How do I check a microgreens business’s restaurant and grocery accounts before buying?

A microgreens grower sells a fresh, perishable product, so check how dependent it is on a few restaurant and grocery customers. Chefs and grocers reorder because someone delivers on time and the product is consistent. When you buy, you are buying that reliability. This page covers only the customer side: how to see who buys, how firmly, and whether those accounts will stay after the owner steps back.

Start with the order records

Ask for a list of customers with the type of account, the products ordered, how often, and the dates of the first and latest orders. Standing weekly orders are more dependable than occasional ones. Compare the list with invoices and bank deposits so you know the list is complete. Your accountant can help you do that comparison.

Look for concentration

If a few restaurants or one grocery buyer take most of the output, losing one could change the business. Ask how those accounts began, whether any contract exists, and how a buyer can switch suppliers. Our page on what makes a farm business sellable explains why buyers look hard at this.

Check the other sales channels

Farmers’ market stalls, subscription boxes and online orders behave differently from wholesale accounts. Ask whether the market pitch, the subscriber list and the brand name transfer, and whether a market organizer must approve a new vendor. A stall held in the owner’s name may not pass to you automatically.

Do the customers follow the owner?

Ask who delivers, who takes calls and who the chefs text. If the relationships are personal, plan a handover period. Ask the seller to introduce you to key customers with permission, and have your lawyer write that consent and any transition help into the purchase agreement. See farm business due diligence for more.