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.
Fast Casual Capital Use Cases
New Unit Build-Out
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.
Equipment for High-Volume Operations
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.
Multi-Unit Expansion
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.
Technology Stack Investment
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.
Fast Casual Funding Qualifications
- Operating fast casual restaurant in the US — minimum 6 months
- Average monthly revenue $25K+ per unit
- Multi-unit operators get preferred rates and higher limits
- Credit score 550+ accepted
- Strong daily transaction volume preferred (high-throughput operations)
