Gourmet Foods Distributor
Business Broker
Situation
This gourmet foods distributor who supplied area hotels and high-end restaurants in downtown Boston and immediate environs was initially for sale during the pandemic. As the shutdown took place and travel and conferences ceased, the business owner decided to take the business off the market until the economy turned around.
The owner, whose background was not in food distribution but had a lot of translatable skills, was looking to make one more career change before he retired. As the market settled and people began to travel again, the business not only survived but thrived outperforming pre-pandemic metrics. He reconnected with BayState Business Brokers to bring his business back on the market and Bil Zarch became his broker.
BayState Business Brokers’ Approach
Bil Zarch brought extensive local knowledge and industry knowledge to the table to develop the strategy of marketing this gourmet foods distributor. His initial emphasis was on targeting select industry buyers for this business which included leased space and a fleet of trucks to deliver to the hotels throughout the city.
While there was considerable interest from industry buyers, the most viable prospective buyer emerged from outside the market, owners of hotels in New Jersey seeking to expand into a complementary business and expand geographically.
Results
Fortunately for the buyers, the business is highly moveable as the existing lease could not be extended. The SBA was flexible in extending financing, knowing that the business would need to relocate within a year after the deal closed. Zarch successfully navigated many challenges and hurdles to bring the deal to fruition, including working with the American consulate in India to attain necessary signatures from one of the buyers living in India. At the end of the day, the owner stayed on for eight weeks to help the two buyers’ nephew who would be running the gourmet food distribution business.
