How do I find a cheese shop for sale?
Find a cheese shop for sale by searching under every name it might use, including fromagerie, cheese counter and specialty food shop. Check listing sites and brokers, then talk to the importers, distributors and local makers who supply these shops, since they often hear of a sale first.
Cheese shops are small in number, and few are ever listed publicly. Owners often sell quietly to a manager, a supplier or someone who simply asked. That means a search works best when it is wide: several search terms, several channels, and a short list of questions ready for the first call. The chocolate shop and candy store search follows a similar pattern.
Search under every name
A cheese business may be called a fromagerie, a cheese counter, a cheese and charcuterie shop, a specialty food store or a deli that happens to be known for its cheese. Search each term on listing sites, and read the category pages for specialty food too. Some of the best candidates are filed under a general food retail heading, so the cheese is only visible in the description.
Where a sale surfaces
Listing sites and business brokers are the visible channels. The quieter ones are the importers and distributors who deliver to these shops every week, and the local makers who sell to them. Refrigeration technicians and landlords also hear early. Tell two or three of them what you are looking for. A broker can also explain how a specialty food retailer is usually presented.
What to ask before you sign an NDA
Ask which supplier and importer accounts would carry over to a new owner, because some accounts depend on the person. Ask how much of the selection and the customer knowledge sits with the owner alone. Ask about ageing stock, the cold room and the cutting and display equipment, and what condition each is in. Finally, ask how long the lease runs and whether the landlord has been approached.
- Which supplier and importer accounts transfer, and on what terms
- Who holds the product knowledge and the regular customers
- Age and condition of the cold room, display cases and slicers
- How ageing stock is handled and counted at closing
- Lease length and landlord consent
Food licensing and import rules for cheese are not something to guess at. Ask your lawyer and the food regulator what applies to the shop you are considering.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWorking with a broker to find a business to buy
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernment13 terms you need to understand before signing your commercial real estate lease
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