4 SBA loans have financed Al's Chicago's #1 Italian Beef locations since 2013, written by 2 different lenders across 2 states. Half were approved for $102K or less, the mix is almost entirely 7(a), and 100% went to owners whose business was under two years old.
A lender that has already underwritten this brand knows the unit economics, the build-out costs, and the franchisor. That is worth more to you than a bigger bank starting from scratch.