How do I sell my F&B business in Singapore without staff or landlords finding out?
Off-market. Nothing is publicly listed and nothing carries your name. Early materials use a reference code rather than your brand name and outlet addresses, buyers see identifying details only after signing an NDA you have approved by name, and you decide when your team, landlords and suppliers are told. Landlord consent is usually needed at some point, so we plan when and how that conversation happens rather than letting it happen by accident.
What is my F&B group worth?
An F&B group is priced off normalised earnings, not revenue. That means a market salary for every role you fill, market rent where you own the premises, and removing one-offs such as COVID-era grants or a delivery spike. Outlet profitability, lease tenure, a central kitchen and catering or wholesale income move the number most. Owner-operated F&B groups with three or more outlets in Singapore typically change hands at roughly 3 to 4 times normalised EBITDA, with up to about 5 to 6 times only for groups with a central kitchen, a recognised brand and competing buyers. We give you a valuation in writing, under NDA, for a fixed fee credited against our success fee if you sell with us.
Who buys F&B groups in Singapore?
Mostly listed and regional F&B groups adding brands or outlets, franchise operators looking for a concept to roll out, and private investors and family offices backing an experienced operator. Groups pay for systems, a central kitchen and a brand that travels. Investors pay for a management team that stays. Each values the same business differently, which is why a quiet, competitive process usually beats accepting the first approach.
What happens to my leases when I sell?
It depends on how the deal is structured. In a sale of shares the leases usually stay with the company, though many leases still require landlord consent to a change of control. In a sale of the business and assets they generally need to be assigned or re-signed, which means the landlord has to agree. Remaining tenure matters too, because a buyer will discount an outlet with a short lease. We review every lease early, with your lawyer, so consent and expiry dates support the price rather than stall the deal.
What does Clearmere charge to sell an F&B group?
Our sale fee is success-based and paid on completion: no sale, no fee. A written valuation is a separate fixed fee, agreed and paid before we start, and credited in full against our success fee if you sign with us within 6 months and the sale completes. The first conversation, a short questionnaire and our written recommendation on which valuation fits are free and carry no obligation.
The menu and the kitchen depend on me. Can the group still sell?
Yes, but it shapes the structure. Buyers want recipes documented, a head chef or kitchen team who can cook without you, and a central kitchen or written procedures that keep the food consistent across outlets. Where the founder is still the key chef, buyers usually ask for a handover period, retention terms for key staff or part of the price to be deferred. SFA licences and halal certification may also need to be applied for again or updated on a change of ownership, depending on the structure, so check with your lawyer and the relevant agency early.
