St. Augustine

St. Augustine is a small market with a surprisingly deep bench of business brokers, and if you own a business in St. Johns County, choosing the right one matters more here than almost anywhere. Deals in this town run on relationships, confidentiality is harder to keep in a community this connected, and the difference between a well-run sale and a clumsy one often comes down to who is personally handling your file.

I’m Ryan C. Winter, a licensed business broker with Truforte Business Group, and St. Augustine is my home market. That means two things: I know this landscape from the inside, and I have an obvious interest in you calling me. So, as with my statewide guide to the best business brokers in Florida, this is an honest review, drawn from each broker’s own website and public credentials, including competitors I genuinely respect.

A Quick Rule Before the List: Hire a Person, Not a Logo

Some names below are individual brokers and some are companies. In a market the size of St. Augustine, this distinction is everything. Your sale will be handled by one human being: the one who screens buyers, keeps your name quiet, and negotiates your price. That is why this list leads with individuals, including the specific people behind the big franchise names. Whoever you interview, ask exactly who will carry your listing, how many others they carry, and how long they have worked this market.

Individual Brokers Serving St. Augustine and St. Johns County

Ryan C. Winter, Truforte Business Group

Individual broker, based in St. Augustine. This is me, so weigh it accordingly. I live and work in St. Johns County and represent owners here and across Florida through Truforte Business Group, a statewide brokerage selling Florida businesses since 1994. My practice is built on preparation and straight answers: every engagement starts with a free, confidential valuation, I carry a deliberately small book of clients, and if the honest answer is that you should spend a year cleaning up your financials before listing, I will tell you so. Success fees only, typically 12 to 15 percent on main street deals with the Lehman scale above that, and never an upfront fee. The combination I offer that is hard to find here: a broker who is physically in St. Augustine, backed by a statewide platform and buyer database.

Tracey Burke, Capstone Business Brokers

Individual broker, based in St. Augustine. Tracey Burke operates with Capstone Business Brokers from an office on Kent Road and is an IBBA-listed broker in St. Augustine. Owners who prefer working directly with a named individual broker in town should include Tracey on their interview list alongside me, exactly the kind of comparison I encourage.

Kimberly Deas, Murphy Business

Individual broker: franchise owner for St. Johns, Duval, and Nassau counties. Kimberly Deas owns the Murphy Business franchise covering Northeast Florida from her Jacksonville office, focusing exclusively on selling businesses with revenues up to roughly $10 million. She is known for exit-planning education and spends significant time each year coaching owners on preparing their businesses for sale. If you interview Murphy for a St. Augustine listing, Kimberly is the person behind the brand, which is exactly how it should be.

John Geiwitz, Transworld Business Advisors

Individual broker, Jacksonville, serving Northeast Florida. John Geiwitz is a Certified Business Intermediary and the top-producing Transworld broker in Northeast Florida, recognized by Business Brokers of Florida as one of the state’s top deal makers. He came to brokerage after founding and running his own technology companies, holds 17 patents from his engineering career, and works transactions roughly from $500K to $30 million. For larger St. Johns County businesses, John absolutely belongs on your interview list.

Jason Godwin, Florida Business Exchange

Individual broker: Managing Partner at FBX. Jason Godwin advises owners on lower middle market transactions up to roughly $50 million in enterprise value and has stacked up serious credentials fast: IBBA Platinum Chairman’s Circle, BBF Top Dollar Producer, and a BBF Top 50 broker every year since 2020. He also serves in BBF district leadership. FBX runs a Jacksonville office, and for owners whose businesses have outgrown main street pricing, Jason is a strong regional option.

Local and Regional Firms Serving St. Augustine

Hartford Business Brokers

Local independent firm. Hartford has operated in St. Augustine since 1991, with senior partners who came out of the mergers and acquisitions field, and the firm is military veteran owned. Few brokerages anywhere can claim three decades focused on a single county, and that longevity means real local relationships. For smaller in-county deals where deep St. Johns roots matter most, Hartford has earned its place on your interview list.

