What NY restaurant owners actually get paid, what moves the multiple, and how long a real sale takes. No fluff.
New York restaurant sales trade between 1.8× and 2.8× SDE. Manhattan and Brooklyn concepts with lease optionality, transferable liquor licenses, and documented delivery channels fetch the top of the range.
| Metric | Typical Range (NY) |
|---|---|
| SDE multiple | 1.8× – 2.8× |
| Entry-size SDE | $120K |
| Upper-bracket SDE | $800K+ |
| Typical close timeline | 4-7 months from listing to close. Liquor license transfer often determines final close date. |
Ranges based on recent NJ/NY/CT market activity and SBA-eligible transactions. Your number depends on the specifics — request a free valuation for a real range.
A buyer's lender wants 5+ years including options. Short leases crush valuations.
NY SLA licenses are transferable but restrictive. Budget 60-120 days for the transfer.
Third-party delivery (DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub) concentration >35% is a yellow flag. Direct delivery and in-house systems price better.
A transferable concept (systems, SOPs, staff) sells to more buyers than a location-dependent place.
4-7 months from listing to close. Liquor license transfer often determines final close date. Most sellers underestimate the time to prep — getting books clean, normalizing add-backs, and documenting the things you do that aren't written down anywhere. We recommend 60-90 days of quiet prep before going to market.
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