Restaurant Startup Financing Nationwide for New Restaurants, $10K to $5M
🔨 Financing Built for New RestaurantsI’m Kevin Kermeen, a nationwide commercial loan broker, not a bank. Restaurant startup financing funds the moment a bank won’t, the build-out, the kitchen, the signage and the working capital to survive your ramp-up. Opening your first restaurant with no operating history, so every bank says come back in two years? That’s exactly who SBA startup financing is built for. I match you to lenders who fund new restaurants.
Restaurant Startup Financing for Every Step of Opening
Whether you’re building out a first location, fitting the kitchen, or funding the months before you turn a profit, there’s a path built for it. Here’s what restaurant startup financing commonly covers.
Build-Out and Construction
Finance the dining room, kitchen, bar, patio and full leasehold build-out of a brand-new restaurant.
Kitchen and Equipment
Outfit the line, ovens, hoods, walk-ins, fryers and POS, before you serve a single plate.
Working Capital and Ramp-Up
Cover payroll, food cost and rent through the lean months before your dining room fills.
Furniture, Decor and Signage
Fund seating, decor, exterior signage and the look that makes a new concept land.
Licensing and Pre-Opening
Cover permits, licenses, hiring, training and the pre-opening costs that pile up before day one.
Real Estate and Conversion
Buy or convert a space into your restaurant, or own the building with long-term real estate financing.
A First-Time Owner Opened Her Restaurant After Every Bank Said Wait
A seasoned chef with a clear concept and a signed lease was ready to open her first restaurant. The plan was strong, but every bank said the same thing: no operating history, come back in two years. The build-out clock was ticking and the lease would not wait.
They called me. I matched her to an SBA-backed restaurant startup loan that weighed her culinary experience, her concept and her credit rather than demanding years of ownership, and wrapped the build-out, kitchen equipment and working capital into one package. It funded, the restaurant opened on schedule, and it filled within months.
That’s what the right match looks like for a first-time restaurateur. Don’t Beg the Bank! Get funded instead.
How I Fund New Restaurants, the Right Tool for Each Need
Restaurant startup financing isn’t one product. The right structure depends on what you’re building. I match you to the one that fits, tap any to explore it.
SBA 7(a) Loans
The primary vehicle for opening a new restaurant, strong terms, weighs your plan and experience.
See SBA 7(a)Equipment Financing
Ovens, hoods, walk-ins, fryers and POS, with the equipment itself as collateral.
See equipment financingSBA 504 and Real Estate
Own the building your restaurant operates in with long-term, fixed-rate commercial real estate financing.
See SBA 504Startup Funding
No operating history yet? Honest startup paths for a brand-new restaurant.
See startup fundingWorking Capital
Cover payroll, food cost and rent through the lean months before your dining room fills.
See working capitalLine of Credit
Revolving capital for the ups and downs of running a restaurant, draw only what you need.
See lines of creditQualifying for Restaurant Startup Financing
Restaurant startup financing is the hardest restaurant deal to bank, because there is no operating history to look back on. But the right lenders weigh your industry experience, your concept and your credit, so a first-time owner with a real plan and skin in the game can get funded even when every bank said wait. I qualify deals honestly.
✅ What helps you qualify
- ✔Restaurant or hospitality experience and a concrete plan for your new restaurant.
- ✔Strong personal credit, the foundation for a first-time restaurant owner.
- ✔For a startup: a clear concept, a signed lease and skin in the game.
- ✔A down payment or contribution, which a parent or family member can help with.
💡 Straight talk
- →SBA startup financing weighs your experience and plan, not years of ownership.
- →A signed lease, a clear concept and a down payment strengthen a startup file.
- →Credit is flexible, there’s no single hard FICO floor; stronger credit means better terms.
- →A past bank rejection does not disqualify you; the deal and your credit matter more.
Get Your Restaurant Startup Financing Options
A quick, no-pressure pre-qualification. I personally review every submission, no call center, no junior rep.
Got it. I’m on it.
Your restaurant startup financing request landed in my inbox. I personally review every submission and most responses go out within one business hour.
Watch for a call from me, Kevin Kermeen, I call directly, I don’t text.
