How is restaurant brokerage different from general commercial real estate?

General CRE brokers handle restaurants alongside dozens of other retail and office tenant types. We work only with restaurants. That focus translates to faster site evaluation, sharper lease negotiation on restaurant-specific clauses, and tenant screening that catches problems general brokers miss.

What does it cost to use a tenant rep broker?

Nothing to the tenant in most cases. Landlords pay the leasing commission at lease execution, and that commission is structured to cover both the listing broker and the tenant's broker. You get professional representation at no out-of-pocket cost.

How long does it take to sell a restaurant business?

Most restaurant business sales close in 3 to 9 months from listing to closing. The variables are business size, financial cleanliness, lease assignability, and current market demand. We give you a realistic timeline at the initial assessment, not an optimistic one.

What is a second-generation restaurant space?

A space that was previously operated as a restaurant and retains the major restaurant infrastructure (hood, grease trap, ventilation, often FF&E). Second-gen spaces save build-out cost and time, but only when the existing infrastructure actually matches the new concept. We help evaluate whether a specific second-gen space is a real opportunity or a hidden cost.

Do you handle lease renewals as well as new locations?

Yes. Lease renewal negotiations are often where tenant rep delivers the highest dollar value per hour of work. Landlords assume operators won't push back at renewal. A broker representing your interests changes that conversation.

How do you keep a business sale confidential?

We screen buyers before any restaurant-identifying information is shared. NDAs are signed before financials are released. Tours happen outside service hours. Vendor and staff conversations are managed carefully. Complete confidentiality is a service standard, not an upgrade.

Do I have to commit to selling before I contact you?

No. If you're still weighing whether to sell, grow, or hold, the Advisory Program is often the right starting point. We'd rather have an honest conversation about which direction makes sense than push you into a listing that isn't right.

What markets does RBS serve?

RBS is based in Houston and serves restaurant operators in Houston, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and surrounding metros.

Services

Restaurant Brokerage

Tenant Representation · Restaurant Business Sales · Landlord Representation

RBS is a Houston-based commercial real estate brokerage focused exclusively on restaurants and the operators behind them. We handle tenant representation, restaurant business sales, and landlord representation, and we do it backed by an advisory practice that understands restaurant operations and finances at the line-item level. That combination is unusual in commercial real estate, and it's the reason restaurant operators come to us instead of a general retail broker.

All real estate activity is conducted under proper Texas Real Estate Commission licensure.

Tenant Representation

For operators looking for a new location, a relocation, or a lease renewal.

Who This Is For

Tenant rep is for restaurant operators who need space, whether that's your first location, your fifth, a relocation out of a lease that no longer works, or a renewal negotiation with your existing landlord. We represent your interests, not the landlord's. You don't pay us. The landlord's commission structure covers our fee.

What to Expect

•Tenant rep engagements typically run 60 to 120 days from start to executed lease

•No cost to the tenant. Commissions are paid by the landlord at lease execution

•We bring restaurant-specific lease expertise: hood and grease trap requirements, percentage rent clauses, assignment provisions, exclusivity, co-tenancy, and CO timing

•We coordinate with your attorney on lease review. We don't replace legal counsel, but we do flag what matters

•Confidential if it's a relocation. Your current landlord, staff, and customers don't need to know

How the Process Works

Discovery

We start by understanding your concept, budget, target customer, and operational requirements. Square footage, kitchen needs, parking, visibility, neighboring tenants, dayparts. The more specific we are upfront, the less time we waste on spaces that don't fit.

Market Search

We identify available spaces that meet your criteria, both listed and off-market. Our relationships with retail leasing brokers across Houston give us access to opportunities that aren't on LoopNet or CoStar.

Site Tours and Analysis

We tour the shortlist with you. For each space, we analyze build-out requirements, lease economics, and operational fit. A space that looks great on paper can fail on hood capacity, grease trap location, or the cost to bring it up to current code.

Letter of Intent and Negotiation

We draft and negotiate the LOI on your behalf. Base rent matters, but so do TI allowances, free rent, percentage rent thresholds, exclusivity, assignment rights, personal guarantee terms, and the dozens of other clauses that affect what the lease actually costs over its term.

Lease Execution and Handoff

We coordinate with your attorney through final lease review and execution. After the lease is signed, we're still available. Most of our tenant rep clients become advisory clients or come back for their next location.

Request an initial conversation

Restaurant Business Sales

For owners who have decided to sell.

When a Business Sale Is the Right Choice

A business sale is for owners who have made the decision to sell and want a professional to manage the process. You don't need to be in a rush, but you do need clarity that selling is the direction you want to go.

Thinking about selling, but not ready yet?

The best time to get your restaurant ready to sell is well before you list it. What a buyer pays is based on what the business actually earns and how cleanly it runs, not what it did in a rough stretch. If selling is somewhere on your horizon, even a year or two out, we help you get there first: tightening up the financials, improving the operation, and getting the lease in order, so the business is worth more when you sell. Then, when you're ready, we handle the sale. It's the difference between listing a business as-is and selling one that's genuinely ready.

If you're still weighing options (not sure whether to sell, grow, or wait), the Advisory Program is likely a better starting point. There's no point in putting a business on the market until you've decided it's the right move. If you've made the call, we take it from there.

