Listing Snapshot
- Industry: Pizzeria / Full-Service Restaurant
- Location: Suffolk County, Long Island, NY
- Asking price: $279,000
- Tenure: 25 years in business
- Condition: Recently remodeled
- Lease: Rent at 10% of gross sales
- Location quality: Prime location
- Ideal buyer: Owner-operator, experienced restaurateur, or multi-unit pizza operator expanding on Long Island
- Advisor: Jason Taken — HedgeStone Business Advisors
HedgeStone Business Advisors has listed an established pizzeria in Suffolk County, New York — a 25-year neighborhood institution with the kind of goodwill, location, and lease structure that experienced restaurant buyers actively hunt for on Long Island.
At an asking price of $279,000, this is a rare combination: decades of brand recognition, a recently remodeled dining room and kitchen, and a prime location in one of the most competitive restaurant markets in the country. Pizzerias with this kind of tenure do not come to market often — and when they do, the buyers who move fast are the ones who understand what 25 years of repeat customers actually means on a P&L.
The lease structure is a standout. Rent is set at 10% of gross sales — a performance-based model that aligns occupancy cost with revenue rather than locking the operator into a fixed rent that can crush margins in slower months. For a buyer underwriting cash flow, that variable rent structure can materially improve resilience compared to traditional fixed-base leases common in Suffolk County strip centers and downtown districts.
The Opportunity
Long Island pizzerias with multi-decade histories are not just restaurants — they are community fixtures. Generations of families have ordered from this location. That kind of embedded goodwill translates into repeat dine-in, takeout, and catering volume that a new entrant would spend years and significant marketing dollars trying to replicate.
The recent remodel signals investment in the future, not an exit driven by deferred maintenance. Buyers inherit a refreshed physical plant — updated aesthetics, improved flow, and a kitchen and front-of-house positioned for the next chapter — without carrying the capital cost of the renovation themselves.
The prime location amplifies everything. In Suffolk County, visibility, parking, and neighborhood density determine whether a pizzeria thrives or merely survives. A well-positioned shop captures lunch crowds, dinner families, weekend takeout rushes, and local catering orders — all of which compound over 25 years into a defensible market position.
Ideal acquirers include experienced owner-operators who want a turnkey Long Island platform, multi-unit pizza franchisees or independents looking to add a proven location, and entrepreneurial couples ready to step into a business with built-in demand rather than building from zero.
What to Know About Pizzeria & Restaurant Acquisitions
Why buyers pursue this sector
- Proven cash flow model — Pizza is one of the highest-margin segments in full-service and quick-service dining when labor and food costs are managed well.
- Goodwill premium — Long-tenured locations command buyer interest because the customer base already exists.
- Multiple revenue streams — Dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering diversify income beyond a single daypart.
- Owner-operator friendly — Many pizzerias are ideal for hands-on operators who can manage food cost, labor, and community marketing directly.
Key metrics to diligence
- Food and labor cost percentages — The two lines that determine whether a pizzeria actually makes money; benchmark against 25-year historical trends.
- Rent as % of gross — At 10% of gross sales, verify the lease terms, calculation method, and remaining term plus renewal options.
- Sales trend — Trailing 12–36 months of revenue: is the remodeled location lifting average ticket and traffic?
- Delivery mix — Third-party app fees vs. direct ordering; understand net margin by channel.
- Equipment and health compliance — Post-remodel equipment list, hood systems, refrigeration, and most recent inspection history.
Value drivers & typical valuation
- SDE multiples — Independent pizzerias typically trade on a multiple of seller's discretionary earnings, adjusted for owner involvement and add-backs.
- Lease advantage — Variable rent at 10% of gross can be a significant value driver vs. fixed-rent competitors in the same trade area.
- Tenure and brand — 25 years of operation supports premium buyer interest and lender comfort for SBA-backed acquisitions.
- Remodel timing — Recent capital improvements reduce near-term capex burden on the incoming owner.
Operator playbook
- Protect the regulars — Long-tenured pizzerias live on repeat business; maintain recipes, staff faces, and ordering consistency through the transition.
- Optimize the remodel ROI — Use the refreshed space to push higher-margin items, beer and wine if licensed, and catering packages.
- Reduce third-party delivery dependency — Shift repeat customers to direct ordering to recover margin lost to app commissions.
- Leverage the lease — A 10%-of-gross rent structure rewards growth — focus on volume-building initiatives that drop straight to bottom line after variable rent.
Jason Taken of HedgeStone Business Advisors is representing this opportunity. All inquiries are handled confidentially — qualified buyers will receive additional details upon request.
Inquire with Jason Taken
Schedule a confidential call to discuss this opportunity, or reach out directly. Serious inquiries only.
This is not an offer to sell securities or a solicitation to buy. Information is for qualified prospective buyers only and does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. Financial details are available to qualified inquiries under confidentiality.