SBA Loans for Restaurants: Who's Lending, How Much, and at What Rate
The complete data guide to SBA lending for restaurants. See top lenders, typical loan sizes, spreads, and which states have the most restaurant lending.
Restaurant SBA Lending by the Numbers
Restaurants are one of the most active industries in SBA lending. Whether you're buying an existing restaurant, opening a new location, or renovating, an SBA loan is often the best financing option.
But which lenders actually do restaurant deals? What spread should you expect? And does your state have active restaurant lenders? We pulled the numbers.
Top Restaurant SBA Lenders
Lenders ranked by deal count in the Restaurants & Food Services NAICS cluster.
| # | Lender | Deals↓ | Avg Spread | Avg Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 8,946 | P + 2.37% | $213K |
| 2 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 4,072 | P + 2.20% | $255K |
| 3 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 3,411 | P + 2.12% | $157K |
| 4 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 2,753 | P + 2.09% | $146K |
| 5 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 2,719 | P + 2.54% | $287K |
| 6 | TD Bank, National Association | 2,336 | P + 1.88% | $210K |
| 7 | Bank of Hope | 1,823 | P + 2.05% | $372K |
| 8 | PNC Bank, National Association | 1,800 | P + 1.87% | $282K |
| 9 | KeyBank National Association | 1,760 | P + 2.26% | $308K |
| 10 | Stearns Bank National Association | 1,171 | P + 2.64% | $365K |
See which lenders offer better pricing
LenderHawk shows real spreads from 2,500+ lenders, based on real SBA lending data.
Search Lenders →Top States for Restaurant SBA Lending
| State↓ | Deals | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| TX | 8,846 | $4.8B |
| PA | 4,236 | $1.6B |
| OH | 6,206 | $1.6B |
| NY | 7,202 | $2.5B |
| MI | 4,406 | $1.5B |
| MA | 3,835 | $1.1B |
| IL | 4,909 | $2.7B |
| GA | 4,121 | $2.4B |
| FL | 6,204 | $3.9B |
| CA | 14,676 | $7.3B |
Restaurant Lending Patterns
Restaurant SBA loans tend to cluster in the $150K-$500K range, reflecting the typical cost of buying or renovating a restaurant space. Some lenders specialize heavily in food service — if a lender has done hundreds of restaurant deals, they understand the industry's unique risks and can close faster.
Geographic concentration matters too. Some states have far more active restaurant lending markets than others, reflecting both restaurant density and lender appetite.
Find Restaurant Lenders in Your State
Search by your state and industry to see which lenders specialize in restaurant financing.
Search Restaurant Lenders →Data & Methodology
Source: real SBA lending data, publicly available from sba.gov. Over 1,000,000+ loan approvals analyzed.
Spread methodology: Spread over Prime Rate, calculated from loan approval data. Deal-count-weighted averages are used for lender rankings. This is one component of total cost — fees, terms, and prepayment penalties also matter.
Minimum threshold: Lenders must have at least 10 qualifying deals to appear in named rankings.
Limitations: Data reflects loan approvals, not final terms. Some loans may have been modified after approval. Spread estimates are based on available fields and may not capture all fee structures.
See our full methodology for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get an SBA loan for a restaurant?
Yes. Restaurants are one of the most common industries for SBA loans. Both 7(a) and 504 loans are used for restaurant purchases, renovations, and equipment.
What is the average SBA loan for a restaurant?
The typical SBA restaurant loan varies by purpose. Acquisition loans tend to be larger ($300K-$1M+), while working capital and equipment loans are often in the $50K-$250K range.
Which bank does the most SBA restaurant loans?
See the ranking table above for the current leaders. The top restaurant SBA lenders include both large national banks and specialized lenders with deep food-service experience.