A second location
Your first spot works. We help you finance the next one.
We take your file to Canada's banks
Up to $500,000 To open, expand or buy your restaurant.
- 100% of submitted files funded
- $10M+ funded to date
Government-backed loans through the Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP), made by Canada's banks and credit unions. We don't lend. We build your business plan and numbers, then take them to the right lender and do all the work to get you funded. Even if you've been turned down before.
We win when you win.Our shared success compensation is only paid when you're funded.
- 100%of submitted files funded
- $10M+funded to date
- 100hrsabout how much of your time we save per file
- Canada-widebanks and credit unions
Where we take your application
- RBC
- TD
- BMO
- Scotiabank
- CIBC
- National Bank of Canada
- Desjardins
- Meridian
- BDC
Brands we've worked with
- Recipe Unlimited
- Happy Belly Food Group
- Rosie's Burgers
- Heal Wellness
- The Pickle Barrel
- Texas Roadhouse
- Sunnyside Grill
- Hibachi Teppanyaki
- Florette
- Marigolds & Onions
- SweetChops
- OMG Real Estate
- Joey Cutlets
What the money builds
What $500,000 builds
Government-backed loans for renovations, equipment and franchise fees, including up to $150,000 of working capital to run the business. Here is what owners do with it.
Opening a franchise
Opening a franchise? We know what each bank wants to see from a new franchise location.
A rebuilt kitchen
Equipment and the build itself are exactly what the program was made to finance.
A bar from the ground up
No sales history yet, so the forecast has to make the case. We build it to hold up.
Already built it?
You paid for the build yourself. Renovations and equipment paid in the 365 days before your loan is approved can still be covered. That money comes back to you.
Why good restaurants get declined
Declined on the file. Not on the business.
Restaurant loans get a closer look than most. A thin application often doesn't get a no. It gets question after question, while you pay rent on a room you can't open yet. Tap a card to see the fix.
That's an application a bank can say yes to.
Who we build files for
Built for operators who value their time.
The operators we work with best already know what their hours are worth. Tick the ones that sound like you.
That's exactly who we build files for.
See if you pre-qualifyWhat changes when we build the file
More yes. Less wait. Less work.
Four things decide whether a financing effort is worth it: how big the result is, how likely it is, how long it takes, and how much of your time it eats. We work on all four.
- 01
The outcome
Whatever you can scrape together from savings and a line of credit.
Up to $500,000 of government-backed financing for leaseholds, equipment and intangibles, plus up to $150,000 of working capital.
- 02
The odds
An application the credit team has to chase you about.
A file built to the standard the credit team already works to, in front of the lender most likely to say yes to it.
- 03
The wait
Back and forth nobody planned for, while the lease clock keeps running.
We compress the clock we control, the plan, the model and the documents, and we tell you straight about the one we do not.
- 04
The work
Learning what every lender wants, on top of opening a restaurant.
We do the assembling, the chasing and the back and forth with the bank. You stay on the build, the hiring and the opening.
How it works
From first call to funded.
Seven steps. You are only asked for the things only you can provide. Everything else is ours.
- Yours
- Bank statements, tax returns, the lease, quotes and invoices. The documents only you can get.
- Ours
- Everything else on this page. The plan, the numbers, the budget, choosing the bank, applying, the back and forth, and getting the money paid out.
- 01
Check if you qualify and pick the right bank
First, we find out whether you are a strong candidate and what the best route is. We ask the lenders we know what they are funding right now and look for the best terms for your goals. If we do not see a way forward, we tell you on that first call rather than taking your time.
- 02
We check everything first
We gather your documents and look for problems before the bank does. Some things are an instant no under this program, and we would rather find them early than in front of a lender.
- Personal and corporate tax returns
- Your credit report, and what a lender will read into it
- Your net worth, and the cash you are putting in
- Your lease, its length, and any clause that lets the landlord end it early
- Competitors and comparable restaurants
- Your restaurant experience and the team around you
- 03
The business plan
A written plan that tells your story the way a bank reads it, delivered as a designed, password-protected web page the lender can open on their phone. It covers:
- Executive summary
- Company overview
- Management team
- Products and services
- Market opportunity
- Marketing and sales strategy
- Operations plan
- Financial projections and debt servicing
- Use of funds
- Why this works
- Appendices
- 04
The financial model
A three-year forecast in Excel, built the way a restaurant CFO would build it, with every assumption visible so the bank can check it. It covers:
- Assumptions
- Revenue build
- P&L, three-year forecast
- Break-even analysis
- Sensitivity analysis
- Monthly cash flow projections
- Projected balance sheet
- Rent schedule
- Loan amortization schedule
- Full capex schedule
- 05
Lender match and submission
We work with your own bank, or match you to the lender that lends to restaurants and fits your profile. Lenders change what they will do all the time, so the match matters as much as the application. Then the whole package goes in at once: plan, forecast, budget, quotes, invoices and every supporting document, in one organized online folder the lender can move through quickly.
