53 SBA loans have financed McAlister's Deli locations since 2013, written by 31 different lenders across 18 states. Half were approved for $876K 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.