Capital for high-volume fast casual operators. Build new units, finance equipment, fund inventory, scale to multi-unit. Funded in 4 hours.
Fast casual restaurants — Chipotle, Sweetgreen, Cava, and the thousands of independent fast casual concepts across America — sit between quick service and full service in price point and quality. Operating margins are typically stronger than full-service restaurants (15-22% versus 8-12%), and successful fast casual concepts scale faster than any other restaurant category. Funding strategy reflects this: fast capital deployment, multi-unit growth, and aggressive equipment financing.
Prime Restaurant Capital funds fast casual operators from single-unit operators doing $35K/month to multi-unit chains doing $500K+/month per location. Funding structures include working capital for new unit openings, equipment financing for kitchen build-outs, and expansion capital for the second/third/fourth location.
A typical fast casual unit build runs $250K-$500K depending on size, location, and concept complexity. This includes lease deposit, kitchen build-out (smaller than full-service but substantial), front-of-house build-out, technology stack (POS, KDS, online ordering integration), initial inventory, and 60-day operating cushion.
Fast casual kitchens are designed for throughput. Conveyor ovens, ventless fryers, induction cooktops, refrigerated prep stations, and high-volume dishwashing systems. Equipment financing structures these costs over 36-60 months while preserving working capital for growth.
The fast casual playbook is replication. Operators who've validated unit-level economics typically open units 2-5 within 24-36 months. Expansion capital funds parallel build-outs, often at multiple sites simultaneously, with funds released on construction milestones.
Fast casual operators invest heavily in technology: POS modernization, kitchen display systems, third-party platform integration (DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub), loyalty programs, online ordering. A complete tech refresh runs $25K-$80K per unit.
Frequently Asked
$200K-$500K per new unit, depending on build-out complexity and market. Multi-unit operators with proven economics qualify for the higher end.
We strongly prefer to see at least 4-6 months of profitable operations at the first unit before funding the second. Some exceptions for operators with strong industry history.
Multi-unit operators with $500K+ monthly revenue can qualify for our maximum $1M, often as a single transaction or as parallel funding across units.
Yes. Tech onboarding costs, marketing investments, and packaging changes related to delivery platforms can all be funded.
Yes. Our fast casual program recognizes the unique economics: faster decision timelines, higher comfort with multi-unit funding, equipment financing structured for replicable buildouts.
Operating restaurants doing $20K+/month qualify for $25K – $1,000,000. Apply in 5 minutes.
Approved on your revenue, not just your credit. Start your 1-minute application.
We are not a generic small-business lender. Prime underwrites restaurants only — and we fund the way you actually operate.
Every concept — full-service, fast-casual, bars, cafés, food trucks, catering, multi-unit. We read restaurant P&Ls, not generic templates.
Decision in as little as 4 hours, money wired in 24–48. Cover payroll, a broken walk-in, or a second-location window — now.
500+ FICO accepted. We underwrite on your bank deposits and sales, so steady revenue qualifies even after a bank says no.
Built only for restaurants. Approved on your deposits, not just your score. Funded in as little as 24 hours.