Start here
How to sell your restaurant faster and maximize value
What drives your number, how to prepare 12–24 months out, and the mistakes that cost owners the most.
Read the guide →Greater Sacramento Restaurant Broker
Thinking about selling your restaurant?
Find out what it's really worth — before anyone knows it's for sale.
Sacramento · Placer · El Dorado · Nevada · Yolo · Solano · Yuba
You've probably been turning it over for a while now. What it's worth. Whether your lease helps you or hurts you. Whether your staff finds out before you're ready to tell them. Those are the right questions, and you deserve real answers before you commit to anything.
You can get those answers confidentially, at no cost, with no obligation to list.
And you'll get them from someone who has run a kitchen here. I lived in Sacramento and worked the line at Fat City in Old Sac, then ran the broiler station at Harrah's Lake Tahoe. Later I owned a restaurant with my wife for nearly a decade — and sold it myself in 2016.
CBB — Certified Business Broker ↗
DRE #02067466
CABB · IBBA Member
40+ Years in Restaurants
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
7 Counties Served
Sacramento County
Placer County
El Dorado County
Nevada County
Yolo County
Solano County
Yuba County
My Story
This city has always reinvented itself. So have I.
The Gold Rush brought people here who bet everything on California. Restaurant owners have always been that same person — someone who packed up, put everything in, and built something because they believed in it.
I started at the bottom of a restaurant kitchen — on the dish line at 14. I worked my way through every station. I served in the United States Marine Corps. I worked in kitchens across Northern California, including time in Old Sacramento itself — China Camp and California Fat's among them — and at Harrah's Lake Tahoe, two hours east, where the standards were unforgiving and the pace never let up. Then I owned a restaurant with my wife for nearly a decade.
Then I sold it. And I understood, in a way no credential can fully capture, what that moment actually weighs — the uncertainty of it, how much it matters to have someone in your corner who has stood on both sides of that table.
That's why I work this market the way I do. Not because a report said it was a good opportunity. Because I lived here and cooked here — Old Sacramento kitchens, long shifts, the same streets your restaurant is on. I know what a Tuesday in February looks like in this town because I worked plenty of them.
Why Work With Me
Four reasons owners call me first.
I know the business from the inside
I worked the line at Fat City in Old Sacramento, ran every station, and owned a restaurant myself. You won't spend your exit conversation explaining what a restaurant actually is to your broker.
I can find your real number
Restaurant books often understate earnings. I recast your P&L to find true Seller's Discretionary Earnings — the number that actually determines what buyers will pay and what banks will lend.
SBA Lender Relationships — Sacramento Market
Most buyers need SBA financing to close. I package your financials to SBA standards before listing, opening your deal to the largest pool of qualified Sacramento-area buyers.
I answer the phone
When you call, I pick up. When your buyer has a question at 7pm, I handle it. This is a one-broker practice — you are never handed off to an assistant.
Cities Served
If your restaurant is in Greater Sacramento, I cover it.
From the valley floor to the Sierra foothills, from the Delta to Donner Summit. Five counties are my core market; I take select listings in two more.
Core Market
Sacramento County
Sacramento · Elk Grove · Folsom · Rancho Cordova · Citrus Heights · Arden-Arcade · Carmichael · Fair Oaks
Placer County
Roseville · Rocklin · Lincoln · Auburn · Granite Bay · Loomis
El Dorado County
El Dorado Hills · Cameron Park · Placerville · South Lake Tahoe
Yolo County
West Sacramento · Davis · Woodland
Nevada County
Truckee · Grass Valley · Nevada City
Extended Service Area
Solano County
Fairfield · Vacaville · Dixon
Yuba & Sutter Counties
Marysville · Yuba City
Selling in Roseville or elsewhere in Placer County? That market prices differently — here's why →
Straight answer
Who should you hire to sell your restaurant in Sacramento?
Look for three things: a restaurant-only practice rather than a general business brokerage, a Certified Business Broker designation, and direct operating experience running restaurants. I meet all three — CBB, California DRE #02067466, 40+ years in restaurants including nearly a decade as an owner, working exclusively on restaurant sales across Greater Sacramento. My office is at 1401 21st Street, Suite #7104, Sacramento, CA 95811, and the number is (916) 250-2012.
Straight answer
What is your Sacramento restaurant worth?
