Edward Laub

Introduction

I am a commercial real estate professional specializing in Restaurant Realty, Hospitality Business Brokerage, and Liquor License Transactions throughout Northern New Jersey and the New York metro area. My practice is focused almost exclusively on the food-and-beverage sector—restaurants, bars, cafés, mixed-use hospitality assets, and unique waterfront operations—which allows me to bring a depth of knowledge, relationships, and deal strategy that generalists cannot match.

My background is a blend of commercial brokerage, business valuation, restaurant financial analysis, liquor license expertise, and decades of hands-on experience in the hospitality world as a working professional musician. That combination gives me rare insight into the operational realities, challenges, and opportunities restaurant owners face—making me an advisor who speaks the language of the industry.

?

What I Specialize In

Restaurant Business Sales & Acquisitions

I broker full-service, fast-casual, turn-key, and second-generation restaurant sales—both on-market and confidential off-market opportunities. I assist owners with valuation, financial packaging, exit planning, and identifying qualified buyers.

Liquor License Sales (NJ & NY)

I handle the sale, valuation, and transfer coordination of:
• Plenary retail consumption licenses (NJ)
• Seasonal and waterfront licenses
• New York on-premise licenses tied to real estate
• High-value “center of town” licenses in competitive markets

Restaurant + Real Estate Transactions

Specialized expertise with:
• Restaurant buildings
• Mixed-use assets
• Marinas with hospitality components
• Retail condos
• Buildings with assignable leases
• Assets combining real property + business + liquor license

Distressed & Underperforming Restaurants

I regularly work with owners facing operational challenges, declining sales, or lender pressure. I create confidential strategies that may include:
• Restructuring the listing
• Quiet marketing to qualified buyers
• Negotiating with lenders, including SBA-backed situations
• Creative seller-financing solutions
• Positioning the business for a value-preserving exit

Buyer Representation for Restaurant Groups

I actively source expansion sites for regional restaurant groups seeking second-gen spaces with significant BOH infrastructure, heavy HVAC, strong utility service, and favorable occupancy ratios. My site searches focus on the highest-performing markets in Northern NJ, Westchester, and surrounding regions.

?

How I Work

Restaurant deals are different from typical small-business or retail transactions. They involve:
• Detailed financial analysis (SDE multiples, COGS benchmarks, labor models)
• Equipment and infrastructure evaluations
• Landlord negotiations and assignable lease reviews
• Licensing, zoning, and municipal approvals
• Sensitivity to confidentiality for staff, customers, and landlords
• Understanding seasonality, operational rhythms, and realistic upside

My practice is built on a high-touch, data-driven, and always confidential approach. I combine valuation tools, local market knowledge, financial modeling, and a strategic marketing process to maximize results while minimizing disruption for the owner.

?

Track Record & Experience

I have worked on a wide range of restaurant transactions, including:
• Downtown main-street restaurant + real estate packages
• Liquor license sales throughout Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic, and Somerset Counties
• Waterfront restaurant and marina opportunities
• High-value mixed-use hospitality properties
• Turnaround and distressed restaurant exits
• Buyer-group site searches (NJ & NY)
• Creative seller-financing structures designed to solve lender limitations and expand the buyer pool

My recent deals range from $300,000 business-only transfers to multi-million-dollar hard-asset + business + liquor license combinations.

?

Professional Value to Clients

Clients work with me because I bring:
• A clear understanding of restaurant financials and valuation drivers
• Full confidentiality during sensitive sale processes
• Ability to uncover off-market or underperforming restaurant opportunities
• Strong relationships with owners, investors, and hospitality groups
• Experience navigating complex liquor license and zoning situations
• Strong negotiation, communication, and deal-structuring skills
• Highly polished marketing materials and buyer presentations
• Persistence and creativity in challenging market conditions

?

Markets Served
• Northern New Jersey: Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic, Union, Hudson, Somerset
• NY Metro/Border Towns: Rockland, Westchester, Orange County
• Specialty Markets: Greenwood Lake, lakefront assets, marinas, downtown restaurant districts