Preparing for a Restaurant Financing or Sale Transaction: Considerations for 2025
Go-To Guide:
Restaurant Industry Observations for 2025
The Importance of ‘Transaction Fitness’
Corporate/Company Documentation
Intellectual Property/Trademarks
Leases/Real Estate
Employees and Labor-Related Matters
Tax
Licenses & Permits
Material Contracts
Information Privacy and Security Laws
Franchising Matters
Restaurant leaders and investors enter 2025 with cautious transaction optimism. As expected, 2024 proved a challenging year for many restaurant groups. Inflation, new legislation in parts of the country (i.e., the FAST Act in California and elimination of the tip credit in some markets), cost-conscious consumers, and escalating labor and food costs kept operators scrambling on multiple fronts.
Although challenges may persist in 2025, the prevailing sentiment among some operators and investors is that the business climate will improve and transaction activity may increase.
This may serve as welcome news for restaurant businesses seeking to engage in a sale or financing process.
As we focus on our New Year’s resolutions, for those restaurant businesses contemplating a transaction in 2025, a commitment to getting your company in “transaction shape” is a worthy goal.
Continue reading the full GT Advisory.
Additional Authors: Alison R. Weinberg-Fahey, Ryan C. Bykerk, Jason B. Jendrewski, Alicia Sienne Voltmer, Ellen M. Bandel, Joseph J. Curran, Jeffrey K. Ekeberg, David A. Zetoony, Kyle C. Lennox, David W. Oppenheim, and Breton H. Permesly