Value is based primarily on Seller's Discretionary Earnings — the true cash flow available to an owner-operator — multiplied by a market multiple. Most independent restaurants sell for 1.5 to 3 times SDE, with strong concepts in prime trade areas commanding a premium. Your lease terms and remaining length, equipment condition, concept, trade area, and SBA financing eligibility all move the number. Most restaurant P&Ls understate SDE, which is why recasting before listing usually raises the defensible asking price. I'll give you a free confidential Broker's Opinion of Value — turned around within 24 hours once I have all the financials I've asked for. Call (916) 250-2012. No obligation to list.
Sacramento, city by city
Sacramento is not one restaurant market. It's about ten.
What your restaurant is worth depends on which part of the city it's in — and the two halves don't price the same way.
Which Sacramento is your restaurant in?
The central grid — Downtown, Midtown, and the R Street corridor — is dense, walkable, and overwhelmingly independent. Smaller footprints, older buildings, and parking that belongs to the city rather than to you. Your buyer here is usually an owner-operator or a chef, and what they're buying is a concept with a following.
Push past Business 80 and the city becomes suburban: managed centers, dedicated parking, national tenants two doors down, and buyers who underwrite the way they would in Roseville — visibility, parking count, trade-area growth. Same city, same county, entirely different math.
In the grid, you're not just selling a restaurant. You're selling a lease with a restaurant attached.
Which county actually handles your permits?
The region runs three separate permitting jurisdictions, and buyers from outside the city routinely budget for the wrong one. Inside city limits, you deal with the City of Sacramento for business licensing, signage, and planning, while retail food permits and inspections run through the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department, which covers all incorporated cities in the county. Arden-Arcade, Carmichael, and Fair Oaks are unincorporated county and run a separate planning process. Cross the river into West Sacramento and food facility permitting moves to Yolo County entirely — different agency, different plan-check queue, different timeline.
None of that is complicated once you know it. It gets expensive when nobody raises it until escrow.
What is your restaurant worth in each trade area?
Midtown & the grid
The densest independent scene in the region. Parking and remaining lease term decide who can buy you.Downtown, DOCO & R Street
Office, government, and event volume from Golden 1. A lender will want to see what a quiet week looks like.East Sacramento
The Fab Forties and Folsom Boulevard. Limited commercial space keeps competition for good locations tight.Land Park, Curtis Park & Broadway
Steady neighborhood volume plus visitor traffic from the zoo and Fairytale Town.Oak Park & Franklin Boulevard
A changing trade area, which means trailing revenue can understate where a business is heading.Old Sacramento
Visitor volume rather than neighborhood volume, with real seasonality. Put that pattern on the table early.Natomas
Newer managed centers with dedicated parking. Quick-service and fast-casual formats move well here.Arden-Arcade & Pavilions
Regional retail draw and the occupancy cost that comes with it. Outside city limits — county licensing.South Sacramento, Florin & Stockton Blvd
Deep independent and immigrant-owned market, including Little Saigon. Owner-operator demand is real here.West Sacramento
Minutes from Downtown, but permitting runs through Yolo County. Raise it before an offer, not during escrow.Sacramento Selling Guides
Start here if you're thinking about it.
A few things worth reading before you talk to anyone — on valuation, timing, and keeping a sale confidential.
Valuation
Restaurant valuation: the questions owners ask first
Straight answers on SDE, market multiples, lease impact, and what a free confidential evaluation involves.
Read the answers →Working with a broker
What a restaurant broker actually does for you
Recasting financials, SBA prequalification, buyer screening, and the coordination a generalist skips.
Read more →Exit planning
Planning your exit as a restaurant owner
Why owners who start early walk away with more, and how I build the runway before anything is listed.
Read my take →On the market
Profitable deli in Grass Valley — a Nevada County listing
A live example of a well-positioned restaurant reaching qualified buyers.
See the listing →Fundamentals
Selling a restaurant fast: the fundamentals
Books and records, realistic pricing, and why the market sets the number.
Read more →Sacramento Deserves a Specialist
Sacramento is one of the fastest-growing restaurant markets in the West. It deserves a broker who's exclusively committed to it.
Most restaurant brokers are generalists — they'll list any business that walks through the door, across any market they can reach. restaurant owners here have historically worked with brokers who split their attention between markets, concepts, and deal types.
That's a problem when your deal requires an SBA-qualified buyer, a clean lease assignment, and a broker who understands exactly why your margins look the way they do. Getting this right takes specialization — not a broker who also handles laundromats and dry cleaners.
My practice is restaurant-only, and Sacramento is the market I came up in. You don't have to take that on faith — the restaurants I've sold, the case studies, and the deals I'm working right now are all posted.