Recent Restaurant Startup Financing From My Desk
A snapshot of the restaurant startup financing I match to lenders nationwide, opening by opening. Every restaurant is different, yours starts with a conversation.
Restaurant Startup Financing · SBA
A first-time owner opened a restaurant, build-out, kitchen and working capital funded in one package.
Build-Out and Equipment
A new concept financed the full build-out and kitchen line, preserving cash for opening payroll.
Working Capital Ramp-Up
A new restaurant funded payroll and food cost through its first lean months until sales caught up.
How I Match Restaurant Startup Financing to the Right Lender
Most banks will not touch a restaurant with no operating history, but the lenders who fund startups know a strong operator with a real plan is worth backing. I work with many, so I match your restaurant startup financing to the lender that funds your build, build-out, equipment, working capital or real estate, and I review the options with you before you commit.
Here’s the reality for a new restaurant. Opening from scratch is the hardest deal to bank, because a traditional bank looks backward at two years of tax returns that do not exist yet, so it brands you high-risk and says come back later. SBA-backed restaurant startup financing works differently: it weighs your industry experience, your concept and business plan, your credit and your down payment, which is why a first-time owner with a strong plan can fund the build-out, equipment and working capital in one package. A signed lease and skin in the game only strengthen the file. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, the 7(a) program is designed precisely for this kind of business startup and expansion.
The right structure depends on what you’re doing. Opening a restaurant usually runs through an SBA 7(a) loan, and broader options live across the SBA loan programs. Ovens, hoods, walk-ins, fryers and POS systems are best matched to equipment financing, where the equipment is the collateral. If you want to own the building, an SBA 504 loan or commercial real estate loan gives long-term, fixed-rate terms. Opening with no operating history points to startup business funding, and the ramp-up months are covered by working capital loans or a business line of credit.
So tell me about your concept, your lease and where you are in opening, and what you need. I’ll tell you honestly which restaurant startup financing fits, match you to the lender most likely to approve it, and stay with you through closing. Other food businesses, see my restaurant financing hub, or compare every option on my loan programs page. Don’t Beg the Bank! Get funded instead.
Sources: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) loan program and 504 loan program.
Straight Answers Before You Apply
What is restaurant startup financing?
Can I get a loan to open a restaurant with no experience owning one?
How much money do I need to open a restaurant?
Can I finance the kitchen equipment separately?
How much can I borrow to open a restaurant?
What does it cost to work with you?
A Broker Who Knows Which Lenders Fund New Restaurants
I’m Kevin Kermeen, the nationwide commercial loan broker behind 75BizLoans.com, not a bank and not a lead-selling portal. Startup restaurant lending has its own specialist lenders willing to back a new concept when banks won’t, and matching you to the right one, for the build-out, equipment, working capital or real estate, is the whole point of working with me. I personally review every application, I call you directly, and I never text. For program details, see the SBA’s 7(a) loan program.
Don’t Beg the Bank!
Get Funded Instead.
Banks hand out umbrellas when the sun is shining, not when you’re weathering the storm … and they’ll tell a new restaurant to come back in two years. I match you to restaurant startup financing built for where you are … fund the build-out through SBA, equip the kitchen without draining cash, cover the ramp-up, and get a same-day callback from a broker who reviews every deal himself.
Loan amounts, terms, rates and funding speed shown reflect typical lender programs, not guarantees, and vary by lender, creditworthiness, restaurant performance, collateral and structure. Restaurant startup financing generally ranges from $10,000 to $5 million depending on the project. *Restaurant startup and acquisition are commonly financed through SBA 7(a); SBA loans follow standard SBA timelines and eligibility, and “no two years of history needed” refers to acquisition loans underwritten on the target restaurant’s cash flow rather than the borrower’s prior business history. Credit is considered along with other factors; there is no single hard minimum FICO simply to apply, but stronger credit supports better rates and terms, and not all applicants are approved. *No upfront fees refers to fees payable to 75BizLoans.com; I am compensated by the lender at closing. Some partner lenders may require a commitment fee or deposit upon your acceptance of their term sheet; any such fee is the lender’s, is disclosed before you commit, and is separate from any compensation to me. Final eligibility, rate, term and structure are determined by the lender. This is not a commitment to lend. Same-day approvals are common when the application reaches me before 9am Arizona Time.