Buyer Non-Disclosure (NDA)
A simple NDA. Buyer signs before you share additional confidential information.
For sale by owner
Value it. List it. Sell it.
Built by the founder, not a faceless calculator. We rebuild your true owner benefit (SDE) from the P&L and tax returns using documented add-backs, then analyze the deal with our proprietary 20-factor methodology (lease, sales trends, competition, clean books and bank-ready financials, along with other factors) to set the multiple and asking price. Valuation is the start. Getting sold is the point.
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GET MY $99 FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT →Free valuation. No credit card. Your numbers stay private. No commission.
40+ years in restaurants2,500+ restaurants sold3,500+ valuations50,000+ buyers100% confidential
How to sell your restaurant yourself
How we determine your SDE
Selling it yourself
Tools for sellers
The paperwork a broker would handle, ready for you to use.
Buyer questionnaire
Send it to anyone who asks about your restaurant. You'll learn their experience, budget and financing before you share a single number.
Due Diligence Checklist
What buyers dig into before they write an offer.
Included with our Sell-Ready packageDocuments Buyers Ask For
The financial and deal file buyers expect to see.
Included with our Sell-Ready packageBank Loan Document List
What lenders typically need to underwrite a restaurant purchase.
Included with our Sell-Ready packageClosing Checklist
The steps from accepted offer to keys, included with Sell-Ready.
Included with our Sell-Ready packageBefore you decide
Know where you stand before you sell.
A confidential preliminary value range from your answers helps you decide whether to sell now or prepare first. It is not a full SDE review from books. A financial review can then clarify owner benefit, lease issues, and the records buyers will ask for.
Where's the Leak?
We line up your expenses against the industry standard for your type of restaurant, then show you exactly how much you could add to your bottom line.
We review your expenses.
Food cost, labor, rent, insurance and your other major costs, as a share of your sales.
We compare them to the industry standard.
Each one is measured against the normal range for restaurants like yours.
We show you the money.
Every point you're over becomes a dollar figure you could add to your bottom line, and what it could add to your sale price.
Food cost running high.
Waste, portioning and vendor pricing add up. We show what the extra points cost you every year.
Labor eating your profit.
Payroll above the industry range drags down your profit and your price.
Rent that doesn't fit your sales.
When rent is too big a share of sales, buyers notice and lenders push back.
Books hiding your real profit.
Owner perks, one-time costs and personal expenses can bury what you really earn. We separate them out.
Insurance costs too much.
Many owners overpay for coverage that doesn't fit their restaurant. We show how your premiums compare.
Utilities and supplies creeping up.
Gas, electric, paper goods and cleaning supplies rise a little at a time. We show where you're paying more than you should.
How the math works
Example only. Round numbers. Food cost and rent vs sales are among the factors in our 20-factor methodology. Your numbers decide where you land.
Fix the leaks before you sell and buyers pay for the profit you've added.
Choose your next step
Prepare with the right level of help.
Start with one year of numbers or prepare the full document set before going to market.
Financial Snapshot
$99One complete year of your P&L or tax return, rebuilt SDE, SBA-style grade, Buyer-Ready Score (0–100), and a short list of what needs fixing.
GET MY $99 FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT →Buyer-Ready
$750A 2-3 year financial review, clarifying questions, suggested asking price built from our proprietary 20-factor score, CBR, and lease abstract.
Optional: $99/mo per listing buyer inquiry handling (NDA, questionnaire, gated CBR release).
JOIN THE WAITLIST →Sell-Ready Package
$1,495- Value range and SBA grade
- 20-factor score
- Buyer packet (recasted financials, lease abstract, CBR, photo brochure)
- Optional: $99/mo per listing buyer inquiry handling (NDA, questionnaire, gated CBR release).
- Ready-to-post listing write-up
- Closing toolkit: documents needed to sell your restaurant
- 30-minute review call with Tom Traina
- One rewrite if you are not happy (email hello@sellmyrestaurant.ai)
Standalone add-ons: CBR $250, JOIN THE WAITLIST. Ready-to-Post Listing $99, JOIN THE WAITLIST.
Services & Pricing →How buyer inquiries reach you
Buyers get a clear path. You stay in control.
When someone asks about your restaurant, we send the NDA, collect the questionnaire, and only then release your CBR and whatever else you approved. Your name and street stay off the teaser until you say otherwise.
- 01
Inquire
A buyer asks about your restaurant from your listing or teaser. You get an alert. They do not get your confidential packet yet.
- 02
Sign NDA
We send the SellMyRestaurant.ai buyer NDA (SMR.ai LLC protected; venue is the county where the restaurant sits). We chase the signature if they go quiet.
- 03
Questionnaire
They answer a short restaurant-buyer form (experience, capital range, timeline, financing, optional LinkedIn URL). Soft check only. No government ID required.
- 04
Release
Only after the NDA is signed and the questionnaire is in do they get your CBR and any other materials you approved. Raw tax returns are never posted to buyers. You decide when to take a call.
Quiet buyers get polite Day 1, Day 3, and Day 5 reminders. You see status in your seller desk: new, NDA sent, signed, questionnaire in, packet released, closed.
Buyer inquiry handling: $99 per month per listing. Unlimited inquiries on that listing while active. Optional add-on for sellers who have a CBR from Buyer-Ready ($750) or Sell-Ready ($1,495).
- Blind teaser first. Name and street stay hidden until you release them.
- NDA and questionnaire before the full CBR opens.
- You approve what goes in the packet. No raw tax returns to buyers.
- Built for owners selling themselves. No broker commission.
What you keep
See the money and the hours.
EXAMPLE ONLY. Adjust the sliders. Your deal will differ.
Commission vs flat fee
Typical 10% broker commission$40,000
Inquiry handling: $99 × 3 months$297
- SMR total
- $1,792
- You keep with the SMR path
- $398,208
- You keep after a 10% broker commission
- $360,000
- Extra you keep vs a 10% broker
- $38,208
EXAMPLE ONLY. Broker fees vary by agreement. SMR products are flat fees. Snapshot ($99) is separate if you buy it.
Time on tire-kickers
- Hours per month without automation
- 3.00 hours
- Hours recovered with inquiry handling
- 2.25 hours / month
Assumes inquiry handling recovers 75% of that chase time.
Time you can spend on serious buyers who already signed.
EXAMPLE ONLY. Based on typical chase work, not a guarantee.
Private by design
Your Restaurant Stays Confidential
A valuation request does not publicly list your restaurant for sale. Employees, customers, vendors, and competitors do not need to know you are considering your options.
Frequently asked questions
Do you post my listing for me?
No. You post it yourself, under your own name and account, on any listing site you choose. Owners can list their own business. After you order, we write the listing and give you a step-by-step posting guide, and buyers contact you directly.
How much is my restaurant worth?
Most independent restaurants are valued primarily on owner benefit, not sales alone. A practical starting range is often about 1.5 to 3 times recast owner benefit, then adjusted for lease strength, rent, equipment, owner dependence and buyer demand.
Will my restaurant be publicly listed?
We write your CBR. You decide who sees it, when, and how you share it.
What documents will buyers want?
Common requests include tax returns, P&Ls, sales records, leases, equipment lists, payroll, permits and supplier or franchise agreements. Sensitive records should be released in stages.
Start by Understanding What You Have.
Get a confidential preliminary value range from your answers and choose your next step.
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