- 06
Approved
Approval is the lender's decision and nobody can promise it. What we control is a complete application in front of the right lender, which is why every one we have submitted so far has been approved and funded.
- 07
Funded, and the money in your account
Approval is not cash yet. The bank pays the loan out in stages, and each payment needs the right invoices and proof of payment. We manage the payout for you and prepare all of it, so each payment moves quickly.
The bridge
We work with the banks, not around them.
Operators get a faster path to yes. Lenders get complete, credit-ready files in a sector they want more of.
Where we work
- Toronto and the GTA
- Vancouver
- Calgary
- Edmonton
- Montreal
- Ottawa-Gatineau
- Winnipeg
- Halifax
- Quebec City
The program is federal and the process is remote friendly, so we take files anywhere in Canada. Montreal, Ottawa-Gatineau and Quebec City are handled in French or English.
Lenders we work with
Warm relationships at Canada's major banks and credit unions.
We keep close working relationships with these lenders. We bring them complete applications from good operators, and together we build restaurants people actually want.
- RBC
- TD
- BMO
- Scotiabank
- CIBC
- National Bank of Canada
- Desjardins
- Meridian
- BDC
What's in the package
One package. About 100 hours of your time back.
- Written business plan, built for the bank rather than for a pitch
- Three-year financial forecast, with every assumption visible
- Executive summary in the language lenders use
- Market and competitor research for the restaurant's trade area
- A clear breakdown of where the money goes
- A check of which costs the program covers
- All your documents, gathered and followed up
- Lender match, and the submission itself
- We deal with the bank directly through to funding
- Changes until the bank has what it needs
- Introductions to people we trust: lawyers, accountants, real estate agents, chefs and staff. All ships rise together.
See if you pre-qualify
We win when you win.Our shared success compensation is only paid when you're funded.
Get funded. Build the empire.
Funded
Files we took all the way through.
Every application we've submitted has been funded. Over $10 million so far, and about 100 hours saved for each client.
Funded
Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant, funded with TD. We built the plan, the numbers and every document, and saw it through to funding.
Funded
Buying an existing restaurant
An asset purchase rather than a build, which means an appraisal, an inherited lease, and two years of the seller's statements and returns. Financed through a credit union.
Funded
Independent restaurant
Every document, the plan and the forecast, taken to Meridian and through three rounds of questions to approval.
Funded
Bar build
A ground-up bar, financed on projections rather than history, because there was no trading history for the location to lean on.
Drag, swipe or scroll sideways.
On Instagram
Follow the funding.
Why restaurant owners work with us, and refer us
Why owners choose us.
The quotes below are examples for now. Real stories from our clients are on the way.
- 01
You get funding, not frustration
We build the business plan and financial forecast that give the bank a reason to say yes.
- 02
You save time and energy
No scrambling to learn what each bank wants. We handle the paperwork, the projections and the back and forth, so you stay on the build, the hiring and the opening.
- 03
Real cash for your dream
Up to $500,000 of government-backed financing for the build, the equipment and costs like franchise fees, including up to $150,000 of working capital. Open with the equipment and build you actually planned.
Example
I had no idea where to start with the loan. They built the plan, dealt with the bank and kept me posted the whole way. I just kept running my restaurant.
Kevin Sushi bar owner, Toronto
Example
We had signed a lease and had nothing left for the build. They put the plan together, talked to our bank, and got us to yes.
Maria and Gio Italian trattoria, Hamilton
Example
I didn't know this kind of financing existed. They made it simple and told me straight what the bank would need from me.
Brandon Delivery kitchen owner, Calgary
What it costs
What's the investment?
One small investment to start. The rest only when you're funded.
To start, there is a project launch investment. It covers the early work. The amount depends on your project and on how many owners are applying, so we quote it once we've seen your deal.
Once you're approved and funded, there's shared success compensation. It scales with the funding you receive. Both are small next to the loan, and worth it. We walk through all of it before we begin.
The good news: where the lender allows it, both can be included in your loan.
We also help you negotiate the best terms and value with your lender. Think of us as your partner in getting funded, and in getting a better deal.
No surprises. We explain every term before you sign.
See if you pre-qualify
We win when you win.Our shared success compensation is only paid when you're funded.
Who you deal with
I speak restaurant. I speak bank.
Hi, I'm Adam Gilbert. I've spent my career in the restaurant business, on the finance and marketing side. That includes senior marketing and finance roles at one of Canada's best known restaurant groups, through its sale to the country's largest full-service operator.
I run Sweet Sauce Hospitality Partners, and I am building my own restaurant concepts, so I am not advising from the sidelines. I know what a build really costs, and what the bank will ask before it asks.
