Crowngate Funding Group, a small-business funding service in Grand Island, Nebraska, helps restaurant owners request funding for kitchen equipment, remodels, payroll and second locations. Hall County, NE had 93 full-service and limited-service restaurants with employees in 2023. Funding partners review card and bank deposits and quotes, then decide.
| Full-service restaurants | 45 (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Limited-service restaurants | 48 (CBP 2023) |
| Restaurant employees | 2,243 (full-service plus limited-service, CBP 2023; our arithmetic) |
| Larger city ZIP (ZBP 2023) | 42 restaurants |
| Fits | Equipment financing or working capital |
| Advance caution | Total every remittance |
How to get financing for a restaurant: start with the purpose
A restaurant might need money for one of four things: kitchen equipment, a remodel, payroll and food costs in a slow stretch, or a second location. Each one points to a different option, and the one that fits may not be the first one offered.
Restaurant purposes and the option that fits
| Purpose | Fits | What the partner wants to see |
|---|---|---|
| Range, hood, fryers, cooler | Equipment financing | The quote; age and condition if used |
| Remodeling the dining room or the line | Term loan | Contractor quote, permits, timeline |
| Payroll and food costs | Working capital | Card and bank deposits |
| Short need, heavy card sales | Merchant cash advance (not a loan) | Card processor statements |
How to finance a commercial kitchen remodel without closing for long
A kitchen remodel touches equipment, plumbing, gas lines and ventilation, and it may need city permits and inspections before the restaurant can reopen. How to finance a restaurant renovation is a two-part answer: equipment on an equipment agreement, and the construction on a term loan. Line up the permit timeline first; the Grand Island, NE zoning and permits guide explains where to start.
Illustrative example (hypothetical numbers)
A restaurant plans a $90,000 kitchen job: $55,000 of equipment and $35,000 of construction. If the kitchen is closed for three weeks and normal sales are $12,000 a week, $36,000 of sales is lost while payroll for key cooks may continue. The lost sales, not only the $90,000, belong in the plan. Figures invented for the arithmetic.
Card receipts and the advance offers they attract
Because restaurant sales can settle by card, a restaurant may be offered a card-based advance. An advance is not a loan: the funder buys a share of future card receipts and collects it daily. Before taking one, total every remittance and compare it with a working capital loan for the same amount. Two advances at once, collected from the same daily sales, can squeeze a kitchen.
How to get a small business loan for a restaurant: what partners review
- Three to six months of bank and card processor statements
- Years operating plus a yearly revenue bracket
- The equipment quote or remodel bid
- The lease, for a remodel or a new site
- Any advances or loans being repaid now
A partner may review a restaurant's daily deposit patterns. A clean, single business account gives a partner a clearer view.
Hall County, NE eateries in Census counts
| Type (NAICS) | Employer establishments | Employees | Under 5 employees | ZIP 68801 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service (722511) | 45 | 1,012 | 26.7% | 20 |
| Limited-service (722513) | 48 | 1,231 | 8.3% | 22 |
| Bars (7224) | 16 | 113 | 43.8% | 9 |
By our arithmetic, a limited-service restaurant averaged about 25.6 employees and a full-service restaurant about 22.5. A separate count: 12 full-service and 11 limited-service operators had no payroll in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024).
Questions to ask before signing for kitchen equipment
- Does the agreement include delivery and installation, or only the equipment?
- Is the warranty transferable if the restaurant is sold?
- Can a single agreement cover equipment from several vendors?
- What happens at the end of a lease: buyout, return or renewal?
A commercial kitchen may mix new and used pieces. Partners may finance both on one agreement if each piece is on a dated invoice.
A second location
Opening a second restaurant takes the first one's numbers as proof. Partners look at how the existing location performs, the new lease and the buildout budget. Read the term loan page for expansion and equipment financing for the kitchen.
Related pages
All industry pages include notes on bars and quick-service spots. County figures for every sector are on the Grand Island, NE page.
By Crowngate Funding Group · Updated