Freestanding Restaurant Property for Sale in Lawrenceville GA: Hard Corner on Gwinnett County's Fastest-Growing Corridor
- Jimmy Carey
- May 13
- 31 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
465 W. Pike Street - Lawrenceville, GA 30046 | $1,590,000 | Sale Includes Real Estate, Business & Assets
Property: 465 W. Pike Street, Lawrenceville, GA 30046 Asking Price: $1,590,000
Building Size: 2,025 SF freestanding + approximately 2,025 SF basement storage
Lot: .44 acre, hard corner, two entrances, 30-space dedicated parking lot
Zoning: BG - Business General Traffic: 42,655 vehicles per day on GA-120
Sale Includes: Real estate, operating business, all FF&E
Agent: Jimmy Carey | 305-788-8207 | 678-320-4800 | Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers jimmy@jimmycareycre.com
At 465 W. Pike Street in Lawrenceville, Georgia, a freestanding, fully equipped, code-compliant commercial restaurant property is available for purchase at $1,590,000. The sale includes the real estate, the operating business, and all assets - a 2,025-square-foot building on a .44-acre hard corner lot directly on GA-120, one of Gwinnett County's most trafficked commercial corridors, with 42,655 vehicles passing the property every single day. If you are looking for a restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA that eliminates build-out risk, eliminates the permitting timeline, and eliminates the equipment sourcing headache that derails most restaurant openings, this is that opportunity.
This is a ready-to-operate commercial kitchen, fully permitted and code-compliant, on a hard corner with verified consumer demand, in a Gwinnett County market that just crossed one million residents and is adding hospital capacity, new housing, and downtown development faster than almost any suburban corridor in Metro Atlanta. The infrastructure is in. The location works. The question is who takes it.
I have spent 37 years in the restaurant industry - first as a chef, then as the owner-operator of five Jimmy'z Kitchen locations across Miami South Beach, Wynwood Arts District, Brickell, Pinecrest, and Marietta, Georgia, and now as Atlanta's Premier Restaurant Broker specializing exclusively in restaurant sales, tenant representation, and commercial real estate for food and beverage operators across Atlanta, Savannah, and all of Georgia. In that time, I have seen a lot of listings. I have marketed them, negotiated them, and closed them. When I say that 465 W. Pike Street represents a genuine, differentiated opportunity in the Lawrenceville market, I am saying it as someone who has stood on both sides of the table - as the operator who needed this kind of property and as the broker who knows how rarely it actually comes available.
This blog is written for three audiences. The owner-operator who wants to open or expand a concept without the capital drain and time cost of a ground-up build-out. The investor or CRE buyer who understands freestanding restaurant real estate as a commercial asset class in a high-growth corridor. And the franchise conversion buyer or E-2 visa investor who needs a fully equipped, permitted, operational platform to execute a concept quickly. If you are any of these three, read every section before you call me - because I want you to understand exactly what you are buying before we have the conversation.
What You Are Actually Buying: This Restaurant Property for Sale in Lawrenceville GA
Let me start with the real estate, because that is the foundation of this transaction.
The property at 465 W. Pike Street sits on a .44-acre site in a hard corner position at one of the most visible intersections on the West Pike Street corridor. The building is 2,025 square feet - a freestanding commercial restaurant structure with two entrances, a dedicated parking lot for 30 vehicles, and BG - Business General zoning, which supports a wide range of food service uses without restriction. The building has been fully remodeled, with all electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems upgraded during the renovation. It holds a current, valid Certificate of Occupancy. Everything is up to code. There is no punch list waiting for a new owner.
What makes this restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA exceptional for any operator is what is inside the building. The commercial kitchen is not a leasehold improvement waiting to be financed - it is already here, already installed, already inspected and approved. The kitchen package includes a brand-new full-service commercial kitchen with a 24-foot ventilation hood system, walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer, commercial grease trap, a large dedicated prep area, and all supporting infrastructure. The electrical and mechanical systems have been upgraded specifically to support high-volume food service operations. Two ADA-compliant bathrooms. Ample on-site storage.
And then there is the basement - and this is the detail that separates 465 W. Pike Street from almost every other restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA or anywhere else in the Gwinnett County market.
The basement at 465 W. Pike Street mirrors the building's ground-floor footprint - approximately 2,025 square feet of additional below-grade space dedicated entirely to storage and operations. In a restaurant, storage is not a nice-to-have. It is a margin driver.
Operators who have worked in tight inline spaces know exactly how much money they leave on the table buying in smaller quantities because they have nowhere to put inventory. This basement eliminates that problem entirely. It also makes this property uniquely suited for ghost kitchen operations, commissary use, centralized production, and catering concepts that need serious prep and cold storage capacity without paying for a second location. For any buyer evaluating this as a multi-concept platform or a commissary anchor, the basement is not just storage - it is a strategic operational asset that most comparable properties in this market simply do not have.
The property is offered at $1,590,000. The sale includes the real estate, the operating business, and all assets. BG zoning. Hard corner position. Two entrances. Thirty parking spaces. A brand-new commercial kitchen. And approximately 2,025 square feet of basement storage beneath it. For a qualified buyer seeking a restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA, this is the complete package.
What It Actually Costs to Build This From Scratch in Georgia in 2026
Here is the question most buyers have not fully answered before they start evaluating a listing like this one. If you leased a comparable space on a comparable corridor in Gwinnett County and started a ground-up build-out, what would you actually spend before you served your first customer?