A good business plan tells your story, then backs it up with numbers. It has to make the bank believe in your restaurant, and then prove it.
Let's get yours funded.
Questions
Restaurant loan FAQs.
Straight answers. Including the ones where the honest answer is that it depends on your lender.
See if you pre-qualifyDo you lend the money?
No. The loan comes from a bank or credit union, through the Canada Small Business Financing Program, a Government of Canada program. The government guarantees a large share of the loan for the lender. We are a brokerage: we build the application, take it to the right lender and see it through to funding.
How much funding can I get?
Most restaurant owners we work with qualify for between $200,000 and $500,000. $500,000 is the program limit for the build, the equipment and costs like franchise fees, and up to $150,000 of that can be working capital. Buying the building too? The limit is higher, so tell us early and we will quote the right number.
What is the Canada Small Business Financing Program?
The Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP) is a federal program that helps small businesses borrow through banks and credit unions. The government guarantees a large share of the loan for the lender. That guarantee is what makes restaurant lending workable for a bank. To qualify you must be a for-profit Canadian business with under $10 million in annual revenue.
- The build, such as your kitchen or dining room
- Equipment, from ovens and fryers to point of sale
- Furniture and fixtures
- Franchise fees and working capital
My cash versus my net worth. What is the difference?
Lenders check two separate things, and people mix them up all the time. First, the cash you put into the project, usually 10 to 40% of the cost. Second, your net worth, which backs your personal guarantee. That does not have to be cash: home equity, a car and investments all count. Lenders usually want it to equal about 25% of the loan, not of the whole project. If you have been told you do not have enough cash, it is worth a second look.
How long does it take?
It depends on two things: how fast we get your documents, and how long the lender takes to decide. We can speed up the first. Once we see your project, we will give you an honest timeline for both.
Do I qualify?
You are likely a fit if your business is Canadian, for profit, and under $10 million in yearly sales, or not open yet. Lenders then look at your credit, the cash you are putting in, and your lease. Our check takes about two minutes and will tell you where you stand.
Can you guarantee I will be approved?
No, and be careful of anyone who says otherwise. The decision belongs to the lender. What we control is how complete your application is, and which lender sees it. That is where we focus, and it is why every application we have submitted so far has been funded.
What is actually included?
A written business plan. A three-year financial forecast. A clear list of what the loan pays for. Every document the lender asks for, gathered and organized. Then we answer the lender's questions through to funding.
Can't I just get ChatGPT to write my business plan?
You can try, and some people do. The tool is free. Your time is not, and neither is a second attempt.
- You still spend the hours. A full application is about 100 hours of your time, in the months you can least afford to give it.
- Lenders test the forecast hard. A three-year model the bank can check is not something you can prompt your way to.
- Lenders read piles of restaurant plans, and a generic one shows.
- We know who is lending to restaurants right now, and on what terms.
- When the lender asks something you did not expect, you have someone to call who has answered it before.
What if I do not have a bank yet?
That is common and it is fine. We work with lenders across the major banks and credit unions, and different ones weigh credit, equity and lease terms differently. We will point your file at the ones most likely to say yes to it.
What can the loan be used for?
Most of what it takes to open: the build, kitchen and bar equipment, point of sale, franchise fees, opening inventory and some working capital. If you are buying the building, that too.
- Building out a dining room, bar or prep kitchen
- Kitchen equipment, bar fridges, ovens, point of sale
- Renovations to a leased space
- Franchise fees and opening inventory
- Commercial kitchen or delivery vehicles
What are the interest rates?
Rates are set by your financial institution within program caps, and can be floating or fixed. For a floating term loan the maximum is the lender's prime lending rate plus 3%. For a fixed term loan it is the lender's residential mortgage rate for that term plus 3%. For a line of credit the maximum is prime plus 5%. Where there is room to negotiate inside those caps, we will.
Do I need a signed lease already?
Not to start, but you will need one before funding. Lease length matters more than most people expect, because the loan is paid back over the lease. Aim for ten years, or five years with an option to renew for five more. Talk to us before you sign and we will tell you what the financing will support. If you are still searching, we work with restaurant real estate agents and can make an introduction.
Where do you work?
Across Canada. The CSBFP is a federal program and we work remotely, so where you are does not matter. We are based in Toronto and work with owners in the Greater Toronto Area, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City. Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City are handled in French or English.
I am buying an existing restaurant rather than building one. Is that different?
Yes. You need an appraisal that comes in above the price. You take over the seller's lease, so check how many years are left. And the lender needs two years of the seller's financial statements and tax returns. We make the case that the business does better under you, but the history still has to be there.
I already built the restaurant with my own money. Can I still use the program?
Often, yes. The program can cover costs you paid in the 365 days before the loan is approved. That money comes back into your business. Anything paid earlier does not count, so the dates matter.