location
Location matters.
A pizza restaurant with strong visibility, easy access and good traffic is generally more attractive than a restaurant hidden away in a difficult-to-find location.
A Good Lease
Your lease can either help the sale or hurt it.
If you’ve got years remaining and reasonable renewal options, that’s an asset.
If the lease expires next year, we may have work to do.
A Manager Who Can Run the Restaurant
Here’s one of my favorite questions to ask a restaurant owner:
“If you went to Italy for 30 days, would the restaurant still operate?”
If the answer is no, you’ve got an owner-dependent business.
The goal is to build a business where a new owner can step in and operate it.
Good Delivery Economics
Pizza is particularly interesting because delivery can be a significant component of the business.
But buyers are going to look at your delivery mix.
Third-party platforms can carry commissions in the 25%–30% range according to the valuation guide, while direct delivery can have significantly different economics.
The buyer wants to know:
How profitable is the revenue—not simply how much revenue do you have?
Clean Financials
This is one of the biggest factors.
Have your:
- Tax returns
- P&Ls
- POS reports
- Balance sheets
- Lease
- Equipment information
organized and ready.
That’s what makes the due diligence process easier.
So How Do You Sell a Pizza Shop in Tampa?
You start with a plan.
I’m Michael Shea with Transworld Business Advisors.
I’ve spent more than two decades helping Florida business owners sell their companies.
If you’re thinking about selling a pizza shop in Tampa Bay, don’t just call a broker when you want to sell.
Call before you’re ready.
That gives us the opportunity to determine the value, identify weaknesses and improve the business before it goes to market.
Visit Your Florida Business Broker to learn more.
Your pizza shop may be your biggest retirement asset. Treat the exit that way.
Michael Shea represents the Tampa Florida Transworld office. In business since 2005, he has established a reputation as a trusted business broker across Florida’s key markets- from Tampa to Orlando, Melbourne, and more. Over the past two decades, Michael and his team have closed over $1 Billion in sold business volume and presided over more than 476 transactions. His credentials include the IBBA Certified Business Intermediary®, and most recently, the prestigious Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA) credential. He is also a Florida Licensed Real Estate Broker and Business Brokers of Florida Board Certified Intermediary . Shea is a member of the VRMA and a recognized expert in property management and vacation rental management business sales