10 SBA loans have financed Sears Hometown Store locations since 2011, written by 9 different lenders across 8 states. Half were approved for $45K or less, the mix is almost entirely 7(a), and 40% 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.