Restaurant Franchise
Restaurant Franchise Real Estate — Buy, Sell, or Lease with Summitly
Restaurant franchises live or die on location. The right corner, the right rent, and the right lease term decide most of the outcome. Summitly's REALTORS® work on restaurant franchise deals every week — buying, selling, and leasing across Canada.
Coldwell Banker Summit Realty, Brokerage (905) 553-8500
What Summitly does — and doesn’t
Summitly's franchise practice is run by Coldwell Banker Summit Realty, a real estate brokerage specialising in franchise locations across Canada. We help you secure, hold, and exit the real estate underneath your franchise. We are not a franchise consultant or recruiter.
We handle
- Site search and site approval coordination for your franchise locations
- Commercial lease review, negotiation, and renewal
- Resale brokerage when it’s time to sell — confidential marketing, buyer prequalification, lease assignment
- Coordination with the landlord, lender, lawyer, and franchisor real estate team
We don’t handle
- Franchise applications, brand approval, or franchisor selection criteria
- Training, supply chain, operations, or marketing programs — those stay with the franchisor
- Picking a brand for you — that’s a business decision we’ll respect, not influence
The Canadian restaurant franchise market
Full-service restaurants are the largest franchise category in Canada by dollar value. Average build-out runs $400,000 to $1.5 million. Lease terms are usually 10 years with renewal options. The strongest markets in 2026 are the GTA, Calgary, Ottawa, and Halifax.
Buying a restaurant franchise
Most buyers spend three to six months on site search. We help you compare new builds vs. taking over an existing location. New builds let you pick the city. Existing locations come with sales history that helps with lending. We walk you through both.
Selling a restaurant franchise
Restaurant sales take 3 to 9 months on average. Buyers want two years of clean books, a transferable lease, and equipment in working order. Start prep early. We handle valuation, confidential marketing, and franchisor approval.
Common mistakes restaurant franchise buyers make
- Signing a lease without checking exclusivity — a nearby copycat tenant can crush sales
- Underestimating build-out time — most projects run 30 to 60 days late
- Skipping a lease review and learning about CAM surprises after opening
Popular restaurant franchise brands
Common brands we work with — buying, selling, and leasing. Individual brand pages are coming soon.
- Boston Pizza
- Swiss Chalet
- Montana's
- The Keg
Your franchise real estate team
Coldwell Banker Summit Realty — Franchise Real Estate Practice
Coldwell Banker franchise · Licensed in Ontario
Coldwell Banker Summit Realty, Brokerage runs a dedicated franchise real estate practice serving operators across Canada. We handle the operator-side real estate work on franchise deals — securing sites at the start, reviewing and negotiating commercial leases, and brokering the exit when it is time to sell. Backed by the Coldwell Banker brand, an independently owned and operated franchise with deep commercial and residential reach, our team reads a lease the way the operator does, scopes a site the way the franchisor does, and structures the exit the way the buyer will underwrite it.
- Operator-side franchise real estate across food, retail, hospitality, fitness, and service categories
- Site selection, lease review, and lease negotiation aligned to franchisor criteria
- Resale brokerage, location takeovers, new-build site work, and sale-leaseback structuring
- Backed by Coldwell Banker — an established global real estate brand and franchise network
Coldwell Banker Summit Realty, Brokerage (905) 553-8500
Questions
Restaurant franchise real estate: common questions
Quick, honest answers to what franchise buyers and sellers ask us most.
Most restaurant franchises in Canada cost between $400,000 and $1.5 million all-in. That includes the franchise fee, build-out, equipment, opening inventory, working capital, and lease deposits. Faster-casual brands are at the lower end, full-service brands at the higher end.
Three to nine months is typical. Strong brands in busy locations sell faster. Confidential listings, qualified buyers, and franchisor approval all add steps. A specialist REALTOR shortens the timeline.
Yes. The Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP) covers up to $1 million of build-out and equipment. Several banks have franchise lending teams. Lenders want a strong personal credit score, 30 to 40 percent equity, and a brand with good resale data.
Next step
Looking at a restaurant franchise deal?
Book a free call. We will tell you what to watch for in your city and your brand.
