Some cafés are just a place to grab a coffee. Others become part of the village.
When this Victorian café opened, the locals welcomed it with open arms. It quickly became a popular local spot for breakfast and lunch. After building that following, the business has now sold through Bonza for $117,000.
The Sale at a Glance
- Business: Café
- Location: Victoria
- Sold price: $117,000
- Days on market: 163
- Bonza commission: $4,680
- Saved by the seller: $10,320
The Minimum Commission Trap
This sale shows a cost many sellers of smaller businesses don't see coming. Most traditional brokers include a minimum commission clause, usually somewhere between $15,000 and $30,000. Below a certain sale price, the percentage stops applying and the seller simply pays the minimum.
On a $117,000 sale, a $15,000 minimum works out to a 12.8% commission. That's well above the headline rate most sellers think they're agreeing to. At Bonza, there's no minimum trap. The seller paid 4%, which came to $4,680. Compared with a $15,000 fee, that's $10,320 back in the seller's pocket. For a business at this price point, that saving is close to 9% of the entire sale price. On a smaller sale, every dollar of commission comes straight out of what the seller walks away with, so the fee structure matters just as much as the price.
Sold in 163 Days
The café went from listing to sold in a little over five months. A business only sells when the right buyer sees it. Bonza receives more than 1,000 buyer enquiries every week across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, and a dedicated team handles the marketing and buyer qualification so the broker can focus on getting the deal across the line. Preparation plays a big part as well. Clear financials and a well-presented listing help serious buyers make decisions faster.
Thinking About Selling a Café in Victoria?
Smaller hospitality businesses are exactly the sales where traditional fees hurt most. The work involved is similar to a bigger sale, but the minimum commission takes a much larger share of what you walk away with.
Choosing who sells it matters too. In Victoria, business brokers must be licensed, with licensing overseen by Consumer Affairs Victoria. Bonza is a licensed brokerage, so your sale is handled by people who are accountable for how they do it.
Our team works with café, restaurant and food retail owners across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Get a quick estimate with our free calculator tool, see our sold businesses, or request a free consultation.
