Café Van Houtte locations are split between Quebec and Ontario and cluster inside malls, university and college campuses, and office towers — sites that often run under an institutional host-site licence or a tendered food-service contract rather than a standard commercial lease. That changes what 'premises assignment' means on a resale, and it introduces a risk a standalone storefront wouldn't carry: the host institution's contract can come up for retender independent of who owns the café.
Café Van Houtte resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer sets price and structure, conditioned on franchisor consent and a review of the host institution's licence or food-service contract, including how much term is left and when it's next up for retender.
1–2 weeks†Van Houtte's franchisor reviews the proposed buyer and deal terms, and may exercise a right of first refusal before the sale can proceed.
several weeks, typically†A franchise disclosure document may still be required for this resale — Ontario courts read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, so franchisor involvement in the sale can trigger it even where it's framed as a private deal.
assessed early†Getting to closing
The host institution's written consent to assign the licence or food-service contract is pursued — often a slower, more formal process than a private landlord's consent, especially at a university or office tower.
3–8 weeks†Branded espresso equipment and bean-supply arrangements tied to the franchisor are confirmed, and the incoming owner typically completes Van Houtte's café-operations training.
1–3 weeks†Funds and keys change hands, coffee and food inventory is counted and settled at cost, and the franchisor confirms the transfer is complete.
1 day, once conditions are met†Official mtyfranchising.com brand page confirms an established café network 'across Quebec and Ontario' and actively promotes ongoing franchise recruitment
Cafes split between Quebec and Ontario, in malls, universities, and commercial districts
This is the first real decision in a Café Van Houtte resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The unit's espresso and café equipment, leasehold improvements, inventory, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to franchisor consent. | The shares of the operating company — everything it owns, and everything it owes. |
| Franchisor consent & ROFR | Required for the specific unit, reviewed by Van Houtte's franchisor. | Required for the change of control itself. |
| Host-site licence / food-service contract | Needs the host institution's consent to assign — typically a more formal process than a standard commercial lease, and worth confirming when the underlying contract is next up for retender. | Usually stays in place, unless the licence has its own change-of-control clause. |
| Coffee-program equipment & supply | Branded espresso equipment and bean-supply arrangements are typically licensed through the franchisor rather than owned outright as standalone assets. | The supply and equipment arrangement stays with the corporation. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
| Typical use | The default for most single-unit resales. | Less common — occasionally used where an operator holds several units under one company. |
The unit's espresso and café equipment, leasehold improvements, inventory, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to franchisor consent.
The shares of the operating company — everything it owns, and everything it owes.
Required for the specific unit, reviewed by Van Houtte's franchisor.
Required for the change of control itself.
Needs the host institution's consent to assign — typically a more formal process than a standard commercial lease, and worth confirming when the underlying contract is next up for retender.
Usually stays in place, unless the licence has its own change-of-control clause.
Branded espresso equipment and bean-supply arrangements are typically licensed through the franchisor rather than owned outright as standalone assets.
The supply and equipment arrangement stays with the corporation.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
The default for most single-unit resales.
Less common — occasionally used where an operator holds several units under one company.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Café Van Houtte location with a straightforward host-site licence and clear remaining term, changing hands between one buyer and one seller.
Start my file →A location whose host-site contract is approaching retender and needs that risk addressed before terms are final, or a multi-unit operator adding a Café Van Houtte location to an existing portfolio.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
That's a genuine risk worth disclosing and pricing into the deal — a host institution's licence or food-service contract can come up for retender on its own schedule, independent of the franchisor's consent or the sale itself. We check how much term is left and when the next retender is due before you rely on the location's future.
Typically it's licensed through the franchisor rather than sold as a standalone asset — the branded espresso equipment and supply arrangement carries forward as part of the franchise agreement, not as separate owned inventory.
Not for an Ontario resale specifically — the transaction is governed by Ontario law regardless of how the broader national network is distributed, though the franchisor's own internal processes may be shared across both provinces.
Possibly. Ontario courts have read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, and franchisor involvement in matching a buyer to a seller can be enough to trigger a full disclosure requirement even where the deal is framed as a private resale.
Institutional consent processes — at a university, office tower, or mall — often move through more layers of internal approval than a single private landlord, which is why the host-site licence step tends to be the slower part of the timeline.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Café Van Houtte or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Café Van Houtte resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.