10 SBA loans have financed Smokey Mo's Bar-B-Q locations since 2013, written by 6 different lenders across 2 states. Half were approved for $445K or less, the mix is almost entirely 7(a), and 80% 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.