Buying an existing East Side Mario’s

What East Side Mario’s says about existing restaurants

The franchising page says East Side Mario’s offers “franchise partnership opportunities for both new restaurants as well as existing restaurant sales”, and its FAQ adds: “You can also connect with the franchising team to learn if there are any existing franchises for sale” (as published, read Oct 22, 2026). It names no restaurant, gives no price and does not describe how the franchisor handles a franchisee’s sale. The route offered is an inquiry to the franchising team, which then shares what is available.

How the franchisor says it starts

Asked about the first steps, the page’s own FAQ says to “speak to a member of our team”, who will “share what restaurant franchises are currently available” and learn about you “so that we can match you to the right franchise opportunity”. It describes the partners it looks for — passion for hospitality, strong leadership, “excellent business acumen” and a willingness to be hands-on in operations — and says “Restaurant experience is an asset, but not a prerequisite”. The page does not say whether the same criteria apply to someone buying a restaurant from its franchisee; ask the franchising team before you make an offer.

A seller’s price, not the franchisor’s figure

The franchising page puts the cost of opening an East Side Mario’s at $1,400,000 - $1,600,000 with $560K -$640K in cash required, and Recipe’s all-brands table gives $1.1M - $2.8M. Those are figures for building a restaurant. An existing one is priced by the franchisee selling it, and the price may or may not include the lease, equipment and staff. The page also features franchise partners who run several restaurants, and lists growing “into multi-unit operations” as a route, so ask whether a sale covers one restaurant or several.

Approval, fees and disclosure

The pages read do not say what Recipe requires before a franchisee’s restaurant changes hands. The questions to settle are who has to approve the resale, whether a transfer fee applies, whether you must complete training or renovate, and whether a disclosure document is owed. Ontario’s Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000, for one, has its own exemptions for a grant by a franchisee; what disclosure a resale buyer gets explains them. Have a franchise lawyer apply them to your deal.