242 SBA loans have financed Rita's Real Italian Water Ice locations since 1995, written by 62 different lenders across 17 states. Half were approved for $150K or less, the mix is almost entirely 7(a), and 68% 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.