Restaurant Dealmaker: Michael Pauwels | RRC Agent, Orange County

Restaurant Dealmaker: Michael Pauwels | RRC Agent, Orange County

Welcome to Episode 52 of the Restaurant Dealmaker Show featuring Michael Pauwels, a chef-turned-broker with 40 years in hospitality. Michael shares his journey from starting one of Europe’s first Tex-Mex restaurants to becoming a broker, and discusses preparing businesses for sale, valuation methods, confidentiality issues, automation trends, cost control, and the importance of people in hospitality.

Michael emphasizes planning sales in advance, cleaning up financials, maintaining operations, and using smart equipment and streamlined workflows to manage rising costs. He also stresses the value of working with specialized brokers when buying or selling food and beverage businesses.