According to Terrapin Construction Group's May 2026 national cost benchmarks - cross-referenced against RSMeans 2026 data, JLL Retail Outlook figures, and CBRE Retail MarketView data - restaurant tenant improvement builds in the Southeast United States run between $200 and $480 per gross square foot depending on concept type. Quick-service and fast casual formats come in at the lower end of that range. Full-service concepts with complete kitchen packages trend higher. For a 2,025-square-foot space, that translates to between $405,000 and $972,000 in hard construction costs alone - before soft costs, which Terrapin benchmarks at an additional 8 to 15 percent, and before a construction contingency of 5 to 10 percent.
That range also does not include what a grease interceptor installation runs if the slab needs to be cut: $15,000 to $80,000. It does not include an electrical service upsize, which runs $35,000 to $180,000 when existing service is undersized for restaurant operations - something Terrapin reports happens 40 to 60 percent of the time on spaces being converted to food service. It does not include code-triggered ADA upgrades, NFPA 96 commercial cooking ventilation compliance, or NFPA 13 sprinkler reconfiguration. And critically, it does not include time.
Restaurant tenant improvement projects in the Southeast run 12 to 22 weeks from permit to Certificate of Occupancy, according to the same Terrapin data. That is three to five months of construction overhead, carrying costs, and zero revenue before a single customer walks through the door. And that assumes the permitting process moves on schedule, which in Gwinnett County - as in most of Metro Atlanta - is never guaranteed.
The infrastructure at 465 W. Pike Street is already done. The grease trap is installed. The hood is inspected and operational. The walk-in units are running. The electrical and mechanical systems are upgraded to restaurant-grade capacity. The CO is current. The basement is ready. A buyer at this property skips the entire construction phase - not partially, entirely - and walks into a kitchen built for high-volume production that is ready to generate revenue from the moment the transaction closes.
"In 37 years in this business, first as an owner and now as a broker, I can tell you exactly what it costs to build a commercial kitchen like this one from the ground up in Georgia today. By the time you pull permits, install a 24-foot hood system, set a grease trap, bring in the walk-in cooler and freezer, run your mechanical and electrical, and get your CO signed off, you are looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars in hard costs alone - and that is before you have served a single plate. What is sitting at 465 W. Pike Street is already done. That is the value that never shows up on a price-per-square-foot analysis." -Jimmy Carey, Atlanta's Premier Restaurant Broker
This is the replacement cost argument that turns a $1,590,000 asking price into a legitimate conversation about value. The buyer is not just purchasing square footage on a hard corner. They are purchasing the elimination of a construction project that would take months to complete and cost a multiple of the labor, materials, and permits to replicate on any comparable site in this market.
Lawrenceville, Georgia Has Already Arrived
When operators and investors look at a restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA, they are not looking at an emerging market. They are looking at a market that crossed the arrival threshold years ago and is now in the acceleration phase.
Gwinnett County's population reached 1,027,312 residents as of 2025, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission's most recent population estimates. The county added 15,200 residents in a single year - making it the second-largest county in Georgia and one of the most consistently growing suburban markets in the entire Southeast. Gwinnett County is the 50th most populous county in the United States and accounts for nearly 9 percent of Georgia's total population. The regional growth trajectory is not a projection - it is a documented trend with institutional capital already committed to it.
Lawrenceville sits at the center of all of it. As the county seat of Gwinnett, it is the governmental, medical, and institutional hub of a county that now exceeds one million people. The commercial corridor along West Pike Street - GA-120 - is not a bypass road. It is a primary arterial connecting hospitals, government centers, colleges, and one of the most active commuter corridors in northeast Metro Atlanta. It carries 42,655 vehicles every single day, and those vehicles are not tourists. They are employees, students, patients, commuters, and residents who eat out regularly, on predictable schedules, and within short driving distances of their daily destinations.
The market data around 465 W. Pike Street confirms this. The 1-mile daytime population is 22,654 people. Daytime workers within one mile: 18,836. The worker-to-resident ratio of 4.91 to 1 is one of the most compelling site-selection metrics available for a food and beverage operator - it means the lunchtime and weekday customer base is nearly five times larger than the residential population alone would indicate. Weekday traffic runs 70 to 80 percent higher than Sunday traffic. This is a corridor that was purpose-built, economically and demographically, for restaurants.
Annual food-away-from-home spending within five miles of the property exceeds $291.8 million, with average household spending of $3,967 per year. The diversity index of 86.2 within the three-mile ring - combined with a Hispanic population of 26 to 29 percent and a Black population of 31 to 45 percent - creates a broad consumer base that can support virtually any cuisine format, from QSR and fast casual to specialty concepts and international brands. For investors who track demographic compatibility as a component of site selection, these numbers are not a marketing claim. They are the output of verified consumer data.
For anyone researching a restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA, these are the fundamentals that institutional buyers underwrite first.
The Traffic Engines Nobody Is Talking About
Here is what truly separates this hard corner restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA from almost everything else available in Gwinnett County. The demand drivers around 465 W. Pike Street are not retail anchors or seasonal foot traffic patterns. They are institutional anchors generating captive customer demand around the clock, and they are all expanding.
