What it costs to buy a restaurant in Australia

Australian restaurants are listed from about $140,000 for a fitted corner restaurant to $1.55m for a managed bar and restaurant turning over $2.7m. Bsale's average asking price is $395,336. Brokers price the business at 1.5 to 3 times adjusted net profit, so profit and the years left on the lease drive the price, not turnover or seat count.

A restaurant is priced on the profit left after the owner is paid, not on how busy the room looks. That is why a fitted 60-seat corner restaurant can be listed at $140,000 while a managed bar and restaurant turning over $2.7m asks $1.55m. Adjusted net profit, the years left on the lease, owner dependence and whether freehold or a liquor licence comes with it move the price. This guide sets out what 13 live listings across five states and the ACT ask, how brokers value a restaurant, the costs on top, the lease and licence risks, and how the purchase is funded.

What restaurants sell for

If you are weighing a daytime coffee business instead, read our guide to buying a cafe. A restaurant adds a liquor licence, evening trading and a bigger kitchen, and its price swings further with the lease. Bsale puts the average asking price across its restaurant listings at $395,336. The table surveys live listings on Bsale and AnyBusiness on 22 October 2026. Figures are the vendor's, indicative market data and not Ventas offers. SAV means stock at valuation, paid on top of the price.

Three things stand out. Price follows profit and lease, not seats: a 40-seat Adelaide CBD noodle restaurant asks $200,000 plus stock, while a managed WA bar and restaurant with $642,926 of adjusted profit asks $1,550,000. The cheapest listings are fitted sites: Broadbeach is sold with no goodwill, so $140,000 buys equipment and a tenancy, not trade, and HospitalityHub puts a new mid-size restaurant fit-out (80 to 250 square metres) at $350,000 to $800,000. And vendors publish turnover far more often than profit, with financials released only after a confidentiality agreement, as at Victoria Point. Treat the table as a list of questions to ask, not a price list.

How restaurants are valued

Sellers quote turnover because it is the bigger number. Brokers and lenders price off adjusted net profit, also called owner earnings: net profit with the owner's wage, personal expenses and one-off costs added back. The ranges below are broker and adviser guidance, so the last row checks them against the listings.

Where price and turnover are both shown, asking prices sit at about 0.35 to 0.6 times annual turnover (Adelaide CBD 0.35, Victoria Point 0.46, WA bar and restaurant 0.58). Rent decides whether the profit is real. Bsale's guide puts it at about 10 to 15 per cent of sales, while the six listings that show both run from about 4 per cent (WA bar and restaurant, about $103,000 a year on $2.67m) to about 11 per cent (Adelaide CBD, $61,500 on $567,000). Listings state turnover on different GST bases, so treat these ratios as approximate.

What you pay on top of the price

The asking price is rarely the cheque. These costs sit on top, and a lender will ask you to show them.

Transfer duty depends on the state and the contract. Queensland charges duty on goodwill, plant and trading stock: about $9,800 on a $325,000 purchase ($1,050 plus $3.50 per $100 over $75,000, our arithmetic). Western Australia charges it on goodwill and plant, with a concessional rate at $200,000 or less. New South Wales exempts goodwill and stock, but a lease assignment, fixtures and some plant can be dutiable, so get the split written into the contract. Victoria charges nothing on goodwill, nothing on fixtures of $2 million or less when you buy without the land, and generally nothing on assigning a standard commercial lease. Freehold, as at Sandy Point, brings duty on the land. Confirm with your accountant before you sign.

GST. A going concern sale is GST-free if it is for payment, the buyer is registered or required to be, both sides agree in writing, and the seller supplies everything needed to keep operating and trades to the day of supply (ATO). Otherwise 10 per cent GST applies, $45,000 on a $450,000 price. Check each listing: Sandy Point's $1,210,000 is $1,100,000 plus GST, and Broadbeach's $140,000 includes GST.

Lease and liquor licence risk

The lease is the part of a restaurant a buyer and a lender control least. The listings above show how much it varies.

Lenders and buyers weigh the committed term over options, because an option belongs to the tenant, who may not take it up. One broker reports a major bank ending a loan at lease expiry, so a short lease can mean a short loan. Benchmark Business Sales says buyers typically want at least five years and to talk to the landlord if fewer than four remain. Montrose shows the trap: a 5 plus 5 lease sounds long, but on the listing's dates the committed term has under three years to run.

Assignment needs the landlord. In Victoria consent can be refused only on limited grounds, such as a use the lease does not permit or a buyer without enough financial resources or business experience, and is taken as given after 28 days of silence once the tenant has met its obligations. The seller must give you the disclosure statement.

The liquor licence does not move on settlement day. In NSW provisional approval is usually given within ten business days of a complete application and confirmation within 60 days. In Victoria, apply at least 8 weeks ahead: you must not serve alcohol until the transfer is granted and you can legally occupy, and you need RSA and new entrant training to apply. Ask your solicitor to make settlement conditional on the licence transfer and landlord consent.

Financing a restaurant purchase

Lenders treat restaurants as higher risk than most business purchases. CreditorWatch measured a 12.03 per cent closure rate for cafes, restaurants and takeaway businesses in the 12 months to July 2026, against 6.69 per cent across all industries, and a restaurant leans hard on its owner, its lease and its staff. Expect to fund a large share yourself: one published restaurant lending page lists up to 50 per cent of business value for a leasehold purchase. Other lenders will differ, and some will say no. Ventas is a finance broker, not a lender, so we do not quote rates here. They change with the lender, the security and the file.

Illustrative only, subject to lender assessment. A realistic purchase at a $450,000 asking price:

And how it is typically funded across lender types:

Debt here is half the asking price. Equipment finance is secured on the gear and valued on what used kitchen equipment would resell for, which can be less than the vendor allocates, and fit-out and joinery are harder to fund because they resell poorly. A property-backed loan secured on your home or another property can fund the equity gap, or most of the purchase, because the lender relies on the property instead of the restaurant. The cost is that your property is at risk if the restaurant fails.

What makes a restaurant deal fundable:

• Trading history. Two to three years of financials that reconcile to lodged BAS and bank statements.
• Lease. A committed term that at least matches the loan term, with landlord consent in hand.
• Your experience. Hospitality experience, preferably managing a similar venue.
• Security. Property, equipment and cash you can put in.
• Owner dependence. Staff and a handover that hold the profit when the vendor leaves.

To get a number from Ventas, send the asking price and the vendor's split between goodwill, plant and stock, two to three years of financials and BAS, the lease with its remaining term and options, your hospitality experience, and the security you can offer. Start at business acquisition finance, see hospitality finance, read finance for cafes and restaurants for equipment and fit-out, or test a repayment on the secured business loan calculator. Finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Figures are indicative market data from the sources listed, not Ventas offers, and move with the market. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a professional. All finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This article is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Ventas Asset Lending is a finance broker, not a lender. Approvals are subject to lender assessment. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a qualified professional, including your accountant for any tax questions.