Food & Beverage / Hospitality Valuation Multiples (2026)
Restaurant and hospitality multiples remain lease- and labor-sensitive. Transferable management, liquor licenses, and long-term leases with options support the upper SDE band.
Food & Beverage vs peer SDE comps (2026)
Bars = median multiple; whiskers = published low–high range. Source: ExitVelocity lower middle-market benchmarks · Q3 2026.
Example: Full-service restaurant (SDE)
Full-service restaurant with liquor license, $2.4M revenue, GM in place, 8-year lease remaining with two options.
At $310K SDE, a 2.6x F&B median implies ~$806K EV. Liquor license + turnkey GM support the upper half; short leases or owner-chef dependency compress toward 2.0x.
- • Liquor license
- • Turnkey GM
- • Long lease with options
- • Owner-chef dependency
- • Short remaining lease
Illustrative only — not a formal appraisal. Re-run with your financials in the free AI valuation calculator.
What moves food & beverage multiples
Prime long-term lease terms, liquor license, turnkey management, strong margins.
Use these benchmarks with an AI valuation that adjusts for margin profile, growth, and owner dependency — not a flat industry average alone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the typical Food & Beverage EBITDA multiple in 2026?
Food & Beverage / Hospitality trades at a median of 3.7x EV/EBITDA (range 3.2x – 4.5x) in the lower middle market, based on ExitVelocity’s 2026 deal benchmarks.
What SDE multiple do Food & Beverage businesses sell for?
Owner-operated food & beverage companies typically clear a median 2.6x SDE multiple (range 2.0x – 3.2x), depending on recurring revenue quality and owner dependency.
What drives premium Food & Beverage valuations?
Prime long-term lease terms, liquor license, turnkey management, strong margins.
Example: what is a Food & Beverage business with $310,000 SDE worth?
Using 2026 food & beverage multiples, $310,000 SDE × 2.6x median ≈ $806,000 enterprise value (range roughly $620,000–$992,000 at 2x–3.2x). At $310K SDE, a 2.6x F&B median implies ~$806K EV. Liquor license + turnkey GM support the upper half; short leases or owner-chef dependency compress toward 2.0x.
Related industry multiples
Also see: 2026 example business valuations · SDE vs EBITDA · How AI business valuation works