Northside Hospital Gwinnett - 1.3 Miles Away and Getting Larger
Northside Hospital Gwinnett, located 1.3 miles from 465 W. Pike Street, is currently mid-construction on an 11-story patient tower adding approximately 200 beds to the campus. When complete, the expansion will make Northside Gwinnett the largest hospital in the entire Northside Hospital system. The project is expected to create more than 3,000 construction and ongoing jobs, according to reporting from Hoodline and the Atlanta Business Chronicle, with clinical spaces already opening in phases. An interventional radiology suite inside the tower opened on March 9, 2026. The hospital currently employs approximately 3,800 people and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
That is 3,800 employees - physicians, nurses, technicians, administrative staff, and support workers - rotating through shifts around the clock, 1.3 miles from a hard corner restaurant property on the primary arterial that connects the hospital to the rest of the county. Hospital employees eat frequently, on tight schedules, and within short proximity to their workplace. When the expanded tower is fully operational, that workforce will grow. This is one of the most stable captive lunch markets in any suburban Atlanta corridor.
Georgia Gwinnett College - Ten Consecutive Semesters of Growth
Georgia Gwinnett College enrolled 12,777 students in fall 2025, the second-highest enrollment in the college's history, representing its tenth consecutive semester of enrollment growth. The campus is located within 7 minutes of the property. Seventy-six percent of GGC students are from Gwinnett County. Every semester that enrollment grows, the daytime population in the trade area around 465 W. Pike Street grows with it. Students eating lunch, faculty grabbing coffee between classes, and evening students stopping before and after class create layered demand windows that extend the revenue day well beyond the traditional lunch peak.
Gwinnett Technical College - Lawrenceville Campus Expanding
Gwinnett Technical College, Georgia's largest technical college, reported 15,689 students enrolled for the 2025 academic year - its ninth consecutive semester of enrollment increases, with a 12 percent year-over-year increase in fall enrollment. For spring 2026, Gwinnett Tech launched a new Practical Nursing program specifically on its Lawrenceville campus. That program adds healthcare students and eventually credentialed healthcare workers to a corridor already defined by medical employment - compounding the food and beverage demand from two directions simultaneously.
Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center - 1 Mile
The Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center is approximately one mile from 465 W. Pike Street. County courthouses and administrative offices generate a predictable, consistent daily customer base: attorneys, county employees, jurors, witnesses, and the public conducting county business. This is weekday lunch traffic that does not fluctuate with seasons, economic cycles, or consumer sentiment indexes. It shows up every business day of the year.
Together, these four anchors produce a daytime population of 22,654 within one mile of the property and a worker-to-resident ratio of 4.91 to 1. Most restaurant operators spend years in tenant representation trying to find a location with this profile. The buyer of this restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA inherits it from the moment the transaction closes.
"A hard corner on a 42,000-plus vehicle-per-day corridor in a market that just crossed one million residents is not a common listing. Most operators spend years in tenant representation trying to find a location with this kind of built-in traffic and visibility, and they are negotiating a lease for the privilege. Here, a qualified buyer gets the traffic, the visibility, the corner, and the deed. That combination is genuinely rare in the Atlanta metro." -Jimmy Carey, Atlanta's Premier Restaurant Broker
Lawrenceville Is Being Built Right Now
The market fundamentals around this restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA are not projections. They are active construction projects, funded and underway, that will permanently increase the consumer base and economic output of the immediate corridor.
The Lawrence Hotel is the headline development. A 120-room boutique hotel branded under Hilton's Tapestry Collection is scheduled to open in downtown Lawrenceville in summer 2026. The project features a 5,000-square-foot conference center, a restaurant, and a rooftop bar - and the city of Lawrenceville issued $40 million in bonds to fund it. A Hilton-branded hotel in downtown Lawrenceville means overnight visitors, conference groups, and a new hospitality economy forming around the city center. Those visitors need places to eat beyond the hotel's own footprint. They will find them on the corridors around them.
More than 1,200 new residential units are in the development pipeline in the immediate Lawrenceville corridor, driven by infill townhome and luxury multifamily projects tied to downtown revitalization and the hospital expansion. According to Lawrenceville's official construction update page, the city is simultaneously executing infrastructure improvements including water main replacement with 12-inch ductile iron pipe upgrades, arts center renovations valued at $650,000, and trail expansions connecting residential neighborhoods to downtown. These are not cosmetic improvements. They are the physical signals of a city committing capital to long-term corridor quality.
In early 2025, the Lawrenceville City Council also considered a resolution to expand the city's boundaries, potentially adding over 5,700 parcels and approximately 19,000 new residents to the city's footprint. Even a partial implementation of that boundary expansion would materially increase the consumer base within the trade area of any restaurant operating on West Pike Street.
And if you want market validation from another operator's behavior: in December 2025, the city of Lawrenceville issued a building permit for "Sweet Octopus," a brand-new standalone 4,489-square-foot restaurant being constructed on South Clayton Street in downtown Lawrenceville. Other operators are already committing real capital to this market. The buyer of this restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA follows the same thesis with a property that is already built, already permitted, and already producing revenue.
What This Location Is Already Producing
The existing business operating at 465 W. Pike Street is not the primary basis of valuation for this transaction. The property is priced as commercial real estate with a fully equipped, operational restaurant business included. A business with five months of operating history does not generate the two to three years of verified financial performance that traditional income-based restaurant valuations require. That is not a weakness of the listing - it is an honest characterization of what type of sale this is. For the complete framework on how restaurant transactions are structured and valued, the guide on restaurant SDE, EBITDA, and valuation methodology for Atlanta covers this in detail.
What the current operating results provide is something different and arguably more valuable to a buyer making a site-selection decision: location proof.
