Frustrated after five years of less than stellar sales, the owner of an Italian eatery decided Craigslist and eBay would be the best place to sell off the business.
This restaurant happens to be a short drive away from the lead-lined writing room at Murdok HQ. Portabella’s Italian Oven & Grill is in a well-trafficked area, but the little shopping center where it is located has minimal parking, a real negative for a sit-down dinner place.
The Lexington Herald-Leader said Patrick Kelly opted for eBay and Craigslist instead of more conventional ways to part with Portabella’s for several reasons: familiarity with those services and a desire to sell quickly. His asking price is $65,000.
Kelly’s Craigslist post is somewhat bland: “Restaurant for Sale – $65000. 5000 square foot, full service restaurant for sale. Turn key, operate as is or change concept. contact owner asap for details.” No mention of Portabella’s by name; SEO professionals would find this surprising.
Our efforts to find the listing on eBay turned up nothing. Though we could have overlooked it in the Businesses For Sale category, we would be surprised to find it elsewhere on eBay.
A need for a quick exit makes the Internet an appealing choice for finding a buyer. Through the use of Craigslist, all it cost Kelly was time to create his virtual listing.
While we can admire his economy of choice and of his phrasing, selling a business seems to us the kind of endeavor that merits a little more marketing on the owner’s part. Telling a newspaper reporter that business essentially stunk at the location isn’t what we call a selling point, though we give him credit for honesty.
Our two cents: whoever takes a chance on the location needs to focus on a quick service, in and out concept that keeps the parking spaces open. Good luck to whoever gives it a shot.
