What are Certified Restaurant Brokers?

Strong restaurant brokers are skilled at selling your restaurant for the most money in the shortest time. 

Certified Restaurant Brokers
Who are Certified Restaurant Brokers? A Certified Restaurant Broker® is a business broker with specific training in restaurant transactions. The term “Certified Restaurant Broker” was trademarked in 2005 by Robin and Eric Gagnon, who developed the curriculum and testing for the designation. The coursework includes online learning, role-playing, field training, and ongoing mentoring to ensure the success of these restaurant brokers and their clients. 
 
Robin and Eric Gagnon first launched We Sell Restaurant when they saw a distinct need in the Atlanta, GA area for a good restaurant broker. Jumping at the opportunity to fulfill that need Robin and Eric both transitioned out of their corporate careers and into restaurant brokerage. Since 2004, they have offered restaurant brokerage services nationwide for owners looking to sell their restaurant with the nation’s most successful restaurant brokers. 

By developing the coursework and systems for restaurant brokerage, We Sell Restaurants established itself as the nation's number one resource for buying and selling restaurants. 

Why use Certified Restaurant Brokers?
Owning and operating a restaurant is no easy feat. For many, your restaurant is your baby. You have devoted your life to keeping it staffed, stocked, and meeting community expectations and approval. When it’s time to start thinking about selling your restaurant, you, naturally, want someone who will evaluate the value of your food business appropriately. Our Certified Restaurant Brokers offer a free, no-obligation restaurant valuation for anyone who is thinking about selling their restaurant. After a Certified Restaurant Broker is assigned to you, he or she will recast your Profit & Loss statement and apply best practices for restaurant business valuations to maximize the sale price and offer the best opportunity for the restaurant to sell for the most money in the shortest amount of time. All of this comes with no obligation and no money upfront. 

Once a restaurant is priced and listed, it is costly and time-consuming to market the restaurant. Today, there are qualified buyers in our database searching for restaurants to purchase. Our listings are promoted across the country on all major online sites, in print, and on social media.

Additionally, our Certified Restaurant Brokers maintain excellent connections with other brokers that represent purchasers who are searching for the best opportunities. 

Our website is the best online location for promoting your business. When customers are looking for a restaurant to buy, we consistently rank at the top of all major search engines.  We also reach potential buyers through online advertising and email marketing. 

At the same time, our Certified Restaurant Brokers understand and respect the importance of confidentiality when listing your restaurant for sale. That's why we require all of our inquiring buyers to acknowledge the confidentiality and, if necessary, provide proof of funds, before we release any information that would jeopardize the restaurant's identity. This ensures that we connect you with qualified buyers who are serious about the prospect to buy your restaurant. Information such as the name, address, and detailed financial information is provided in a listing package to the buyer after he or she has submitted the necessary documents to our brokers. 

Certified Restaurant Brokers provide the valuation and this entire marketing campaign at no cost to the seller. We aren't compensated until your restaurant sells. 

Finding Restaurant Brokers
Before you move forward in selling your restaurant, it is important to qualify any restaurant brokers that you potentially work with. Using our handy “Cheat Sheet” of interview questions is one way that you can find restaurant brokers who are best suited for the job of selling your restaurant. Before you choose who will be assisting you with your restaurant, research restaurant brokers to understand his or her...
 
Experience of Restaurant Valuations – Knowledgeable restaurant brokers know how to properly value your restaurant business. They know that this accounts for Profit & Loss statements or tax returns, and do not mistakenly perpetuate the myth that the business should be sold as a multiple of EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization).
 
Closing percentage – Listing your restaurant for sale is one thing, but the goal at the end of the day is to sell it, right? See what historical data the restaurant brokers you reach out to have to see who will get you to the closing table.
 
Lending resources – Good restaurant brokers can also maintain relationships with lending resources. One question to ask the broker would be, “How many deals have you closed with SBA lending this year?” to gauge their experience when it comes to lending in a deal.
 