The existing concept at 465 W. Pike Street has averaged approximately $60,000 per month in net sales during its initial operating period. That is a brand-new, largely unknown concept, with no established brand recognition, no loyalty base, no marketing history, and no strategic advantage beyond the location itself - generating $60,000 per month on a hard corner in Lawrenceville. That number is not a business valuation argument. It is a location validation argument. It says: customers who drive this corridor will stop. They will spend money. The traffic count is real. The daytime worker population is real. The consumer demand is real.
For an owner-operator bringing a known brand, an established concept, or a franchise system to this location, what an unknown startup achieved in its first five months is a floor, not a ceiling. For investors and buyers who study what restaurant buyers in Atlanta and Georgia look for when evaluating an acquisition, the demand signal already demonstrated here is a meaningful de-risking factor in the acquisition decision.
How Buyers Are Financing This Property: An Illustrative SBA Framework
One of the most common questions I receive about a listing like this one is direct: how does a buyer actually finance a $1,590,000 restaurant real estate transaction?
The answer most often involves an SBA 7(a) loan, which offers the most accessible path to financing a combined real estate and business acquisition at this price point. Based on input from a licensed SBA lender with whom we have consulted on this listing, the following is an illustrative example of how financing could be structured. This is not a financing commitment or a guarantee of terms. Actual financing will depend entirely on the individual buyer's financial profile, credit history, business plan, and lender underwriting at the time of application. Readers are directed to the full disclosure section at the end of this blog before acting on any financial information presented here.
Illustrative example only: assuming the purchase price is allocated with more than 51 percent to real estate - which would support 25-year amortization on the SBA 7(a) structure - and assuming a minimum 10 percent equity injection of approximately $175,000 from the buyer, a qualified borrower could access a loan amount of approximately $1,498,000, including working capital, SBA guaranty fee, and estimated closing costs. At an indicative rate of Prime plus 2.25 percent, approximated at 9 percent, monthly debt service on that loan would be approximately $12,571, or $150,854 annually. To meet minimum SBA debt service coverage requirements, a buyer would need to demonstrate at least $188,567 in net income from the concept being acquired or from documented projections for a new concept. Buyers bringing a concept with different projections than the existing operation would need to prepare 24 months of forward projections for lender review.
The SBA 7(a) loan is one path. For buyers who already own real estate or have existing business equity, the SBA 504 structure may offer additional advantages around fixed-rate terms and long-term wealth building. For the complete picture on how restaurant real estate ownership builds lasting financial value - including the tax advantages of depreciation, mortgage interest deductions, 1031 exchange strategy, and the three exit structures that only exist for property owners - the guide on owning restaurant real estate in Atlanta is required reading before any acquisition conversation. It explains, in plain terms, why the building is the wealth - and why operators who figure that out early finish in a fundamentally different financial position than those who lease their entire career.
Buyers still weighing the purchase-versus-lease decision will find the parallel analysis in Should Atlanta Restaurant Owners Lease or Buy? directly applicable to the decision they are navigating right now.
Beyond the financing structure itself, the tax picture for an owner-operator who purchases a commercial restaurant property like 465 W. Pike Street is one of the most overlooked parts of the acquisition decision. The IRS allows commercial buildings to be depreciated over 39 years, meaning the buyer can deduct a portion of the building's value every single year as a non-cash expense - reducing taxable income without reducing cash flow.
All of the equipment included in this sale, the commercial kitchen, the hood system, the walk-in units, and the FF&E, may qualify for accelerated depreciation under Section 179 or current bonus depreciation rules, potentially creating a meaningful tax offset in the very first year of ownership. Every dollar of mortgage interest paid on the SBA loan is a deductible business expense, and in the early years of a 25-year amortization schedule, the interest component of that monthly payment is substantial. And when the owner is ready to exit, a 1031 exchange allows them to reinvest the proceeds into another qualifying property and defer the capital gains tax entirely - an exit advantage that a leaseholder never has. For the end-user operator evaluating this restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA, the tax benefits of ownership are not a footnote. They are part of the real annual return on the investment. Consult your CPA for guidance specific to your situation.
Who This Property Is Built For
The range of qualified buyers for a restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA like 465 W. Pike Street is broader than most listings at this price point. Let me address each audience directly.
The Owner-Operator End User
This is the primary buyer this property was built for. An established restaurant operator - a chef with a proven concept, a multi-unit owner expanding into Gwinnett County, or a serious first-time buyer ready to own real estate rather than lease it - can walk into 465 W. Pike Street and operate from day one.
The kitchen is ready. The CO is current. The equipment is in. The parking lot is striped. The hard corner position delivers the kind of primary visibility and traffic capture that most operators spend years negotiating for in leased inline spaces and often never fully achieve. There is no build-out period, no landlord negotiation, and no personal guarantee tied to someone else's mortgage on the building. The operator owns the asset from closing day, with all the wealth-building implications that come with real estate ownership in a growth market.
The Investor and CRE Buyer
A freestanding, purpose-built restaurant building on a hard corner on a 42,655-VPD corridor in Gwinnett County's fastest-growing submarket is a commercial real estate asset first, and a restaurant listing second. An investor acquiring 465 W. Pike Street acquires real property in a county that just crossed one million residents, adjacent to a hospital becoming the largest in the Northside system, inside a downtown revitalization zone anchored by a $40 million Hilton-branded hotel, and surrounded by 1,200-plus new residential units in the pipeline. The existing operating business generates income from day one of ownership. For investors thinking about exit strategy, the ownership structures available to a freestanding restaurant property owner - sale-leaseback, combined business-and-real estate sale, or separate real estate sale - provide flexibility that leased operators simply do not have.
