What restaurant is for sale in downtown Summerville, SC?

Madres' Mexican Restaurant, a turnkey ~1,800 sq ft second-generation restaurant space at 100 Central Ave in downtown Summerville, South Carolina. It's listed for sale on ListingLedge at $149,000 with all-in rent of approximately $3,900/month, and it includes lots of outdoor patio seating and an estimated 9-foot hood system.

Why is a second-generation restaurant space a good deal?

A second-generation space previously operated as a restaurant, so it typically already has the commercial kitchen, hood, plumbing, and food-service build-out in place. Taking one over saves the enormous time and cost of building a kitchen from scratch — often the biggest barrier to opening a restaurant — which is a major advantage for a first-time buyer or an operator adding a location.

How much would it cost per month to buy this restaurant?

The asking price is $149,000, with all-in rent around $3,900/month. Your monthly financing payment depends on your down payment, interest rate, and loan term — you can estimate it with ListingLedge's free restaurant affordability calculator. Beyond the loan and rent, budget for working capital, payroll, food cost, and other operating expenses.

Is downtown Summerville a good location for a restaurant?

Downtown Summerville has become one of the Lowcountry's most appealing small-town dining districts — walkable, historic, and increasingly busy, with a mix of independent restaurants and new chef-driven arrivals. A growing, walkable downtown brings built-in foot traffic and momentum, which is a real advantage for a restaurant compared with a location a buyer would have to build an audience for from scratch.

For Sale: A Turnkey Mexican Restaurant in the Heart of Downtown Summerville, SC

General information about a live listing — always do your own due diligence. Details below are as provided; confirm everything directly.

If you've been waiting for a turnkey restaurant in a walkable, growing downtown — without the six-figure build-out — this one's worth a look. Madres' Mexican Restaurant is for sale right now on ListingLedge at 100 Central Ave in downtown Summerville, South Carolina, asking $149,000 with all-in rent around $3,900/month.

Why downtown Summerville is a smart place to own a restaurant

Summerville's downtown has quietly become one of the Lowcountry's most appealing small-town dining districts. Its historic core is walkable, characterful, and increasingly busy — the kind of place people drive to for dinner and stay to stroll. Central Avenue and the surrounding streets are dotted with independent favorites (the Eclectic Chef sits just up the block at 125 Central Ave), and the area keeps drawing new concepts — including high-profile arrivals like chef-driven restaurants moving into restored historic buildings nearby.

That matters for a buyer: a rising dining district means built-in foot traffic and momentum you don't have to create from scratch. You're stepping into a neighborhood that's already pulling diners in.

Why a turnkey, second-generation space is the real value

The single biggest cost and headache in opening a restaurant is the build-out — permits, a hood system, plumbing, months of construction, and a budget that always balloons. This listing skips most of that. It's a second-generation restaurant space, meaning it already operated as a restaurant, so the bones are in place:

~1,800 sq ft of turnkey restaurant space
Lots of outdoor patio seating — a genuine draw in the Lowcountry's long, mild season
An estimated 9-foot hood system already installed
An established Mexican concept — keep it, or bring your own idea to a proven space

At $149,000 with rent around $3,900/month, the numbers are approachable for a first-time buyer or an operator looking to add a location. Whether you run it as-is or reimagine it, the smart play is often to buy the space, not just the concept — and a patio-heavy, second-gen spot in a walkable downtown is exactly that kind of opportunity.

Running the numbers

Curious what a purchase like this looks like month to month? A $149,000 business, financed with a modest down payment, is well within reach for many buyers — you can ballpark the payment with our free restaurant affordability calculator, and if the seller is open to it, seller financing can lower the barrier further. Just remember the purchase price and rent are only part of the picture — budget for working capital, payroll, and food cost too.

How to take a look

See the listing: Madres' Mexican Restaurant on ListingLedge — reach out through it for details and to schedule a look.
Do your homework: start with how to buy a restaurant and the due-diligence checklist so you're ready to move.
Serving alcohol? Understand how the liquor license transfers before you sign.

The bottom line

Turnkey restaurants in a genuinely walkable, growing downtown don't come up often at this price — especially with a big patio and the hood already in place. If you've been looking for a way into the restaurant business in the greater Charleston area without a ground-up build, downtown Summerville is a strong place to do it, and this is a listing worth a serious look.

See the full listing → or browse every restaurant for sale on ListingLedge, the marketplace built only for hospitality.