Gateway Business Advisors (Gary Hallett, Nancy Hallett, and Cal Heseman)

Boutique firm with named principals, Jacksonville. Gateway is the kind of firm this article’s hire-a-person rule was written for, because you know exactly who you get: Gary Hallett, whose background spans small business ownership and corporate franchising leadership; Nancy Hallett, an accountant by training who has worked M&A with a Fortune 100 company and handles valuations; and Cal Heseman, a full-time broker since 2005 who has advised on more than $100 million in transactions. A credible, personal alternative to the franchise networks for Northeast Florida sellers.

Quorum Business Advisors

Founder-led firm, Jacksonville. Quorum is a full-service brokerage led by founder Anthony John Rigney, serving Northeast Florida including St. Augustine and Palm Coast, with membership in the IBBA, Business Brokers of Florida, and the American Business Brokers Association. Quorum focuses on roughly the $300K to $10M range and has built a solid regional reputation.

Transworld Business Advisors, Jacksonville

Franchise office covering St. Johns County. The Jacksonville Transworld operation, run by Bianca Evans under the My Florida Business Broker brand, is one of the highest-volume brokerages in Northeast Florida, covering Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Flagler, and Volusia counties. If listing exposure and volume matter most to you, this team belongs in your comparison, and John Geiwitz above shows the caliber of individual working under this banner.

Quick Comparison

Broker	Individual or Company	Based	Best Fit
Ryan C. Winter (Truforte)	Individual	St. Augustine	Sellers who want a local broker with statewide reach
Tracey Burke (Capstone)	Individual	St. Augustine	Sellers who want a named local individual broker
Kimberly Deas (Murphy)	Individual, franchise owner	Jacksonville	Main street sellers up to ~$10M revenue, exit planning focus
John Geiwitz (Transworld)	Individual, CBI	Jacksonville	Larger deals, $500K to $30M
Jason Godwin (FBX)	Individual, Managing Partner	Jacksonville	Lower middle market and M&A-size deals
Hartford Business Brokers	Local firm	St. Augustine	Smaller in-county deals, three decades of local roots
Gateway Business Advisors	Boutique firm	Jacksonville	Sellers who want named principals on the deal
Quorum Business Advisors	Founder-led firm	Jacksonville	Regional deals $300K to $10M
Transworld Jacksonville	Franchise office	Jacksonville	Maximum listing volume and exposure

Why Local Knowledge Matters More in St. Augustine

St. Augustine is not a generic Florida market. Tourism seasonality shapes half the businesses in town, the historic district operates under its own leasing realities, and the buyer pool mixes locals, Jacksonville commuters, and relocating out-of-state buyers drawn to one of Florida’s fastest-growing counties. A broker who works this market daily prices those factors correctly and, just as important, knows how to keep a sale quiet in a town where word travels fast. My guides on how tourism affects business value and keeping a sale confidential in St. Augustine cover both in depth. I also work the county’s premium corridor and its northern neighbor directly: see my pages for Ponte Vedra and Nocatee and Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best business broker in St. Augustine?

There is no universal answer, and this page was written by one of the brokers on the list, so verify everything yourself. The honest method: interview two or three of the names above, ask who will personally run your deal, verify licenses on the DBPR portal, and choose the person whose valuation reasoning and communication convince you.

What do St. Augustine business brokers charge?

Success fees at closing, typically 10 to 15 percent for main street businesses. My standard range is 12 to 15 percent with the Lehman scale on larger deals, and no upfront fees. Full breakdown in my guide to business broker fees in Florida.

Do I need a broker based in St. Augustine, or can a Jacksonville broker sell my business?

