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Colorado Restaurant Brokers
Restaurants are one of the hardest businesses to sell well and one of the easiest to undersell. We price your restaurant on real cash flow and the value of your space, lease and liquor license, then find a buyer who can close.
Your information stays confidential. A broker will call you within one business day.
Liquor license and lease work
Selling a restaurant in Colorado
Running a restaurant in Colorado has become more expensive, especially in Denver, and many owners are planning their exit. Buyers are still active, but they are careful. They want to see real profit, a workable lease and a concept that fits the neighborhood.
Running a restaurant in Colorado has become more expensive, especially in Denver, and many owners are planning their exit. Buyers are still active, but they are careful. They want to see real profit, a workable lease and a concept that fits the neighborhood.
What Buyers Pay
SDE (seller’s discretionary earnings) is net profit plus the owner’s salary and one time or personal expenses. Your exact number depends on the factors below.
Colorado Market Update, 2026
Laws, costs and buyer expectations that affect your sale price right now.
Denver’s minimum wage is $19.29 in 2026 and is set to reach $19.84 in 2027. The Denver tipped cash wage is $16.27. Colorado’s statewide minimum is $15.16, and the state tipped wage is $12.14.
The Colorado Restaurant Association reported more than 200 restaurant closures statewide in 2024, with 82% of the losses in Denver. Denver retail food licenses are down about 21% since July 2023. Suburban locations with lower costs are drawing buyers.
The legislature passed the Swipe Fee Relief Act (SB26-134) in 2026, which the CRA estimates could save Colorado restaurants about $34 million a year. Denver operators are also pushing for tipped wage and permitting changes.
With build out costs high, a buyer who can take over a working kitchen, hood system and liquor license saves months and hundreds of thousands of dollars. That value belongs in your price.
Sources: City and County of Denver, minimum wage · Colorado Restaurant Association, 2025 State of Denver report · Axios Denver, Jan 2025. Market details as of October 2026; confirm current rules before acting.
The Roadmap
Every sale follows the same proven path. Here are the eight steps we’ll move through together.
It starts with a confidential, no obligation conversation. We learn about your business, your goals and your timeline, and you learn exactly how we work and what to expect.
You complete our Business Valuation Intake (BVI), and our team analyzes your financials to determine what your business is truly worth in today’s market.
Our team builds professional marketing materials and takes your business to market through our buyer network and national listing platforms, all without revealing its identity.
We screen every inquiry so only serious, financially capable buyers ever learn the details of your business. Every buyer signs an NDA first.
We help structure and present written offers, then work through price, financing, training and transition until both sides reach an agreement that works.
The buyer verifies financials, operations and contracts while earnest money is held in a neutral escrow account. We keep requests organized and deadlines on track.
We manage the approvals that let the business change hands: your lease assignment, license transfers such as liquor permits, and the buyer’s new legal entity.
Final documents are signed, funds transfer through escrow and you are paid. A short transition hands off operations, vendors, staff and customers.
Typical timeline: 3 to 9 months from listing to close. Approximately 30% of our listings close within the first 3 months!
For Buyers
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Build your free buyer profile with the industries, areas and budget you want. When we list a business that fits, we email you, often before it reaches public sites. 85% of our deals close with SBA financing, and we help you prepare the lender package.
Buying a restaurant?
FAQ
Most profitable restaurants sell anywhere from about 1.0 to 6.5 times SDE. When profit is low, the price is often based on the value of the build out, equipment, lease and liquor license instead.
Yes. Buyers pay for fully built out space, especially with a liquor license and a good lease. We market these as asset sales or second generation space.
Not from us. We market without the restaurant’s name and schedule buyer visits after hours.
The buyer applies for a transfer of ownership with the local licensing authority and the state. A temporary permit can let the buyer operate while the transfer is processed.
Buyers model 2026 and 2027 wage rates into their numbers. Showing current labor costs and how you manage them builds buyer confidence.
Yes. We sell restaurants of every type, along with bars, breweries, bakeries, food trucks and coffee shops.
Resources
or call 720.361.1000 · Mon to Fri, 8 AM to 6 PM