1,237 SBA loans have financed Cold Stone Creamery locations since 1997, written by 225 different lenders across 51 states. Half were approved for $250K or less, the mix is almost entirely 7(a), and 64% 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.