A Jacksonville broker can absolutely sell a St. Augustine business, and several excellent ones on this list do it regularly. The advantage of a broker based here is market-specific pricing judgment and local buyer relationships; the advantage of the Jacksonville operations is volume and larger-deal experience. The ideal is both: local knowledge with reach beyond the county line, which is exactly the model I built my practice around.

Start With an Honest Number

Whichever broker you interview, walk in knowing what your business is actually worth. I offer every St. Johns County owner a free, confidential opinion of value with no obligation, even if you end up choosing someone else on this list. Call (904) 735-8994 or start with the free valuation calculator.

Selling a restaurant is one of the most complex business transactions you can go through, and doing it in St. Augustine adds a unique set of local factors to the equation. Whether you’re running a beloved local spot on St. George Street, a waterfront dining experience, or a quick-service operation near the beaches, here’s what you need to know about selling your restaurant in this market.

Why Restaurant Sales Are Unique

Restaurants come with a set of challenges that most other businesses don’t. The margins are tight, the operations are intense, and the business is often deeply tied to the personal brand of the owner. Buyers know this, and they’ll scrutinize your numbers carefully before making an offer.

The good news is that St. Augustine’s tourism-driven economy creates real demand for established restaurant concepts. Buyers from outside the market are often attracted to this city specifically because of the foot traffic, the hospitality culture, and the opportunity to acquire something with existing name recognition.

What Buyers Look for in a Restaurant Acquisition

Restaurant buyers, especially experienced ones, focus on several core factors:

Profitable operations: This sounds obvious, but many restaurant listings are for businesses barely breaking even. Buyers want to see consistent, verifiable profitability over at least two to three years. If your restaurant is a passion project that loses money, it’s a much harder sell.

A transferable concept: Is the restaurant known for you, or is it known for the food, the location, or the atmosphere? Concepts that can outlive the current owner are far more valuable. If your regulars come because they love you personally, buyers will worry they’ll lose those customers when you leave.

A strong lease: The lease is often the most critical document in a restaurant sale. Buyers need to know they’ll have a viable long-term home for the business. In St. Augustine’s high-demand commercial market, leases with short remaining terms or uncooperative landlords can kill deals outright. Ideally, you want at least three to five years remaining with renewal options.

Licenses and permits: Florida liquor licenses can be particularly valuable and complex to transfer. Make sure all your licenses and permits are current and properly documented, including your DBPR license, health permits, and any liquor license. Buyers will want to understand the timeline and cost of transferring these.

Key staff in place: Losing your head chef or experienced front-of-house manager during a transition can devastate a restaurant’s performance. If you have strong, loyal staff who plan to stay, that’s a significant asset. If turnover is a problem, it needs to be addressed before you go to market.

How Restaurants Are Valued

Most restaurant valuations in Florida use a multiple of Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE) or, for larger operations, a multiple of EBITDA. The challenge with restaurants is that margins are often thin, so even well-run operations may show modest SDE relative to their revenue.

Equipment and FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) also factor into the value. A restaurant with a fully built-out kitchen, updated HVAC, and quality dining room furniture is worth more than one with aging equipment that needs replacement.

Expect multiples for established, profitable restaurants in St. Augustine to range from 1.5x to 3x SDE depending on size, concept strength, and lease terms. Waterfront locations or well-established concepts with strong brand recognition can command premiums above that range.

Maintaining Confidentiality

One thing restaurant sellers often underestimate is the importance of keeping the sale confidential. If your staff, suppliers, or regular customers learn the restaurant is for sale, it can create anxiety, accelerate staff turnover, and hurt sales during exactly the period when you need your numbers to look strong.

A qualified business broker will know how to market your restaurant confidentially, reaching buyers without broadcasting your situation to the world.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you’re thinking about selling your restaurant in St. Augustine, the first step is understanding what it’s worth. Use our free business valuation calculator for a starting estimate. Then reach out for a free consultation, we’ll give you an honest assessment of your restaurant’s market value and a clear picture of what a successful sale could look like.

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