Marketing Plans – Is your information as the seller kept confidential? Strong restaurant brokers safeguard the restaurant’s name, address, and seller’s information while marketing to buyers. Does the broker have a process for keeping this information private? At the same time, where is the broker advertising your listing and attracting buyers?
 
Ability to Find Qualified Buyers – You can’t successfully sell a restaurant without securing a buyer. The best restaurant brokers for the job will have the knowledge and skills needed to reach potential buyers and pre-qualify them for the purchase of your food business. Ask them about their process to connect buyer and seller in a transaction.
 
Ultimately, you, as the buyer or seller, want to understand what the restaurant broker does to get to closing.
 
Restaurant Brokers vs. Business Brokers
What’s the difference between seeking the assistance of restaurant brokers as opposed to ordinary business brokers? At the conception of the We Sell Restaurants brand, co-founders Robin and Eric Gagnon believed that the restaurant industry deserved someone who understood its specific needs. The solution? Develop a highly specialized business brokerage practice focused on helping those in the industry buy and sell restaurants.
 
A regular business broker handles a wide variety of business transactions, from car washes to pet daycares, to pharmacies, and more. A regular business broker, while adept at handling business transactions, may not necessarily have the skillset to evaluate, market, and sell restaurants. On top of that, our Certified Restaurant Brokers take a much more hands-on approach to handling your listing. In fact, several of our restaurant brokers are former restaurant owners themselves or have experience in the hospitality industry. 

How are Certified Restaurant Brokers Trained?
In building the We Sell Restaurants business model and brand, Robin and Eric developed online, in-person, and in-field training to prepare new franchisees in the brand to be successful restaurant brokers.
 
When buyers and sellers work with Certified Restaurant Brokers, they are working with trained brokerage professionals that have received industry-specific knowledge and training. These restaurant brokers have undergone an intensive program consisting of five main phases.
 
Phase 1 – Certified Restaurant Brokers read the award-winning book, Appetite for Acquisition. In tandem, they complete an online course with questions and modules focused on testing their understanding of business brokerage as it relates to restaurants.
 
Phase 2 – This is the section where the Certified Restaurant Brokers in training learn our systems and how to navigate them to facilitate a restaurant transaction and communicate with their buyers and sellers.
 
Phase 3 – Once they understand the We Sell Restaurants systems, we graduate our Certified Restaurant Brokers in training to a 40-hour program with real-world scenarios and dynamic content to prepare them for restaurant brokerage. Trainees receive education on how to value a restaurant business, taking on example scenarios and practicing these valuations in a classroom setting. Certified Restaurant Brokers understand that a properly priced restaurant is critical to a successful transaction.
 
Phase 4 – This is where we put the knowledge and resources learned in Phases 2 and 3 to work. Certified Restaurant Brokers in training enter the field with a mentor to help them launch their practice.
 
Phase 5 – Even after one of our Certified Restaurant Brokers officially launches their practice, they continue to receive training and support that bolsters their ability to best assist restaurant buyers and sellers. Through mastermind sessions, weekly newsletters, monthly calls, and our Annual Franchise Conference—our restaurant brokers are always honing their restaurant brokerage skills.
 

Who are Certified Restaurant Brokers?
We Sell Restaurants offers specialized brokerage services to restaurant owners and buyers across the country. We have more than 15 franchisees nationwide operating in more than 40 states. Whether you are buying a restaurant, selling a restaurant, or looking for a restaurant for lease, a Certified Restaurant Broker near you will be equipped to help you with your endeavors.

As founders of the brand and systemic processes for restaurant brokerage, Robin & Eric Gagnon are the original Certified Restaurant Brokers. They began their practice in Atlanta, Georgia, officially headquartered there from 2010 to 2018. Today, these restaurant brokers head the national headquarters in Palm Coast, FL.

