Steve is the Founder, Principal Broker and Chief Executive Officer of Restaurant Realty Company. Steven has personally sold/leased over 1000 restaurant, bar or club businesses, sold many commercial buildings and completed over 3,000 restaurant valuations since 1996. His real estate experience also includes sales, acquisitions, management and ownership of numerous properties throughout California including restaurants, hotels, apartment buildings and single family homes. Although based in the Bay Area when specifically requested Steve will personally broker and co-broker with clients throughout California. Steve is also the author of Restaurant Dealmaker – An Insider’s Trade Secrets for Buying a Restaurant, Bar or Club available on Amazon.
Prior to starting Restaurant Realty Company Steve had over 20 years of restaurant experience and was President and Chief Executive officer of Zim’s Restaurants, which was one of the largest privately owned restaurant chains in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Steven is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and University of San Francisco’s School of Business. He holds a California State Real Estate Brokers License (License #01310250), State of California College Teaching Certificate, and he has earned the industry’s top designations for advanced education which include: the Certified Business Broker (CBB) designation awarded by the California Association of Business Brokers and the Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) designation awarded by the International Business Brokers Association.
Steve has lectured at Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, taught management courses at San Francisco City College Hotel and Restaurant School and the former School for Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management at Golden Gate University. Steve has been a regular guest lecturer at the California Culinary Academy (CAA) in San Francisco for several years. He currently teaches the CABB Principles of Business Brokerage Course and IBBA Restaurant Sales, Valuation and Lease Analysis Course to real estate brokers and agents.
He is a member of the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB) and is a member of the Education Committee. At HFLA, a non profit lending institution, Steve currently holds the following positions; Vice President, Co-Chairman of the Business Loan Committee, Chairman of the Audit Committee and member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Additionally Steven is a member of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, California Restaurant Association, Cornell University Hotel Society, Cornell University Real Estate Council and the International Association of Business Brokers (IBBA). Steve's non-profit work has included participation on the Board of Directors of the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB), the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA), the Marin JCC and the JCF of San Francisco, the Peninsula and Sonoma Counties. Additionally Steve has participated in the Marin Homeless Coalition Lunch program for over 10 years.
Steve has extensive experience as an expert witness and works regularly with many attorneys and the courts regarding valuations, leases and acquisition and disposition matters.