Bars for Sale in Texas: How to Check the Real Sales Before You Buy

Looking at bars for sale in Texas? You don't have to take the seller's word on alcohol sales. Bars with a Mixed Beverage Permit report their liquor, wine, beer and cover charge sales to the State every month, and those reports are public. Before you make an offer, you can see what a bar really reported, month by month. From October 2025 through September 2026, the typical Houston location reported $219,167 in alcohol sales.

Can you see a bar's sales before you buy it?

Yes, if it holds a Mixed Beverage Permit or a private club permit. Those businesses file a monthly report with the Texas Comptroller, and the State publishes it. A place with only a beer and wine permit doesn't file that report, so there's no public sales history to check. In that case you're relying on the seller's own records.

What does a typical Texas bar sell?

A listing can sound great until you see it next to the rest of the city. Here's what locations actually reported from October 2025 through September 2026. The median is the one in the middle, so a stadium or a giant resort can't skew it.

These counts include restaurants, hotels and venues along with bars, because the State doesn't separate them. The last column includes places that closed partway through the year.

Houston bars for sale

Houston has 2,712 locations reporting alcohol sales, and 58% of those with a prior year on file sold less than they did the year before. If you're looking at a bar for sale in Houston, start with the top Houston bars by sales so you know what strong looks like, then look up the one you're considering.

Fort Worth bars for sale

Fort Worth has 759 reporting locations and a median of $279,234 over 12 months. Compare any Fort Worth bar for sale against the top Fort Worth bars by sales, and against what's close by, not just the citywide number.

Seven checks before you make an offer

1. Find the permit. Search the bar by name or address and confirm the permit type and the owner match what the seller told you. What the permit codes mean.
2. Look at at least 24 months. One great year can hide a slide. Look for the trend, and compare each month to the same month a year earlier so seasons don't fool you.
3. Match it to their books. Ask for point-of-sale reports and line them up against the State numbers month by month. If the books show a lot more alcohol than the filings, ask why.
4. Check the address. Address history shows who held a license there before and what they reported. A spot that's burned through three owners is telling you something.
5. See who's opening nearby. New licenses shows who just applied or got approved around you, before the doors open.
6. Look up the owner. See what else they run and how those places are doing.
7. Check the compliance record. Each location shows its license status and any flags on file. Confirm the details with TABC's Public Inquiry system before you close.

What the sales report won't tell you

• Food. The numbers are alcohol only, so a restaurant's total revenue will be higher.
• To-go and delivery alcohol. The Comptroller says these sales aren't subject to mixed beverage taxes and go on the sales tax return instead.
• Profit. There's no rent, payroll or debt in here. Sales are only where you start.
• Proof. These are the figures the business reported, so treat them as a strong check, not an audit.

Does the TABC permit come with the bar?

Don't count on it. Under the Alcoholic Beverage Code, a permit is a personal privilege and it isn't property. If you're buying the assets, plan on applying for your own. TABC says processing runs about 30 to 35 days once your application is complete, and it can take longer.

You may also need to post a 60-day sign. That depends on whether the location held an on-premises license in the two years before TABC first reviews your application, which is one more reason to check how long a closed bar has been dark.

Buying the company instead has its own rules. TABC requires a change in owners or officers to be reported within 30 days. For a Mixed Beverage Permit held by a corporation, a change in control has to be reported before it happens, and the permit may not be renewed if more than 50% of the stock has changed hands since it was issued. Get a Texas alcohol attorney to look at the deal structure before you sign.

Get a Certificate of No Tax Due before closing

This one can cost you real money. The Comptroller says that if you buy a business without a Certificate of No Tax Due, you can be liable for the seller's unpaid state taxes, up to the purchase price. You and the seller request it together on Form 86-114, and it has to be requested before the sale closes. It's free. It usually takes about 10 business days, or up to 90 days if the Comptroller needs to audit the seller's records.

Have a bar in mind? Look up what it really reported. Search every Texas bar

Sources: Mixed Beverage Gross Receipts · Comptroller mixed beverage FAQ · Comptroller, Buying an Existing Business · TABC license FAQs · TABC, changes to an existing license · Alcoholic Beverage Code Sec. 11.03. This guide explains what public records show. It isn't legal, tax or financial advice.

Questions

How can I see a Texas bar's sales before buying it?

Bars with a Mixed Beverage Permit or a private club permit report monthly alcohol sales to the Texas Comptroller, and those reports are public. Search the bar on Bar Sales IQ to see them month by month.

Does a TABC permit transfer when you buy a bar?

Don't count on it. Under the Alcoholic Beverage Code a permit is a personal privilege, not property, so an asset buyer should plan on applying for their own. Buying the company has separate reporting rules. Check with a Texas alcohol attorney and TABC.

How much does a typical bar in Houston sell?

From October 2025 through September 2026, the median location in Houston reported $219,167 in alcohol sales. That count includes restaurants and hotels as well as bars.

What is a Certificate of No Tax Due?

It's a document from the Texas Comptroller that protects a business buyer from the seller's unpaid state taxes. The buyer and seller request it together on Form 86-114 before the sale closes, and there's no charge.