The Franchise Conversion Buyer
The infrastructure at 465 W. Pike Street is brand-agnostic. The commercial kitchen, the 24-foot hood system, the walk-in units, the grease trap, the electrical capacity, and the approximately 2,025-square-foot basement create a platform that supports virtually any quick-service or fast-casual concept format without a major build-out phase. A franchise conversion buyer who has already secured a franchise agreement and needs a permitted, equipped, freestanding pad in a high-traffic Gwinnett County location can evaluate this property as a ready-made execution platform. The Terrapin benchmarks cited earlier make the economics clear: building an equivalent platform from scratch in the Southeast costs $200 to $480 per square foot across 12 to 22 weeks. The franchise buyer at 465 W. Pike Street skips all of that and opens on a hard corner with a customer base already proven.
The E-2 Visa Investor
For international buyers pursuing an E-2 visa investment in the United States, a fully operational, permitted, freestanding restaurant property in a high-growth Atlanta metro submarket is a qualifying investment that addresses the program's core requirements: active business operations, documented consumer demand, established physical infrastructure, and a commercial real estate asset providing an additional layer of investment security. The Gwinnett County market's diversity index of 86.2 within the three-mile ring - combined with its Hispanic and international business community - makes Lawrenceville a relevant market for E-2 investors with food and beverage backgrounds seeking a community with existing cultural affinity for their concept.
"What makes this property different from most restaurant listings I represent is that it speaks to three completely different buyers. The owner-operator sees a turnkey kitchen on a hard corner with no build-out risk and no landlord. The investor sees a freestanding commercial building in a rapidly developing Gwinnett corridor with an existing income-producing concept already in place. The franchise conversion buyer sees permitted infrastructure worth hundreds of thousands of dollars ready to be rebranded tomorrow. I have marketed a lot of restaurants across Georgia. Very few listings check all three boxes." -Jimmy Carey, Atlanta's Premier Restaurant Broker
The Hard Corner Advantage: Why This Restaurant Property for Sale in Lawrenceville GA Is Positioned Differently
Not all restaurant real estate is equal. Within restaurant real estate, not all locations are equal. And within locations, hard corner positioning is one of the most consistently valued attributes in site selection - for reasons operators who have opened on non-corner sites understand viscerally.
A hard corner property sits at an intersection where traffic from two directions converges. It delivers simultaneous visibility to drivers on both streets. It typically accommodates two entrance points, which reduces driveway conflict and improves ingress and egress for high-volume operations. In a QSR or fast casual format, dual visibility and dual access directly affect traffic capture rates and per-hour throughput. National site selection teams specifically target hard corners on high-traffic arterials. Independent operators who find them - and can afford them - hold onto them.
465 W. Pike Street is a hard corner property on GA-120 with 42,655 vehicles per day. The property has two dedicated entrances and exits. The dedicated parking lot accommodates 30 vehicles. The freestanding building sits at high-visibility position with no shared signage, no adjacent tenant obstructions, and no competition for driver attention at the driveway. Every concept that operates here has exclusive possession of the entire site - the building, the lot, the corner, and the visual field.
For a buyer seeking a restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA, the hard corner at 465 W. Pike Street is not a marketing phrase. It is a site-selection metric that institutional buyers underwrite against comps and independent operators rarely find available at this price point in this market. Hard corner freestanding restaurant properties in high-traffic suburban corridors are among the most sought-after and least frequently listed assets in Georgia restaurant real estate. Most operators who want them are competing against established chains with dedicated acquisition teams. This one is available now.
Why a Transaction This Complex Requires a Specialist Broker
A transaction that combines commercial real estate, an operating restaurant business, all FF&E, an active CO, an existing operator staff, and a multi-party SBA financing process is not a standard commercial real estate deal. It is not a standard business brokerage deal either. It sits at the intersection of both - and it requires a broker who understands both sides from experience, not just from a licensing exam.
I founded Jimmy Carey Commercial Real Estate after decades as a restaurant owner and operator. I did not transition from general commercial real estate into restaurant brokerage. I built a practice specifically for this market because I understood from personal experience what it costs to get a restaurant wrong - in the site, in the lease, in the valuation, and in the transaction itself. Five Jimmy'z Kitchen locations across Miami South Beach, Wynwood Arts District, Brickell, Pinecrest, and Marietta, Georgia taught me what I needed to know. The brokerage work since has reinforced it.
At JCCRE, I am a proud member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and the Georgia Association of Business Brokers (GABB). I was recognized as the 2025 Top Companywide Business Brokerage Agent - the Cristal Award - at Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers. I am bilingual in English and Spanish, which matters in a Lawrenceville market where the diversity index exceeds 86 and the Hispanic population in the three-mile ring runs between 26 and 29 percent.
When I represent a buyer on a transaction like this one, I bring the lens of someone who has built commercial kitchens, negotiated leases, managed staff, dealt with health departments, and structured exits on both sides of the table. When I represent a seller, I bring the same experience to positioning the asset accurately and protecting the deal through closing.
For buyers doing their research, the complete guide to restaurant due diligence in Atlanta and Georgia covers what to examine, what to demand, and what to protect before signing anything on a transaction of this type.
If you are currently searching for a restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA or anywhere in the Atlanta metro, I also encourage you to review available listings including the turnkey restaurant opportunity in Savannah, GA, current active listings in Atlanta, and the complete Atlanta restaurant market 2026 overview for the broader context on where the Georgia market is heading.
