Business loans for restaurants and cafes

Ardent Capital Group brings the same method to every client: execution and strategy, clear advice for smart lending, and long-term growth. That means the right lender, structure and timing, straight advice so you borrow with confidence, and today's deal built toward where you want to be tomorrow. We are specialists in helping business owners secure finance to purchase their own property, and we understand the complex structures that often sit around it, including multiple trusts, holding companies and self-managed super funds. Through that work we also understand what the business needs from its cash flow, and where an overdraft or line of credit fits for working capital. For a restaurant or cafe, where takings swing with the season, the weather and the day of the week, that means the lenders among our 60-plus panel who understand how venues trade and lend on the strength of the business rather than property alone. As the venue grows we stay on with you. Every figure is subject to serviceability, lender appetite and approval.

It depends on how quickly you need it and what you are willing to offer as security. Unsecured facilities are assessed mainly on trading strength and can be arranged in days, which suits a limit of $100K to $500K. Secured facilities, backed by property or plant, support larger amounts and price better, and make sense once you are funding a major purchase or an acquisition. Most established operators end up with a mix, and we shape which sits where.

It depends on your trading, your structure and the purpose, but lending here commonly runs from $100K to well into seven figures, and our range extends to $100M for larger operators. Lenders read venue income on trading history and the fit-out rather than property alone, and an established venue with consistent takings has more capacity than owners often assume. The binding constraint is usually serviceability rather than security, and we shape the funding early so you know your number before you commit.

Yes, and the equipment itself is normally the security rather than your home. Ovens, cooktops and refrigeration, cool rooms, dishwashers, extraction, and a full venue fit-out including joinery, seating and POS can all be funded, often as one package with the works. Terms are typically matched to the life of the asset, and established businesses can often be assessed on bank statements and BAS rather than full financials. Dealer and manufacturer finance programs are available too, and we compare them against a bank facility.

Almost always, yes, and the difference is bigger than it looks. Settlement advances are quick but price on a factor rate rather than an interest rate, which can work out to an effective annual cost several times what a facility would charge. A revolving line sized to your trading covers the same gaps at a genuine interest rate, with interest charged only on the drawn balance. If you already have advances in place, we will look at whether consolidating them is worth doing.

No. Plenty of operators fund growth without touching the family home, either through unsecured facilities assessed on trading, or by securing against the equipment being purchased. Property security widens the range of lenders and structures open to you, so it is worth considering once you are borrowing well into seven figures. The choice is yours, and we will show you what each option costs before you commit.

An unsecured facility can often be approved within 48 hours and funded inside a week where the business is established and the BAS and bank statements are current. Secured facilities take longer, typically two to four weeks, because a valuation is involved. The practical advice is to open the limit before you need it, ideally when you are planning the spend rather than when the invoice is already due. Timeframes are indicative and subject to lender appetite and approval.

Yes. Many lenders assess established businesses on 6 to 12 months of bank statements and recent BAS rather than full year-end financials, which suits operators whose accounts lag the current run rate. It works best where the trading account shows regular receipts and the ATO position is current. If you have a payment plan in place, say so early, because several lenders will still proceed when it is disclosed and being met.

Yes, and it is a commercial property deal rather than a working capital one. A venue's value is tied to its location and the fit-out you have put in, so owning the building protects an investment a lease can put at risk at the next review. Owner-occupiers can generally borrow a higher proportion of the purchase price than an investor would. Our commercial property team handles these end to end through our restaurant and cafe property finance service.

Yes, and a second venue is mostly a timing problem. The fit-out, the kitchen and the staff are all paid for before the new site builds a trade, so the first venue carries both for a period. We look at the existing venue's trading and the plan for the new one rather than a single balance sheet, and we often split the funding across an equipment facility and a working capital line. Bring us the plan early, subject to serviceability and lender approval.

Most of the time, no. We are paid a commission by the lender once your facility settles. Where a deal requires significant preparation or involves unusual complexity, a small mandate fee may apply. We will always be upfront about this before any work begins.

Although we are based in Sydney, we service clients across all major Australian cities, including Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, along with their surrounding regional areas. Wherever your business is located, we can arrange your finance.

Although our main speciality is property loans for business owners, such as a property loan for your restaurant or cafe, we also assist with commercial kitchen equipment finance and working capital. On asset finance, that covers kitchen equipment, fit-out and commercial vehicles. On working capital, we arrange business overdrafts, lines of credit and cash-flow funding. We also arrange commercial mortgages if you are buying or refinancing your premises.