Up to $500,000 To open your franchise location.

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.

Often, yes. The program covers franchise fees, along with the build and the equipment. The amount must come from your franchise agreement, not an estimate. Each lender has its own rules, so we check with yours before we apply.

The same core documents as any new build, plus your franchise paperwork. Lenders want the executed franchise agreement and, usually, a letter from your franchisor confirming your rights to the location. We prepare the three-year projections and the business plan ourselves.

• Your franchise agreement, and the franchisor's confirmation of your rights
• The lease, or a letter of intent to lease
• Quotes for equipment and leasehold improvements, with the vendor's GST/HST number on each
• A signed personal net worth statement for every shareholder
• Personal tax returns and notices of assessment for the last two years
• Recent RRSP, TFSA and investment account statements
• Articles of incorporation

It can be done, and the franchise matters here. A first-time operator with no system behind them is a harder file. With a franchise, the concept, the training and the support become part of the credit story. Lenders still look at your credit, your equity and your lease, and the plan has to show why you, in this location, with this brand behind you. That is the part we write.

The whole project, not only the build. Construction, kitchen equipment and the franchise fee have to come from real quotes and your franchise agreement, and we do not estimate them: if one is missing, the budget is not ready yet and we will say so. Around those sit the costs that are easy to leave out, and a lender would rather see them planned than discover them later.

• Design, drawings, permits and professional fees
• Training travel and accommodation, since franchise training usually means someone travels
• Opening inventory and pre-opening payroll
• Deposits, rent while you build if you do not get free rent, and insurance
• Grand opening marketing and an operating cash reserve

Yes. We work with your own bank or the lender you have been pointed to, or match you to one that lends to restaurants and fits your profile. Whichever lender it is, the file has to arrive complete, and building that file is the part we do.

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.

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

The Government of Canada program page

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.