Frequently Asked Questions: Restaurant Property for Sale in Lawrenceville GA
1. What is included in the sale at 465 W. Pike Street, Lawrenceville, GA?
The sale at $1,590,000 includes three components: the commercial real estate (the freestanding building and .44-acre hard corner lot at 465 W. Pike Street), the operating restaurant business, and all assets including all FF&E. A buyer acquires the property deed, the active business with its existing operations and staff, all commercial kitchen equipment, all furniture fixtures and equipment, the active Certificate of Occupancy, the approximately 2,025-square-foot basement storage space, and all operating permits and licenses currently in place. This single transaction transfers all three layers of value simultaneously, which simplifies both the acquisition process and the SBA financing structure for qualified buyers.
2. How much does it cost to build out a commercial restaurant kitchen like this from scratch in Georgia?
According to Terrapin Construction Group's May 2026 national cost benchmarks, cross-referenced against RSMeans 2026, JLL, and CBRE data, restaurant tenant improvement builds in the Southeast United States run between $200 and $480 per gross square foot depending on concept type. For a 2,025-square-foot space, that translates to between $405,000 and $972,000 in hard construction costs alone, before soft costs at 8 to 15 percent additional and a 5 to 10 percent contingency. A grease interceptor installation adds $15,000 to $80,000 if the slab needs to be cut. Electrical service upsizing adds $35,000 to $180,000. The construction timeline alone runs 12 to 22 weeks from permit to Certificate of Occupancy. The buyer of 465 W. Pike Street skips all of this because the infrastructure is already built, inspected, and operational.
3. What is the zoning for 465 W. Pike Street and what uses does it allow?
The property is zoned BG - Business General, one of the most flexible commercial zoning classifications in the Gwinnett County market. BG zoning supports quick-service restaurants, fast casual concepts, full-service dining, breakfast and brunch operations, catering facilities, ghost kitchens, commissary operations, and food production and meal prep businesses. A buyer is not restricted to replicating the existing concept. They can convert to virtually any food and beverage format that fits their business plan without a rezoning process.
4. How much traffic does West Pike Street / GA-120 generate daily?
West Pike Street / GA-120 generates an average of 42,655 vehicles per day at the 465 W. Pike Street hard corner location, according to Placer.ai traffic and mobility data covering the corridor. Weekday traffic runs 70 to 80 percent higher than Sunday traffic, reflecting the strong daytime workforce population in the immediate corridor driven by Northside Hospital Gwinnett, the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, Georgia Gwinnett College, and the surrounding employment corridor. Morning and afternoon drive times represent the peak traffic windows, which align directly with QSR, fast casual, breakfast, and lunch revenue periods.
5. Can I convert the space to a different restaurant concept?
Yes. The property and its infrastructure are completely concept-agnostic. The commercial kitchen, 24-foot hood system, walk-in units, grease trap, upgraded electrical and mechanical systems, and approximately 2,025-square-foot basement support quick-service, fast casual, full-service dining, breakfast and brunch, catering, ghost kitchen, and commissary operations. A buyer who does not want to continue the existing concept can transition to their own brand without a build-out phase because the infrastructure is already in place. The BG zoning classification supports all of these uses. Franchise conversion buyers, in particular, will find the existing platform well-suited to most QSR and fast casual franchise specifications.
6. Is this property eligible for SBA financing?
Based on lender consultation, this property is a candidate for SBA 7(a) financing, subject to individual buyer qualification. Key factors in SBA eligibility include the allocation of the purchase price between real estate and business components, the buyer's personal financial strength and credit profile, the ability to demonstrate sufficient net income or projected cash flow to service the debt, and lender underwriting criteria at the time of application. Buyers who want to understand how SBA financing works in the context of restaurant real estate ownership should read the complete guide on owning restaurant real estate in Atlanta, which covers both SBA 7(a) and SBA 504 structures with practical examples.
7. What are the approximate financing terms for a buyer using an SBA 7(a) loan on this property?
The following is an illustrative example only and does not represent a financing commitment. Based on lender input: assuming a minimum 10 percent equity injection of approximately $175,000 and more than 51 percent of the purchase price allocated to real estate (supporting 25-year amortization), a qualified buyer could access a loan amount of approximately $1,498,000 including working capital, SBA guaranty fee, and estimated closing costs. At an indicative rate of approximately 9 percent, monthly debt service would be approximately $12,571. Minimum debt service coverage would require approximately $188,567 in annual net income. Actual terms depend entirely on individual buyer qualifications, lender criteria, and market conditions. Full financial disclosure appears at the end of this blog.
8. Why does the daytime worker population matter for a restaurant buyer?
The daytime worker population determines how many potential customers are physically present in the trade area during peak revenue hours - specifically the lunch window and early evening. At 465 W. Pike Street, there are 18,836 daytime workers within one mile, producing a worker-to-resident ratio of 4.91 to 1. In practical terms, the lunchtime customer base is nearly five times larger than the residential population alone would suggest. Workers eat out frequently, on predictable schedules, and within short driving distances of their workplace. A restaurant on a hard corner between a major hospital, a government center, and two college campuses is in an enviable position for capturing that demand every business day of the year.
