Restaurant Loans Nationwide for Restaurant Owners and Buyers, $10K to $5M
🍽️ Financing Built for RestaurantsI’m Kevin Kermeen, a nationwide commercial loan broker, not a bank. Restaurant loans fund the moment a bank won’t, buying an existing restaurant, adding a second location, financing equipment, or covering working capital. Found a profitable restaurant to buy but the bank called food service too risky? That’s exactly who SBA 7(a) acquisition financing is built for. I match you to lenders who actually fund restaurants.
Restaurant Loans for Every Stage of Ownership
Whether you’re buying your first restaurant, adding a location, or growing the one you run, there’s a path built for it. Here’s what restaurant loans commonly cover at every stage.
Restaurant Acquisition
Buy an established, profitable restaurant from a retiring or exiting owner. SBA 7(a) is built for this, often with limited money down.
Second Location and Expansion
Add a second restaurant or grow into a small group, financing the build-out, equipment and ramp-up.
Kitchen Equipment
Finance ovens, ranges, hoods, walk-in coolers and POS systems without draining your cash reserves.
Working Capital
Cover payroll, food cost, marketing and the slow seasons that come with running a restaurant.
Remodel and Relocation
Renovate, refresh or relocate. Finance the dining room, kitchen, patio and the full build-out.
Real Estate and Partner Buy-In
Own the building your restaurant operates in, or fund a partner buy-in or buy-out of a co-owner.
A First-Time Buyer Got a Profitable Restaurant the Bank Wouldn’t Touch
A restaurant manager ready to become an owner found a profitable, established restaurant to buy from a retiring operator, with steady sales and a trained crew. The numbers were strong, but the bank waved them off the moment it heard the word restaurant, calling food service too risky.
They called me. I matched them to an SBA 7(a) restaurant loan that underwrote the restaurant’s own cash flow and the buyer’s industry experience and credit, rather than a high-risk stereotype, often with limited money down. It closed, and the manager stepped straight into a profitable restaurant they now own.
That’s what the right match looks like for a restaurant buyer. Don’t Beg the Bank! Get funded instead.
How I Fund Restaurants, the Right Tool for Each Need
Restaurant loans aren’t one product. The right structure depends on what you’re doing. I match you to the one that fits, tap any to explore it.
SBA 7(a) Loans
The primary vehicle for buying a restaurant, strong terms, often with limited money down.
See SBA 7(a)Equipment Financing
Ovens, hoods, walk-ins, fryers and POS systems, 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 and Build-Out
Opening from scratch instead of buying? Honest paths for a brand-new restaurant.
See startup financingWorking Capital
Cover payroll, food cost and the slow seasons that come with running a restaurant.
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 a Restaurant Loan
Restaurant loans are different from a generic business loan. Most banks treat food service as high-risk and pass, but the right lenders know a profitable restaurant with real sales is a strong borrower, so a buyer with industry experience and decent credit can get funded even when the bank said no. I qualify deals honestly.
✅ What helps you qualify
- ✔Restaurant or hospitality experience and a plan to own or operate a restaurant.
- ✔Strong personal credit, the foundation for a first-time restaurant owner.
- ✔For acquisition: a restaurant with solid, documented sales and cash flow.
- ✔A down payment or contribution, which a parent or family member can help with.
💡 Straight talk
- →SBA 7(a) is built for restaurant acquisition and often needs limited money down.
- →Acquisition underwrites the restaurant’s cash flow, not just your work history.
- →Credit is flexible, there’s no single hard FICO floor; stronger credit means better terms.
- →A past bank rejection does not disqualify you; the restaurant and your numbers matter more.
Get Your Restaurant Loan 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 loan 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 Loans From My Desk
A snapshot of the restaurant loans I match to lenders nationwide, restaurant by restaurant. Every restaurant is different, yours starts with a conversation.
Restaurant Loans · SBA 7(a)
A first-time buyer bought a profitable restaurant with limited money down, underwritten on the restaurant’s cash flow.
Second Location
An owner financed a second restaurant, build-out, equipment and ramp-up funded into one package.
Equipment and Remodel
An owner financed a kitchen upgrade and dining-room remodel, preserving cash for payroll.
How I Match Restaurant Loans to the Right Lender
Most banks treat food service as high-risk, but the lenders who understand restaurants compete hard for good ones. I work with many, so I match your restaurant loans to the lender that funds your goal, acquisition, expansion, equipment or real estate, and I review the options with you before you commit.
Here’s the reality for a restaurant buyer. Buying an established, profitable restaurant is one of the best ways into ownership, but a traditional bank hears the word restaurant, brands it high-risk, and walks away regardless of the numbers. SBA-backed restaurant loans work differently: they underwrite the restaurant’s own cash flow and your industry experience and credit, which is why a buyer with strong credit can acquire a profitable restaurant, frequently with limited money down. Restaurant acquisition is one of the most common uses of the SBA 7(a) program in the country. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, the 7(a) program is designed precisely for this kind of business acquisition and expansion.
The right structure depends on what you’re doing. Buying or starting 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 de novo with little 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 where you are, buying your first restaurant or adding a location, and what you’re trying to do. I’ll tell you honestly which restaurant loan 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 are restaurant loans?
Can I get a restaurant loan if a bank turned me down?
How do I finance buying an existing restaurant?
Can I finance kitchen equipment separately?
How much can I borrow to buy a restaurant?
What does it cost to work with you?
A Broker Who Knows Which Lenders Fund Restaurants
I’m Kevin Kermeen, the nationwide commercial loan broker behind 75BizLoans.com, not a bank and not a lead-selling portal. Restaurant lending has its own specialist lenders willing to fund food service when banks won’t, and matching you to the right one, for an acquisition, expansion, equipment 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 call a restaurant too risky to fund. I match you to restaurant loans built for where you are … buy a restaurant through SBA, equip it without draining cash, own the building, 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 financing generally ranges from $10,000 to $5 million depending on the need. *Restaurant acquisition and startup 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.