14 SBA loans have financed Lemstone Books locations since 1994, written by 12 different lenders across 10 states. Half were approved for $143K or less, the mix is almost entirely 7(a), and 79% 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.