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Episode 217

Mastering Restaurant Exits: Robin Gagnon’s We Sell Restaurants Story

This week on The Exit: Robin Gagnon, co-founder and CEO of We Sell Restaurants, takes us through her 21-year journey helping restaurant owners navigate exits.

Her company has grown to become the largest restaurant brokerage firm in the nation, operating in 45 states with over 1,000 listings valued at approximately $450 million.

Robin emphasizes the importance of proper financial documentation and presentation when preparing for a sale, explains how franchise restaurants typically trade at higher multiples than independent restaurants, and discusses the benefits of selling individual locations versus grouping them together.

She advises owners to start the exit process early, obtain independent third-party valuations, and maintain good relationships with franchisors during transitions.

For more details and insights from her entrepreneurial journey, listen to the latest episode of The Exit.

Personal Bio: 

Robin Gagnon is the Co-Founder and CEO of We Sell Restaurants, a brand that has carved an unparalleled niche in the industry as the nation’s leading and only business broker franchise focused on restaurants. Under Robin’s leadership, We Sell Restaurants has grown to 45 states where it dominates the restaurant-for-sale marketplace and franchise resales, delivering on the founder’s vision to sell more restaurants than anyone else. Robin is a member of the IFA (International Franchise Association) Board of Directors Vice Chair of the Franchisor Forum and Past Chair of the Women’s Franchise Committee. 

Website – https://www.wesellrestaurants.com/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingagnonrestaurantbroker

Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights

The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

YOUR HOST

Steve McGarry

An entrepreneur, content creator, and investor based in sunny Tampa, Florida. In 2015, while living in San Francisco, Steve sold his first fintech startup LendLayer to Max Levchin’s (founder of PayPal) consumer finance company Affirm.

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