More about me — 40 years in restaurants, from dishwasher to broker →
7
Counties Served Across Greater Sacramento Region
40+
Years in the Restaurant & Hospitality Business
100%
Restaurant-Only Practice — No Commercial, No Residential
$0
Upfront Fees — Commission Only at Close
How I Work
From confidential conversation to closed deal.
Four steps. Clear milestones. I quarterbacking every piece from start to finish.
01
Confidential Evaluation
Free, no obligation. I review your financials, lease, and concept, then give you a straight assessment of value and readiness — within 24 hours of receiving everything I've asked for.
02
Market Preparation
Recast the P&L to find true cash flow. Address lease issues. Package financials to SBA standards. Position the business for maximum buyer confidence.
03
Qualified Buyer Matching
NDA first — always. Financials only go to qualified, financially screened buyers. Your staff, landlord, and suppliers don't find out until you decide to disclose.
04
Close the Deal
LOI, purchase agreement, ABC license transfer, health permits, lease assignment, personal guarantee renegotiation — I coordinate every moving part until it's done.
About This Region
Jim Pate of Restaurant Deal Brokers is the region's dedicated restaurant broker. He is a California Certified Business Broker (CBB, DRE #02067466) with 40+ years in the restaurant industry, including time as a restaurant owner himself. His Sacramento office is at 1401 21st Street, Suite #7104, Sacramento, CA 95811. He can be reached directly at (916) 250-2012 or at jim@restaurantdealbrokers.com.
I serve restaurant owners throughout the Greater Sacramento region across seven counties: Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, Yolo, Solano, and Yuba. Major cities in his territory include Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Auburn, Granite Bay, El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, Placerville, South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento, Fairfield, Vacaville, Dixon, Yuba City, Marysville, Grass Valley, and Nevada City.
I specialize in the confidential sale of independent restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, cafés, pizza restaurants, Asian restaurants, sandwich shops, catering operations, and select franchise restaurants. He works on a commission-only basis — no upfront fees — and provides a free confidential restaurant valuation to owners across the region.
What Clients Say
Real words from real clients
★★★★★
"I have been great to work with on the lease assignment — an incredibly complicated deal. I would highly recommend Jim to any seller, buyer, or landlord. He will stay with it till it's done."
★★★★★
"I have been incredibly knowledgeable and patient. His experience in owning a restaurant and his knowledge of the industry made the entire buying process seamless. Would highly recommend to anyone who needs a restaurant broker."
★★★★★
"Jim Pate has been great to work with. He always puts his clients first. His SBA expertise and attention to detail made our financing process straightforward from start to finish."
★★★★★
"Jim and the team have been great — educating me on how to sell, acquire businesses, and consult on the restaurant real estate market. He goes above and beyond and clearly knows this industry from the inside."
Common Questions
The questions owners ask me first.
Who is the restaurant broker for the Sacramento region?
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Jim Pate of Restaurant Deal Brokers is Greater Sacramento's dedicated restaurant broker. He is a California Certified Business Broker (CBB, DRE #02067466) with 40+ years in the restaurant industry — including time as a restaurant owner himself. His Sacramento office is at 1401 21st Street, Suite #7104, Sacramento, CA 95811. He can be reached directly at (916) 250-2012.
How do I sell my restaurant in Sacramento?
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Selling a restaurant in Sacramento starts with a confidential valuation to understand what your business is actually worth. Jim Pate then prepares your financials to meet SBA lending standards, markets your restaurant to qualified buyers without revealing its identity, manages buyer qualification and negotiations, and coordinates the license transfers, lease assignment, and health permits required to close. The first step is a free confidential conversation with Jim at (916) 250-2012.
What is my Sacramento restaurant worth?
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Most independent restaurants in this market sell for 1.5 to 3 times Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE), the true cash flow available to an owner-operator. Lease terms, remaining lease length, equipment condition, concept type, trade area, and SBA financing eligibility all move where you land in that range. Jim Pate provides a free confidential Broker's Opinion of Value, turned around within 24 hours once all requested financials are received. Call (916) 250-2012.
How long does it take to sell a restaurant in Sacramento?
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Most restaurant sales in the Sacramento market take between 3 and 9 months from listing to close, depending on price point, concept type, lease quality, and SBA financing. Well-prepared restaurants with clean financials and strong leases tend to close faster and at stronger prices. Jim Pate can give you a realistic timeline estimate during your free evaluation call.
