We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dominique Maddox, CBI, CFE. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Dominique, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of the day set the tone for how productive and focused I’ll be as a restaurant broker. I believe that structure and discipline in the morning creates the momentum needed to handle the day’s demands, from negotiating deals to consulting with restaurant owners.
My morning starts with reviewing business emails to stay on top of any client updates or time-sensitive opportunities that came in overnight. Next, I will write out the key items I want to accomplish for the day, this helps me stay intentional and organized rather than reactive. While having my first cup of coffee, I watch local and national news to keep informed on trends and economic factors that could influence the restaurant market.
Yes, I also take a few minutes to check social media. It’s not just for scrolling — it’s an opportunity to engage with our audience, monitor industry conversations, and build brand visibility for EATS Broker.
One of the most important parts of my morning routine is working out two or three days a week. It clears my head, boosts my energy, and puts me in the right mindset to perform at a high level. I make it a point to leave the gym by 7:45 a.m., ready to tackle the day with clarity and focus.
That structure helps me stay consistent, confident, and booming in a fast-paced business where every day counts.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
After spending seven years with one of the nation’s largest restaurant brokerage firms, I launched EATS Broker in 2019 because I saw a gap in the market for restaurant resale options. Restaurant owners needed a brokerage that understood the restaurant business, not just generic business sales. I wanted to create a firm where every conversation, valuation, and marketing plan was explicitly built around the unique dynamics of restaurant ownership and resale.
Today, EATS Broker is establishing itself as a powerhouse in the Dallas-Fort Worth market and throughout the Southeast. Our listings range from $100,000 to $5 million, and we’ve helped everyone from independent operators to national franchise owners transition their businesses. What makes EATS Broker special is our hands-on approach, transparency, and specialized expertise — we don’t just sell restaurants, we guide owners through one of their life’s most important financial and emotional decisions.
I hold the Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) and Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designations, reflecting my commitment to professionalism and continuing education in this field. My background as a former Morehouse College football player taught me discipline, drive, and teamwork — qualities I bring to every deal. Whether it’s helping a retiring Baby Boomer plan their exit or advising a franchisee on resale strategy, my focus is always the same: helping restaurant owners win.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship that most shaped how I see myself is my one with my grandmother, Mary Maddox. She completely changed the trajectory of my life. When I was eight years old, she moved to Anchorage, Alaska, to adopt me and my four siblings after we were placed in state custody (she adopted six total). Her first words were, “You can be a kid now, I’m here.” That moment was life changing.
Mary provided stability, structure, and most importantly love. Growing up in an environment affected by the 1980s crack epidemic, she showed me that your surroundings don’t define your destiny. She taught me not to use my tough childhood as an excuse, but as motivation to create a better life.
She also sparked many of my lifelong interests. We spent hours cooking together—she was the head chef, and I was her sous chef. She taught me gardening and introduced me to CNN, and we bonded over watching tennis (she loved the Williams sisters) and golf (she was a big Tiger Woods fan).
One of the most defining things she did for me was insist that I attend Morehouse College. She didn’t have much money, but she gave me something far greater, discipline, and belief in myself. Mary Maddox’s strength, resilience, and unconditional love shaped not only how I see myself but also how I lead, serve others, and approach every challenge in life and business today.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Starting EATS Broker was one of the most significant leaps of faith I’ve ever taken. When I launched the company in October 2019, I was immediately faced with a substantial legal challenge — a costly civil lawsuit tied to a non-compete agreement that aimed to prevent me from selling restaurants in Atlanta and the surrounding counties. It was an intimidating and expensive battle when I was starting, but I refused to let fear or pressure dictate my future.
I left the brokerage firm I had been with for seven years and started EATS Broker the same month. I didn’t close a single deal or earn a commission for the first seven months. The first deal I had pending, which was scheduled to close in March 2020, was cancelled when the COVID-19 pandemic hit — the buyer backed out, and that moment was devastating. Financially, I was struggling. Mentally, I questioned whether I had made a mistake and if I should return to a corporate job.
But giving up wasn’t an option. I reminded myself why I started — to build something of my own, with integrity and purpose. In May 2020, I finally closed my first deal under the EATS Broker brand. That closing reignited my confidence and became the momentum I needed to keep pushing forward. Those challenges shaped my foundation as a business owner — resilient, relentless, and committed to the vision, no matter how tough the journey gets.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies in the restaurant resale industry is that every restaurant is worth what the owner “needs” it to be worth. Many restaurant owners base their asking price on emotional factors what they invested in the buildout, how much they owe the bank, or what they want to walk away with — instead of what the market will bear. The truth is, restaurant valuations are driven by cash flow, not sentiment.
Another major misconception is that restaurant multiples are the same as those in other industries like tech, HVAC, or manufacturing. They’re not. Restaurants typically trade at lower multiples because of higher failure rates, owner dependency, and volatility. When an owner expects a 5x or 6x multiple like a SaaS company, they’re setting themselves up for disappointment and wasted time on the market.
Owners also believe selling a restaurant should be as fast and straightforward as selling a home, but the reality is very different. Most restaurants take six to eight months to sell, not weeks. The process involves buyer qualifications, lease negotiations, due diligence, and often franchise approvals. I tell my clients that selling a restaurant is like selling a slow cooker, not a pressure cooker. Rushing the process can ruin the deal.
Lastly, some owners think they can go “For Sale by Owner” and save on commissions. However, the lack of confidentiality, poor buyer screening, and unrealistic pricing often cost them more time and money. A professional restaurant broker understands how to position, price, and protect the sale from start to finish and that experience is invaluable, especially in franchise resales where compliance and transfer approvals add layers of complexity.
At EATS Broker, we aim to educate owners on the reality not the myths of the restaurant resale market so they can exit on their terms with realistic expectations and a smoother process.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
People will mostly misunderstand how much discipline, sacrifice, and emotional resilience it took to build my legacy. From the outside, they might see the success — being the Founder and President of EATS Broker, holding national designations like CBI and CFE, and being recognized as one of the few experts in restaurant brokerage. But they may not see the journey from a kid raised on welfare and food stamps in Anchorage, Alaska, to creating the first Black-owned restaurant brokerage in the nation.
Coming from an environment where survival often meant following the wrong examples, I had to make a conscious decision early on to go against the grain. Positive male role models were scarce, but my football coaches became my foundation — they taught me accountability, work ethic, and how to channel pressure into purpose. Every major decision in my life came down to choosing long-term growth over short-term comfort.
The most significant misunderstanding about my legacy might be that it was easy or just about business success. My legacy is about breaking cycles, betting on myself when the odds weren’t in my favor, and proving that where you start doesn’t determine how far you can go.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://eatsbroker.com/
- Instagram: Eatsbroker
- Linkedin: EATS Broker
- Facebook: Restaurant Broker
