Regardless of market conditions, staging is an important step in any restaurant sale. Just like selling a house, your restaurant will need to compete with other listings once it’s on the market. And if you want to capture the attention of buyers, you’ll need to do some prep work.
In this post, we’ll cover the basics of staging and how you can optimize your restaurant space before listing to ensure you see a great return on your investment.
Thinking about selling your restaurant? Click here to learn how you can get a free no-obligation evaluation.
Start With A Restaurant Broker
When selling a restaurant, bar, or cafe, the best place to start is with a dedicated commercial real estate agent. As local specialists in restaurant real estate, they can provide expert advice and key market insights to help you through the staging process. Beginning with a walkthrough of the space, your agent can help you create a pre-listing staging checklist to ensure your restaurant appeals to potential buyers.
Want to sell your restaurant for top dollar? Check out these helpful resources on our blog.
- How to Present Your Restaurant for the Best Sale Price
- Selling Your Restaurant? Here’s Why You Should Start Preparing Early
- Selling a Restaurant in Ontario: 5 Things to Know
Clean and Declutter
When it comes time for potential buyers to view your restaurant in person, it’s essential that it looks its best. Like your customers, buyers have high standards and expectations. If you want your restaurant to stand out from other listings on the market, you’ll want to go the extra mile.
Start with a thorough, deep clean of your restaurant including both the front and back of house. If your restaurant is fairly large, consider investing in a professional cleaning service, they can speed up the cleaning process and ensure no details are missed.
Next, remove any unnecessary items or furniture that may be taking up space in your restaurant. This can help the restaurant feel more spacious and allow you to make the atmosphere feel as cohesive as possible. Your agent can advise you on which items or decorative elements should be swapped out or moved into storage.
After the initial deep clean, remember to be extra diligent in keeping your restaurant tidy and free of clutter during the sales process.
Thinking about selling your Ontario restaurant? If so, you’ll need to work with a business broker. Learn more about how brokers support sellers here.
Touch Ups
Once you’ve done a deep clean and declutter of your restaurant, it’s time to make the space look its best through touch ups and optimizations. Unlike residential real estate, this process often doesn’t involve more significant upgrades such as complete repainting or swapping out major appliances. Rather, this stage is an opportunity to fix minor blemishes and make small aesthetic changes to ensure your restaurant shines in the eyes of potential buyers.
Once again, your agent can make strategic recommendations throughout this process. As restaurant industry experts, they know firsthand what buyers are looking for and will help you optimize your restaurant to match current trends.
Looking for more insights about the Toronto restaurant industry in 2022? Why not explore a few of these helpful blog posts?
- How the Restaurant Industry is Changing in 2022
- What’s the Difference Between Residential and Commercial Real Estate Transactions?
- Pricing and Inflation in the Restaurant Industry
Optimize Your Outdoor Space
After you’ve made the inside of your restaurant look great, it’s time to maximize curb appeal. As the outside of your restaurant is what potential buyers see first, you’ll want to make a good initial impression. During showings, potential buyers will picture their vision in your restaurant space, and that includes the outside of the building too.
Once again, it’s important to consider the small details when staging your facade. If you have plants or landscaping on your property, ensure they’re well-kept and watered regularly. Keep large glass windows and doors clean and free of steaks.
Staging Online and Offline
In 2022, the majority of interested buyers will first see your restaurant online. With plenty of other listings just a click away, it’s crucial that your restaurant looks great both on the web and in person. Once staged, your real estate agent can connect you with professional photographers and videographers to capture high-quality visuals that will help you market your restaurant.
Still figuring out how to prepare your restaurant for sale? We can help simplify the process! Contact us.
