Pre-close · Food & Beverage

Real Estate Carve-Outs for Food & Beverage Independent Sponsors

Securities and M&A counsel for independent sponsors structuring food and beverage transactions, from LOI to close to the capital markets that open up afterward.

EV range $10M to $120M EV EBITDA $2M to $20M Audience Buy & Sell-side
The deal context

Every food and beverage acquisition has its own gravity. Real Estate Carve-Outs is the workstream where independent sponsor counsel earns the seat.

The typical food and beverage platform sits at $10M to $120M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $20M range. The thesis runs on CPG roll-up or co-packing platform with regional bolt-ons. Treat trade spend like a working capital item, not a marketing line. The valuation moves accordingly.

The moves

How Real Estate Carve-Outs actually gets structured.

  1. Separate operating real estate into a single-purpose entity pre-close.

  2. Document an arm's-length lease with renewal options and assignment rights.

  3. Address title, survey, and environmental on each parcel.

  4. Coordinate the real estate close with the operating company close.

  5. In food and beverage, layer in co-pack capacity agreement re-papered as part of the Real Estate Carve-Outs workstream.

The common mistake

Leaving the real estate inside the operating company. The buyer pays a higher multiple than the real estate deserves.

Jason's take
"Real estate trades at a different multiple than the business. Separate it, lease it, manage it."
Jason Powell · Real Estate Carve-Outs
Capital after close

The deal is one thing. The capital that opens up after close is another.

After close, the call list for refinancing, recapitalization, and growth equity gets short and known. Jason carries that list.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
TALK TO JASON

An LOI on the desk, a food and beverage target, and a Real Estate Carve-Outs question worth a real conversation.

Twenty minutes of practitioner-grade input from a securities attorney whose first move is to read the deal, not the engagement letter.