What to Expect

•Timeline typically runs 3 to 9 months depending on business size and market conditions

•Complete confidentiality throughout. Your staff, customers, and vendors are not notified until you're ready

•We do not take listings we don't believe we can sell. We're selective about the engagements we take on

•We coordinate closely with your attorney and CPA without duplicating their work

•You stay informed at every step. No black boxes

Franchise resales carry one extra layer: the franchisor has to approve your buyer. That means a transfer application, a transfer fee, and often a requirement that the buyer completes training before closing. It sits on top of the landlord's consent to assign the lease, so a franchise resale has two approvals to clear instead of one. We build the timeline around that from the start rather than discovering it in month three.

How the Process Works

Initial Assessment

We start by understanding your business, financials, operations, lease structure, and your goals for the sale. This gives us what we need to value the business accurately and position it well for buyers.

Pre-Sale Valuation and Preparation

Before we approach any buyers, we complete a thorough valuation based on your actual financials. We identify what will drive value with buyers and what, if anything, is worth addressing before listing.

Confidential Buyer Outreach

We identify and approach qualified buyers confidentially. Your employees, vendors, and customers don't know the business is for sale until you're ready. We screen buyers for financial capability and seriousness before any conversations happen.

Negotiation and Deal Structuring

When serious offers come in, we manage the negotiation. We advise on deal structure, terms, and contingencies. Price matters, but so does how a deal is structured. Earn-outs, asset vs. stock, seller notes, and transition terms all affect the real outcome.

Due Diligence and Closing

We coordinate the due diligence process and keep things moving. We work alongside your attorney and accountant to get the deal across the finish line without unnecessary delays or surprises.

Request an initial conversation

Selling in Greater Houston? See our Houston restaurant broker page.

Landlord Representation

For landlords with restaurant or second-generation restaurant space to lease.

Who This Is For

Landlord rep is for owners of retail or mixed-use property who have restaurant space (vacant, expiring, or second-generation) and want it represented by a broker who understands restaurant tenants specifically. General retail brokers handle restaurant spaces all the time, but restaurant tenants screen for things general retail brokers don't think to qualify: hood capacity, grease trap, ventilation, electrical service, gas service, and the realistic build-out cost from current condition to operational.

We screen tenants the way an operator would, which means the deals we bring you are deals that have a real chance of opening, paying rent, and lasting through the lease term.

What to Expect

•Marketing of available space through restaurant-operator-specific channels, not just general CRE listing platforms

•Tenant screening focused on operational viability, not just credit

•Co-broker cooperation with tenant rep brokers across Houston

•Transparent communication on inquiries, showings, and offers

•Lease negotiation support through execution

How the Process Works

Space Assessment

We walk the space and document what an operator will see (hood condition, kitchen layout, FF&E status, utility capacity, lease assignment provisions, and any restrictions in the existing lease or property covenants).

Positioning and Marketing

We position the space for the right kind of restaurant tenant based on the building, the corridor, and the existing co-tenancy. We market through both general CRE channels and restaurant-operator-specific channels.

Tenant Screening

When inquiries come in, we screen for operational fit and financial capability before scheduling tours. We don't waste your time with tire-kickers.

Lease Negotiation

We negotiate on your behalf. Base rent, TI, free rent, percentage rent, term length, options, and the rest. Our restaurant-side experience helps us evaluate whether the tenant's operating plan is realistic, which protects you from defaults down the line.

Execution

We coordinate through LOI, lease draft, and execution alongside your attorney.

Request an initial conversation

Why Restaurant Brokerage Is Different from General Commercial Real Estate

Most commercial real estate brokers can list a restaurant space or sell a restaurant business. Few of them know the difference between a Type 1 hood and a Type 2 hood, why grease trap location matters more than grease trap size, or how a percentage rent clause that looks reasonable on paper can quietly eat 4 points of margin once a restaurant ramps up. Those details aren't trivia. They're the difference between a deal that works and a deal that doesn't.

A few examples of what restaurant-specific brokerage actually means in practice:

Lease language matters more in restaurants than in most retail. Assignment provisions affect whether you can sell the business later. Exclusivity clauses protect concept differentiation. Percentage rent thresholds need to be set against realistic sales projections, not landlord-favorable forecasts. Personal guarantee structures affect what you can recover from a sale. These clauses get glossed over by brokers who don't run the math against a restaurant P&L.

Build-out economics drive site selection. A "great" second-gen space can be a worse deal than a vanilla shell if the existing hood, electrical, and plumbing don't match the new operator's concept. We evaluate the realistic build-out cost, not the optimistic one, and that changes which sites actually pencil.

Confidentiality works differently in restaurants. Restaurant employees notice everything. A general business broker's confidentiality plan often falls apart the first time someone shows up to walk the kitchen during service. We know how to manage tours, vendor conversations, and buyer diligence without alerting staff.

This is what we mean when we say RBS is restaurant-specific. It's not a marketing claim. It's the work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Talk?

Whether you're selling, looking for space, or have space to lease, start with a conversation. No obligation, fully confidential.

Request an Initial Conversation

Not sure brokerage is the right fit? Learn about the Advisory Program