9. What major employers are within 1 to 2 miles of 465 W. Pike Street?
Primary employment anchors within 1 to 2 miles include Northside Hospital Gwinnett (1.3 miles, approximately 3,800 employees, 24-hour operations, currently mid-expansion on an 11-story patient tower that will make it the largest Northside hospital), the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center (approximately 1 mile, county courthouses and administrative offices), Georgia Gwinnett College (within 7 minutes, 12,777 students as of fall 2025), and Gwinnett Technical College's Lawrenceville campus (15,689 students in 2025, expanding with a new Practical Nursing program). The surrounding corridor adds medical offices, professional services, logistics, and retail employment contributing to the 18,836 daytime workers within one mile.
10. Why is Lawrenceville, GA a strong market for restaurant investment in 2025 and 2026?
Gwinnett County has crossed 1,027,312 residents and continues growing, making it the second-largest county in Georgia. Lawrenceville, as the county seat, anchors that market institutionally. Active development includes a $40 million Hilton Tapestry Collection hotel opening summer 2026, more than 1,200 new residential units in the pipeline, a 15-story hospital tower expansion at Northside Gwinnett, enrollment growth at two area colleges for nine or more consecutive semesters, and public infrastructure investment across the downtown corridor. Food-away-from-home spending within five miles of West Pike Street exceeds $291.8 million annually. The market has fundamentals that most suburban corridors in Metro Atlanta do not have at this level of concentration.
11. What is the current business revenue and why is it not the primary valuation basis?
The existing concept at 465 W. Pike Street has averaged approximately $60,000 per month in net sales during its initial operating period of approximately five months. This figure is provided as location validation only - a demonstration that the hard corner location generates real consumer demand for a brand-new, unknown concept from day one. It is not presented as a business valuation basis. Traditional income-based restaurant valuations require a minimum of two to three years of verified financial performance and documented Seller's Discretionary Earnings. A five-month-old business does not meet that threshold. The property is priced as commercial real estate with a turnkey business included, not as a going concern. For the complete framework on how restaurant valuations are structured, see the guide on restaurant valuation in Atlanta.
12. Is this a good property for a franchise conversion or a new concept?
Yes to both. For franchise conversion, the existing infrastructure - commercial kitchen, 24-foot hood, walk-in units, grease trap, upgraded electrical and mechanical, and approximately 2,025-square-foot basement - supports virtually all QSR and fast casual franchise specifications without a major build-out phase. The freestanding hard corner position with dedicated parking is consistent with national franchise site selection criteria. For a buyer bringing a new concept, the BG zoning, the fully operational kitchen, the hard corner traffic profile, and the basement storage capacity provide an accelerated market entry without the timeline and cost of a ground-up build-out.
13. What makes a freestanding restaurant property more valuable than a leased inline space?
Ownership of a freestanding restaurant property eliminates the three largest structural risks that leased operators carry: rent escalation, lease renewal uncertainty, and landlord consent requirements at the time of sale. An owner-operator at 465 W. Pike Street controls their occupancy costs for the life of their mortgage rather than renegotiating them every five to ten years. When they are ready to exit, they can sell the business and real estate together as a premium package, sell the business and lease the building back to the new operator as a passive income stream, or sell the real estate separately. None of these exit structures exist for a leaseholder. The complete analysis of this decision is covered in the guide on leasing versus buying restaurant real estate in Atlanta.
14. What is an E-2 visa and why is this property a good fit for that buyer type?
The E-2 visa is a non-immigrant investor visa allowing nationals of treaty countries to enter and work in the United States based on a substantial investment in an active U.S. business. The investment must be at-risk and sufficient to demonstrate the investor's commitment to the enterprise. A freestanding restaurant property with an existing operating business, owned real estate, and documented consumer demand in a high-growth Metro Atlanta submarket represents the kind of qualifying investment E-2 applicants and their immigration attorneys evaluate favorably. The Lawrenceville market's diversity index above 86 and substantial Hispanic and international business community make it a culturally compatible market for E-2 investors with food and beverage backgrounds.
15. What is the basement storage space at 465 W. Pike Street and how can it be used?
The basement at 465 W. Pike Street mirrors the building's ground-floor footprint - approximately 2,025 square feet of below-grade space available for operational use. For a restaurant operator, this basement is a significant cost and margin advantage. It supports bulk purchasing and inventory storage, reducing per-unit food costs substantially. It creates capacity for commissary operations, centralized meal prep, and catering production that most standalone restaurant spaces in the Atlanta market cannot accommodate. For ghost kitchen or delivery-focused operators, the basement adds a production and cold storage layer that positions 465 W. Pike Street as a multi-revenue-stream platform, not simply a single-concept restaurant property.
16. What does "hard corner" mean in commercial real estate and why does it matter for a restaurant?
A hard corner property sits at a true intersection, providing simultaneous visibility to traffic approaching from two directions. In restaurant site selection, hard corners are prioritized because they maximize the number of potential customers who see the property during their daily drive. They typically accommodate two entrance and exit points, reducing traffic conflict and improving customer throughput. 465 W. Pike Street is a hard corner property at the intersection of GA-120 with two dedicated entrances, a 30-space dedicated parking lot, and full freestanding visibility with no shared signage or adjacent tenant competition for driver attention. National franchise systems specifically target hard corner freestanding pads in this traffic range. Finding one available for purchase at this price point in Gwinnett County is not a routine occurrence.
17. How is a commercial restaurant property valued differently from a restaurant business?
A commercial restaurant property is valued using real estate methodologies: comparable sales of similar freestanding commercial buildings in the submarket, replacement cost analysis (what it would cost to replicate the building and infrastructure), and income capitalization if the property is being analyzed as an investment asset. A restaurant business is valued using income-based methods centered on Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) and EBITDA multiples applied to verified multi-year financials. This transaction combines both: the property is valued as real estate, and the business is included as an operational asset rather than priced on an income multiple. For the complete framework on how SDE-based restaurant valuations work in Georgia, see the guide on calculating SDE and EBITDA for Atlanta restaurants.
