Services

Sell a Restaurant, Bar
or Liquor Store

John and Justin Kelly represent owners of restaurants, bars, taverns and liquor stores in South Jersey, with the building and the liquor license steps that come with them.

Work With Us The Process
John Kelly and Justin Kelly, The JK Realty Group business brokers in New Jersey

Step by Step

How the sale
works

Pricing the Business

A restaurant or bar is priced from what it earns for the owner, equipment, the lease or the building, and what similar businesses have sold for.

Quiet Marketing

Qualified buyers sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before they see the name or the numbers. Staff, regulars and suppliers are not told.

License and Lease

If there is a liquor license, a transfer needs approval from the municipality, and the lease or building purchase moves in step with it. Your attorney handles the legal side.

Closing

The business, the license and the building or lease line up for one closing, coordinated with your attorney.

20+Years of Experience
NJLic# 1866027
PALic# RB069294
NDABefore Details Are Shared

Business Sales

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or Justin

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Business Sales

A Restaurant or Bar Sale Includes
More Than the Kitchen

Services

Selling a Restaurant or Bar in South Jersey

Valuation Opinion

An opinion of what the business could sell for, based on earnings, equipment, location and sales of similar businesses.

Confidential Marketing

Buyers who qualify and sign an NDA see the business. Your staff and customers hear about it from you.

Building or Lease Plan

We sell the building with the business, or set up a lease for the buyer, and we work through passing the lease to the buyer with the landlord.

Buyer Search

We also represent buyers looking for a restaurant, bar or liquor store, with or without the building.

Records and Paperwork

Your accountant and attorney review the financials, equipment list, lease and license. We coordinate it.

Liquor License Timing

We plan the closing date around the municipal approval so the sale, the building or lease and the license line up.

Building, Lease and License

Some South Jersey restaurants and bars sell with the building, and the site, parking and liquor license can be a large part of what a buyer is paying for. Others hand their lease to the buyer, which needs the landlord's OK and enough time left on the lease.

Liquor licenses in New Jersey are issued through the municipality, so a transfer needs local approval, which adds a step to the schedule. Your attorney guides the filing, and we plan the sale around it.

We work alongside your attorney and accountant. The brokerage is licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Markets

Counties We
Work In

Gloucester CountyNew Jersey Camden CountyNew Jersey Burlington CountyNew Jersey Cumberland CountyNew Jersey Salem CountyNew Jersey Greater PhiladelphiaPennsylvania

Business Types

Other Business
Types We Sell

Business BrokerageAll business types HVAC, Plumbing and ElectricalSell with the building Pool and SpaSell with the building Auto Repair and Car WashSell with the building Landscaping and Contractor YardsSell with the building Daycare and Medical PracticesSell with the building Industrial Outdoor StorageYards and land Commercial Real EstateBuildings and leases

Common Questions

Restaurant and Bar
FAQs

Is the building sold with the restaurant?+
It can be. Some owners sell the business and the building together, others sell the business and lease the building to the buyer, and others rent and pass the lease to the buyer. We lay out the routes that fit your situation.
How does a liquor license transfer work?+
In New Jersey, retail liquor licenses are issued through the municipality, so a transfer generally involves local approval. Your attorney guides the filing, and we plan the sale dates around it.
How is a restaurant or bar valued?+
Mostly from earnings, equipment, the lease or building, and similar sales. Clean records help a buyer and a lender trust the numbers, so your accountant is part of the process.
Will staff and regulars hear about the sale early?+
Not before a buyer is qualified and signs an NDA. The business is described without being named until then.
Do you also help people buying a restaurant or bar?+
Yes. We represent buyers, and we handle the building or lease that goes with the business.
What is the Consumer Information Statement (CIS) and when will I receive it?+
It is the form that shows how an agent can work with you in New Jersey: representing the seller, representing the buyer, transaction brokerage or disclosed dual agency (one brokerage representing both sides, with written consent). You get it from us at the start, before we discuss your transaction and before you share confidential information. It is covered in N.J.A.C. 11:5-6.9.
Are real estate commissions negotiable?+
Yes. Real estate commissions in New Jersey are negotiable, and the amount is agreed between you and the brokerage. We talk about compensation at the start.

Next Step

Ready when
you are

Work with John & Justin

John Kelly, Broker(609) 790-6079 mobile  ·  (856) 681-4024 office
Justin Kelly, Broker-Associate(609) 444-9704 mobile  ·  (856) 681-4025 office

Reach out to our team. You're welcome to call, or send a note and we'll respond personally.

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