Monmouth County · New Jersey
Representing Buyers of Businesses Across Monmouth County
From boardwalk restaurants to Bayshore contractors and Route 35 professional offices, Monmouth County businesses change hands in many forms. Paul H. Appel represents the buyer, working from the firm's office in Freehold, the county seat.
A county of distinct markets
Shore, Bayshore, river towns and highway corridors
Monmouth County runs from Raritan Bay in the north to the Manasquan River in the south, with Atlantic Ocean beaches along its eastern edge and the Garden State Parkway, Route 9, Route 18, Route 34 and Route 35 tying it together.
Each part of the county produces different acquisition opportunities. Shore towns such as Asbury Park, Long Branch, Belmar and Manasquan have restaurants, hospitality and seasonal retail. Red Bank, on the Navesink River, and other walkable downtowns have boutiques, salons and professional offices. The Bayshore towns, including Keansburg, Keyport and Atlantic Highlands, have marine trades, small contractors and neighborhood businesses. The highway corridors carry medical and professional practices, auto services and franchised locations. NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line connects many of the shore and river towns.
This page is about buyer representation across that county-wide market. Buyers looking specifically at Freehold and the western townships may prefer the Freehold acquisitions page, and the firm's general approach to deals is on its buying and selling businesses page.
Restaurants and bars
When the purchase includes a liquor license
Buying a restaurant or bar that serves alcohol is a common Monmouth County transaction and a distinct one. In New Jersey, retail alcoholic beverage licenses are issued by the municipality under state Alcoholic Beverage Control rules, and transferring one to a buyer generally requires an application to the municipal issuing authority, public notice and approval before the buyer may operate under it.
That process affects the whole deal. The purchase agreement should make approval of the license transfer a closing condition, address who operates the business while approval is pending, and explain what happens if approval is refused or delayed. Some deals separate the license price from the business price. Because license rules are detailed and municipal practice varies, they should be reviewed early in each transaction rather than assumed.
Restaurant purchases also involve health permits, equipment leases, outdoor dining approvals and, often, a lease with a landlord who wants to know the buyer's experience.
Seasonal businesses
Verifying the numbers of a shore business
A business that earns most of its revenue between Memorial Day and Labor Day needs a different kind of financial review.
- At least three full years of monthly sales, so one strong or weak summer does not distort the picture
- Sales tax filings and merchant processing statements to corroborate reported revenue
- Off-season expenses, including rent, insurance and any staff kept on year-round
- Seasonal hiring practices and how summer staff are classified and paid
- Weather, beach-access or event dependencies the business relies on
- A closing date that does not hand the buyer the slow season with no working capital
Working capital and price adjustment terms are explained in the guide to M&A deal terms.
Other Monmouth deal types
What buyers ask the firm to review
Downtown retail and salons
Lease assignment, landlord consent, personal guarantees, and whether booth renters or stylists are employees or tenants.
Professional and medical offices
Ownership restrictions under licensing rules, patient or client record transfer, and the selling professional's transition and non-compete.
Seller non-competesBayshore trades and marine services
Equipment and vessel titles, contractor registrations, waterfront property issues and customer service contracts.
The engagement
How a Monmouth County purchase is handled
Talk it through
A first conversation by phone, video or at the Freehold office, centrally located for most of the county.
Agree scope and fee
A written scope and fee are provided before work begins.
Review and negotiate
LOI, diligence, purchase agreement and any license or lease approvals, handled personally by Paul.
Close and transition
Closing documents, bulk sale notice, lien releases and post-closing follow-through.
Monmouth buyers ask
Buying a business in Monmouth County: questions
How does a liquor license transfer when buying a restaurant in New Jersey?
The buyer applies to the municipality that issued the license, gives the required public notice and must be approved before operating under it. State Alcoholic Beverage Control rules govern the process, and approval is not automatic. The purchase agreement should make license approval a closing condition and say what happens if it is refused or delayed.
How do I verify the revenue of a seasonal shore business?
Ask for several years of monthly sales rather than annual totals, and corroborate them against sales tax returns, bank deposits and card processing statements. Look closely at off-season costs. A business that looks profitable on summer numbers alone can struggle once a year's fixed expenses are counted.
What lease issues come up when buying a downtown shop?
Remaining term and renewal rights, whether the landlord must consent to an assignment and on what conditions, personal guarantee requirements, permitted use, and any pending rent increases or relocation clauses. Many downtown buildings have individual owners with their own lease forms, so terms vary widely.
Does the firm represent buyers anywhere in Monmouth County?
Yes. Buyers across the county work with the firm, from the Bayshore to the southern shore towns. The firm's only office is in Freehold; clients meet there by appointment or work by phone and video. The Monmouth County business law page lists related services.
Your attorney
Paul H. Appel, Esq.
Every matter at the firm is handled personally by Paul — the same attorney reads the documents, gives the advice and negotiates on your behalf.
- Education
- Columbia Law School, Juris Doctor (1967)
- Experience
- 58+ years in commercial and business law
- Focus for this matter
- Business acquisitions, sales, due diligence and closing documents
- Office
- Freehold, NJ — serving Monmouth, Middlesex & Ocean Counties
Contact
Discuss Your Business Matter With Paul
Describe what the business is dealing with — a contract on your desk, a deal in progress, a dispute or a company you are about to form. You will hear back from the attorney who handles the work.
- Phone917-748-6124
- Office11 Crestwood Drive, Freehold, NJ 07728
- ConsultationsBy phone, video or in person by appointment
Start a conversation