18. What is a second-generation restaurant space and is 465 W. Pike Street considered one?
A second-generation restaurant space is a previously occupied restaurant location that retains some or all of the prior tenant's infrastructure, typically including kitchen equipment, ventilation, plumbing, and utility hookups. 465 W. Pike Street is more accurately characterized as a recently renovated and newly equipped commercial restaurant property than a traditional second-generation space. All systems have been newly installed and upgraded during the current renovation, rather than being reused from a prior operator. The infrastructure is new, not inherited. For buyers interested in the broader landscape of second-generation restaurant spaces in Georgia, the guide on second-generation restaurant spaces covers how to evaluate them and what to look for.
19. What is the minimum down payment or equity injection required to buy this property?
Based on the illustrative SBA 7(a) financing example in this blog, a minimum equity injection of approximately $175,000 - approximately 10 percent of the purchase price - would be required for a buyer using SBA financing. Actual down payment requirements vary based on the lender, the loan program, the buyer's financial profile, and how the purchase price is allocated between real estate and business components. Cash buyers and buyers using conventional commercial financing may face different equity requirements. This figure is illustrative only. Full financial disclosure appears at the end of this blog.
20. How do I get more information or schedule a tour of 465 W. Pike Street, Lawrenceville, GA?
Contact Jimmy Carey directly at 305-788-8207 (mobile) or 678-320-4800 (office), or email jimmy@jimmycareycre.com. Qualified buyers will be required to complete a non-disclosure agreement prior to receiving full financial and operational details on this listing. Proof of funds or evidence of financing capability will be requested prior to scheduling a property tour. All inquiries are handled confidentially. This restaurant property for sale in Lawrenceville GA is exclusively marketed by Jimmy Carey Commercial Real Estate, affiliated with Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers and serving Atlanta, Savannah, and all of Georgia.
About the Broker
Jimmy Carey — Atlanta's Premier Restaurant Broker
With over 37 years of restaurant industry experience, Jimmy Carey has owned and operated five successful restaurants, including the acclaimed Jimmy'z Kitchen in Miami and Atlanta. As a credentialed member of the IBBA and GABB, and a Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers affiliate, this firsthand expertise as a former chef and operator makes him Atlanta's Premier Restaurant Broker, uniquely positioned to understand both sides of every transaction — from kitchen operations to commercial lease negotiations and business valuations.
Stay connected with Jimmy through Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for daily market insights, new listings, and industry trends. Subscribe to his YouTube channel for in-depth market analysis and selling strategies, and follow him on X/Twitter for real-time updates on Atlanta's restaurant transaction market. Read reviews from satisfied clients on his Google Business Profile.
If you're ready to sell your restaurant, visit Sell My Restaurant Atlanta for a confidential consultation and market analysis. Learn more about Jimmy's professional credentials through his IBBA broker profile and GABB member profile, or explore his full range of services at Jimmy Carey Commercial Real Estate.
Jimmy Carey Commercial Real Estate
Atlanta's Premier Restaurant Broker
| Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers
📞 305-788-8207 | 678-320-4800
📍 Serving Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta, Decatur, Buckhead, Midtown, Duluth, Cumming, Athens, Savannah and all of Metro Atlanta & Georgia
Disclosure and Important Notices
Financing Disclosure
The financing information presented in this blog, including loan amounts, interest rates, monthly payment estimates, equity injection requirements, and debt service coverage thresholds, is provided for illustrative and informational purposes only. It is based on a hypothetical example provided by a licensed SBA lender and does not represent a loan commitment, offer of financing, or guarantee of any specific terms. Actual loan amounts, rates, amortization schedules, and qualification requirements will vary based on the buyer's financial profile, credit history, business plan, lender underwriting guidelines, and prevailing market conditions at the time of application. Buyers are strongly encouraged to consult directly with a qualified SBA lender or licensed financial advisor before making any financing decisions.
Market Data Disclosure
The market data, demographic statistics, traffic counts, and development information referenced in this blog are sourced from publicly available third-party sources and are believed to be reliable but are not guaranteed. Sources include Placer.ai, the Atlanta Regional Commission, Georgia Gwinnett College, Gwinnett Technical College, Hoodline, Good Morning Gwinnett, Lawrenceville.org, the Gwinnett Forum, and Terrapin Construction Group. All information is subject to change without notice.
Revenue Disclosure
The revenue figures referenced in this blog reflect reported gross sales of the current operator over an initial operating period of approximately five months. They are provided solely as a demonstration of location performance and do not constitute a representation of future performance, profitability, or business value. They should not be relied upon as the basis of any investment decision. Past operating results do not guarantee future performance.
General Disclaimer
This blog does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. All real estate transactions involve complex legal and financial considerations that vary by situation. Readers are strongly encouraged to consult with a licensed commercial real estate attorney, certified public accountant, and qualified commercial real estate professional before entering into any transaction. Jimmy Carey is a licensed real estate agent affiliated with Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers in the State of Georgia. This blog reflects his professional opinions and industry experience and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of outcome in any specific transaction. Past results described or referenced in this blog do not guarantee future performance. Any examples included are for illustrative purposes only. Confidential client information is never disclosed without explicit written consent.
Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. © Jimmy Carey Commercial Real Estate. All rights reserved.
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