El Mundo | Iconic 31-Year Louisville Restaurant | $255K SDE
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This is a rare opportunity to acquire El Mundo, Louisville's original scratch-kitchen Mexican restaurants and a fixture on Bardstown Road. The business operates from a single ~5,000 square foot location with a 100-seat dining room, 52-seat patio, and 21-seat bar.
2025 revenue was approximately $1.4 million with ~$255,000 in Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE). Offered at $500,000, under 2x earnings. Seller is very motivated to sell quickly after some life changes and a long time in the business.
Ownership is retiring. The front-of-house team self-manages day-to-day operations and the kitchen runs on a long-tenured brigade, with several staff past ten years of service.
Revenue is spread across thousands of individual guest checks with no customer concentration. Average checks run ~$65 at dinner and ~$54 at lunch, with ~92% dine-in and no third-party delivery by choice, so there is no commission drag on margin.
This is a turnkey, high-margin, bar-forward independent with a genuinely defensible local brand and clear upside for an operator willing to add days, dayparts, and marketing.
2025 revenue was approximately $1.4 million with ~$255,000 in Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE). Offered at $500,000, under 2x earnings. Seller is very motivated to sell quickly after some life changes and a long time in the business.
Ownership is retiring. The front-of-house team self-manages day-to-day operations and the kitchen runs on a long-tenured brigade, with several staff past ten years of service.
Revenue is spread across thousands of individual guest checks with no customer concentration. Average checks run ~$65 at dinner and ~$54 at lunch, with ~92% dine-in and no third-party delivery by choice, so there is no commission drag on margin.
This is a turnkey, high-margin, bar-forward independent with a genuinely defensible local brand and clear upside for an operator willing to add days, dayparts, and marketing.
About the Business
- Years in Operation
- 31
- Employees
- 20 Full-time
- Facilities & Assets
- A ~5,000 square foot leased space at 1767 Bardstown Road: 100-seat dining room, 52-seat patio, 21-seat bar, scratch kitchen, prep kitchen and three walk-ins.
Lease runs through October 2029 at $5,450 per month
Furniture, fixtures and equipment (~$41,000 net book value), food inventory, and the Kentucky by-the-drink retail liquor license are included. - Website
- Show Website URL
- Market Outlook / Competition
- El Mundo competes in a highly fragmented full-service market dominated by independents, where a signature program separates a destination from a commodity.
The bar is the differentiator. El Mundo runs one of Kentucky's deepest agave programs, with 45+ tequila expressions, 15+ mezcals, an additive-free philosophy, and curated flights, in a market otherwise dominated by bourbon. Bar and alcohol contribute ~32% of revenue at premium margin.
The kitchen is scratch-made with Kentucky beef, bison, and Woodland Farm pork, with unusual vegan depth. Thirty-one years on Louisville's premier dining corridor, 4.3 stars, 100% health inspection, 1.00 workers compensation modifier. - Opportunities for Growth
- A new owner has several clear levers for growth:
Open Sundays for lunch and dinner (currently closed; guests ask for it)
Extend evening and late-night hours beyond the 9pm kitchen close
Add third-party delivery (currently zero by choice)
Build catering and group bookings (never pursued by ownership)
Expand the retail salsa, dip, and bottled hot sauce line (under-marketed)
Program agave tastings, classes, and distillery dinners
Market to the 1,721-name email list with paid social and SEO
Real Estate
- Owned or Leased
- Leased
- Building Sq. Ft.
- 5,000
- Rent
- $5,450 per month
About the Sale
- Seller Motivation
- The founder is retiring after 47 years in restaurants, 31 of them at El Mundo.
- Transition Support
- Both owners will provide a reasonable transition period. Menus, recipes, and specials are documented and owned by the business, and staff are expected to remain in place.
- Financing Options
- Seller may consider a modest note for a qualified buyer.
Listing Info
- ID
- 2546411
- Listing Views
Listing ID: 2546411 The information on this listing has been provided by either the seller or a business broker representing the seller. BizQuest has no interest or stake in the sale of this business and has not verified any of the information and assumes no responsibility for its accuracy, veracity, or completeness. See our full Terms of Use. Learn how to avoid scams.
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