3 SBA loans have financed Montana Mike's Steakhouse locations since 2010, written by 3 different lenders across 3 states. Half were approved for $1.1M or less, the mix is almost entirely 7(a), and 67% 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.