702 SBA loans have financed Firehouse Subs locations since 2002, written by 182 different lenders across 46 states. Half were approved for $272K or less, the mix is almost entirely 7(a), and 66% 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.