Ep #31: Done Deal: Buying an Existing Restaurant with Ricky Singh

Restaurant Deal Making Exposed 31

What happens behind the scenes of a successful restaurant acquisition? In this episode, we explore the sale of Steins Beer Garden in Mountain View, where seasoned operator Ricky Singh shares how he navigated a competitive bidding process to acquire a well-established restaurant in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Ricky talks about his approach to buying existing restaurants with proven revenue, the value of keeping operations running during a sale, and why he sees established businesses as less risky than starting from scratch. We also dive into his decision to keep the team intact, the importance of evaluating the asset versus the asking price, and how he plans to transform Steins into a new Mexican concept, Barrio Queen.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a seasoned restaurateur, Ricky’s insights into deal-making, evaluating restaurant assets, and making calculated decisions will be invaluable to anyone considering an acquisition in today’s market.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• Why buying an existing restaurant with proven revenue offers lower risk than starting fresh.

• How keeping a restaurant running during the sale process preserves staff and customer loyalty.

• The real value calculation: why it’s important to focus on the asset, not just the asking price.

• Why this Mountain View location attracted multiple offers and a competitive bidding environment.

• The steps Ricky took to maintain operational continuity while planning future changes to the business.

  
  

Listen to Podcast