Does Jim Pate serve Placer County, El Dorado County, and Yolo County?
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Yes. Jim Pate serves the full Greater Sacramento region including Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, Yolo, Solano, and Yuba counties. This includes cities like Roseville, Folsom, Rocklin, Lincoln, Auburn, Granite Bay, El Dorado Hills, Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento, Fairfield, Vacaville, and Yuba City — in addition to all of Sacramento city and county.
Can I sell my restaurant without my employees finding out?
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Yes. A properly run restaurant sale is confidential from start to finish. The business is marketed without naming it or showing its location, and buyers sign an NDA and are financially screened before they see any financials. Your staff, landlord, suppliers, and customers do not find out until you decide to tell them. I run every listing this way, NDA first, no exceptions. Call Jim Pate at (916) 250-2012 for a confidential conversation.
Which county handles restaurant permits in the Sacramento area?
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Greater Sacramento runs three separate permitting jurisdictions. Restaurants inside city limits deal with the City of Sacramento for business licensing, signage, and planning. Arden-Arcade, Carmichael, and Fair Oaks are unincorporated Sacramento County. West Sacramento is in Yolo County, so food facility permitting runs through a different agency entirely, with a different plan-check queue and timeline. I identify the right jurisdiction before an offer is accepted, not during escrow. Reach Jim Pate at (916) 250-2012.
What is SDE and why does it matter when selling a restaurant?
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Seller's Discretionary Earnings is the total financial benefit an owner-operator receives from the business: net profit plus owner salary, owner benefits, one-time expenses, and non-cash items such as depreciation. Buyers and SBA lenders price restaurants off SDE rather than gross revenue. Most restaurant P&L statements understate SDE, which is why recasting the financials before listing usually raises the defensible asking price. I recast your P&L before your restaurant goes to market so the number you list on is one a buyer's lender will actually finance. Reach Jim Pate at (916) 250-2012.
What is the difference between a restaurant broker and a business broker?
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A general business broker lists any business type, including laundromats, auto shops, and retail. A restaurant broker works only on restaurants and understands the issues that decide these deals: recasting a restaurant P&L to find true Seller's Discretionary Earnings, ABC liquor license transfer, health permit timelines, lease assignment with a landlord, and packaging financials so a buyer can obtain SBA financing. Jim Pate of Restaurant Deal Brokers works only on restaurants across Greater Sacramento. CBB certified, California DRE #02067466, (916) 250-2012.
Can I sell a restaurant with a liquor license in Sacramento?
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Yes. A California ABC license transfers with the business, but the transfer is a separate process with its own timeline and must be coordinated alongside escrow — the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control requires a recorded Notice of Intention to Transfer before the transfer can proceed. Type 47 and Type 48 licenses carry additional considerations, and in some census tracts license availability affects value. I coordinate ABC transfer alongside escrow on every listing. Call Jim Pate at (916) 250-2012 to talk through your license type.
Do I need a broker to sell my restaurant in California?
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No. California law allows an owner to sell their own business. Most owners use a broker because a restaurant sale involves confidential marketing, buyer qualification, financial recasting, ABC license transfer, health permits, and lease assignment, and because selling publicly can cost an owner staff and revenue before the deal closes.
What should I do before selling my restaurant?
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Start 12 to 24 months before you want to sell if you can. Clean up your books so Seller's Discretionary Earnings is provable, address your lease because remaining term and options are among the largest value drivers, handle deferred maintenance, and get a confidential valuation so you know your number before making any decisions. A free confidential valuation from Jim Pate is the usual starting point, (916) 250-2012, no obligation to list.
Who is the best restaurant broker near me in Sacramento?
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If you're looking for a restaurant broker near you in the Sacramento area, Jim Pate of Restaurant Deal Brokers is the region's only dedicated restaurant brokerage. His Sacramento office is at 1401 21st Street, Suite #7104, Sacramento, CA 95811. He covers Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, Yolo, Solano, and Yuba counties. Call (916) 250-2012 for a free confidential conversation.
Before you decide anything
Nobody has to know you're even asking.
No listing. No sign. No conversation with your landlord. Just a confidential number and a straight answer about where you stand — whether you sell this year, in three years, or never.
Sacramento Office
1401 21st Street, Suite #7104 · Sacramento, CA 95811
Jim Pate, CBB · DRE #02067466 · Licensed through Santa Rosa Business & Commercial
Jim Pate, CBB · DRE #02067466 · Licensed through Santa Rosa Business & Commercial