Short answer
Merchant Fund Express funds existing full-service and casual-dining franchise owners with business loans, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, lines of credit, equipment financing and working capital from $5,000 to $5,000,000. Typical uses: line and bar equipment, walk-ins, dining-room remodels, front- and back-of-house payroll, liquor and food inventory, and catering or private-event invoices from business customers. Send three months of statements and owner ID; most complete files get a decision in 2–4 hours.
Where sit-down owners spend capital
Kitchen and bar
Ranges, broilers, dish machines, bar coolers and draft systems. Big, long-lived equipment.
Dining-room remodels
Booths, lighting, patios and franchisor-required updates; see remodel funding.
Payroll
Servers, cooks, hosts and managers. The largest crews in food franchising, paid every cycle.
Events and catering
Corporate parties and catered orders billed to businesses that pay on their own terms.
Need to funding
| Need | Fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Replace a broiler line or dish machine | Equipment financing | Equipment anchors the funding |
| Dining-room or patio remodel | Franchise business loans | Larger lump sum on set payments |
| Payroll during a slow month | Business line of credit | Draw for the gap, repay, draw again |
| Corporate event invoices on 30-day terms | Invoice factoring | Turn open business invoices into cash now |
| Fast cash after a cooler failure | Merchant cash advance | Repaid as a share of deposits |
| Tourist or patio season swings | Revenue-based financing | Payments move with revenue |
| Stock up on food and beverage | Working capital | One-time, repaid from sales |
How a sit-down restaurant's file reads
Full-service deposits are larger per ticket and heavier on weekends and holidays. Many locations also have a catering or private-event line billed to companies. Those invoices are real revenue that simply arrives late; that is where invoice factoring helps, turning open business invoices on 30–90 day terms into cash now.
A reviewer reads three months of deposits, existing equipment and funding payments, and what goes out for royalties, advertising and rent. Larger crews mean payroll timing matters, so note your pay cycle. If you run more than one restaurant, apply under the entity that owns the one that needs the money; the multi-unit page covers the rest.
Hypothetical example, not a past deal: a casual-dining owner faces a patio remodel ahead of spring and is waiting on three corporate holiday-party invoices. The remodel goes on a business loan; the invoices are factored so the kitchen restocks without waiting 45 days.
Brands in this sector
Running a brand that is not named here? Put the brand on the application. Merchant Fund Express funds the location on its own deposits, whatever the logo over the door.
Counter-service brands are covered under quick-service restaurants.
Mistakes that slow a sit-down restaurant file
Mixed accounts
Bar, catering and dining revenue in different accounts? Send all of them so the full picture is visible.
Unlisted equipment payments
Dish machines and POS systems are often leased. List those payments up front.
Remodel scope unclear
Separate equipment from finish work on the quote. Each part can be funded the way it fits best.
Sit-down restaurants carry larger payrolls and longer equipment lists than counter-service units, so a clear file matters more. With statements from every account, a remodel quote split into equipment and labor, and a list of what already goes out, Merchant Fund Express can match the need to a business loan, equipment financing, a line, factoring or revenue-based financing in one review. Compare structures on the line of credit vs working capital page if payroll timing is the issue.
One more point for sit-down owners: a liquor license, a long lease or a big franchise agreement does not change how fast the review moves. The decision runs on three months of deposits and what already goes out. A complete file usually gets an answer in 2–4 hours, and same-day funding is available on approved files.
What to send
- Apply in 4 minutesRestaurant brand, location, amount and use.
- UploadThree months of business bank statements and owner ID.
- DecisionUsually 2–4 hours; same-day funding available.
Owner questions, answered
Can a full-service franchise restaurant get a business loan?
Yes. Merchant Fund Express funds operating sit-down franchise restaurants with business loans, equipment financing, lines of credit and more.
Can I factor catering invoices?
Yes, when they are open invoices to business customers on 30–90 day terms.
Can I fund a dining-room remodel?
Yes, at an operating restaurant. Split equipment from finish work for the cleanest structure.
Does a slow season hurt my file?
No. Note it on the application. Revenue-based financing payments move with sales.
Do you fund new restaurant build-outs or buildings?
No. Merchant Fund Express funds open restaurants, not construction or real estate.
Are you affiliated with any full-service restaurant franchise?
No. Merchant Fund Express is independent with no franchisor ties.
Keep going
Merchant Fund Express is a separate company with no franchisor ties. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.