Since 2005, the term “Certified Restaurant Broker” has been trademarked by the We Sell Restaurants brand. The decision to trademark this designation nods to the industry expertise of those select restaurant brokers nationwide who have successfully completed the coursework and earned the business brokerage distinction.

We Sell Restaurants operates in markets across the country. Our franchisees host offices in these states:

Florida -  As the home of corporate headquarters and 5 different franchise markets, the state of Florida hosts several Certified Restaurant Brokers who are equipped to handle transactions for Florida restaurants for sale. Ken Eisenband and his team handle restaurants for sale in Fort Lauderdale. Further south in the south Miami market, Tarun Gajwani helps buyers and sellers restaurants for sale. On the opposite coast, Dave Whitcomb assists restaurant owners and restauranteurs in Naples, while Don Mason offers the same for those in Tampa and St. Petersburg. Covering Clermont and Orlando is Mel Ferioli. To the northeast, Brittney Gates services the Daytona area while father-son duo Gary and Austin Luke cover the Metro Jacksonville area. The array of Certified Restaurants Brokers available in Florida speaks to the state’s booming hospitality industry and thriving restaurant businesses.

 Georgia – Steve Weinbaum and JK Kenny are agents for the Atlanta office, while husband-wife team Jeff and Kim Heidt oversee the Marietta market.

 North and South Carolina – To meet the industry demands of North Carolina Restaurants for Sale and South Carolina Restaurants for Sale, there are two teams covering these markets. Justin Scotto and his team service Charlotte, SC, and much of northern South Carolina. The trio consisting of Emily Benedict, Tradd Bastian, and Bernie Bastian bring We Sell Restaurants restaurant brokerage to Charleston, SC.

Tennessee - Agent Tabby Hemphill assists restaurant buyers and sellers in the Tennessee markets. 

Kansas and Missouri - Tony Miceli is the franchisee and Certified Restaurant Broker® to call for those in the Kansas City area.  

Texas - Dave Duce is the franchisee for Austin, and  Stan Blair handles restaurants in the Fort Worth market. 

Colorado -  If you are looking for Certified Restaurant Brokers in Colorado, John Jordan's team based out of Denver consists of several restaurant brokers who are ready to assist. For those restaurants north of Boulder and in the state of Wyoming, Jeff Marcus is available to assist.

Arizona - Mike Smith is the franchsie partner and Certfied Restaurant Broker available in the Phoeniz, AZ market.

Virginia - If you own a restaurant in South Central, VA, then Certified Restaurant Broker Don Williams will be able to help you out. 

Minnesota - Longtime hospitality industry veteran Scott Ruby is the franchisee and Certified Restaurant Broker for the Minneapolis, MN market. 

Wisconsin - Travis Kuehl is a franchise restaurant owner and Certified Restaurant Broker for the Central Wisconsin franchise. 

Nevada - Las Vegas restaurant owners can use the services of David Stubbs as the Certified Restaurant Broker and franchisee in that market. 

Certified Restaurant Brokers Nationwide – If you are looking for a restaurant broker to assist you in buying or selling a restaurant, contact us to connect with the right restaurant broker for you. Our corporate office will assist you in matching you with an agent or franchisee who will be best suited for your needs.

Can I become a Certified Restaurant Broker®?

Currently, We Sell Restaurants offers a pathway to becoming a Certified Restaurant Broker® through franchising. Anyone interested in becoming one of the select Certified Restaurant Brokers nationwide might consider the franchise opportunity offered by We Sell Restaurants. This specialized business broker franchise for restaurants has been coined "the restaurant business with banker's hours" and is now accepting applications for new territories across the country. Business Brokerage is a $1.4 billion dollar industry with growing demand. Retiring baby boomers are to thank for this increase in demand as this generation exits their businesses. The same is true when it comes to the restaurant business, too. Contact us to request more information on the opportunity to buy a We Sell Restaurants franchise and sell restaurants!