This is a remarkable story… In May, Tony and his daughter, Leslie, hired me to help them find a food service business to buy. Tony was tired of searching online, dealing with different brokers, and he needed help evaluating deals.
Tony and his wife, Teresa, had previously owned an Italian restaurant in Fallston. Sadly, however, Teresa was diagnosed with cancer soon after they bought the restaurant in 2010 and they had to sell it to focus on taking care of her health. She passed away on June 28, 2017.
A week after I started looking for the perfect business for Tony and Leslie, I got a lead on a pizza shop that was not yet on the market. I met with the owner, and she agreed to entertain an offer. I was excited about this business for them for many reasons—it had the cash flow they needed, it was close to their home, and the seller was reasonable with the price and willing to help with financing.
I called Leslie and Tony to share the news, and after telling them about the business, they said to me that Leslie and her mother had been regular customers of Original Giorgio’s in Cockeysville when Leslie was a child. They agreed that this business would be perfect for more reasons than I had ever known.
We were able to work out a great deal for both the buyer and seller, and we closed the deal on June 27, 2018. Leslie and Tony’s first day as the new of owners of Teresa’s favorite pizza shop was June 28, 2018 – on the first anniversary of her passing.
Although we had some obstacles to overcome during the process, I believe the strength of Teresa’s memory carried them through to the finish line and helped them accomplish this dream.