Franchise funding
For owner-operators running ButterBurger and Fresh Frozen Custard restaurants, usually freestanding with a drive-thru and often on land they own.
✓ Merchant Fund Express starts with a soft credit pull. Terms depend on your location's revenue and history.
Updated October 21, 2026 · Merchant Fund Express
Already running a Culver's and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing Culver's owner-operators with lines of credit, equipment financing, business loans, revenue-based financing, working capital and merchant cash advances, from $25,000 to $5,000,000. We read your deposits after royalty, the advertising contribution and any mortgage on the real estate you own, then size the payment. A complete file gets a same-day decision, and funding often follows the next business day.
Owner-operators of open Culver's restaurants. The franchisor expects full-time, hands-on owners, and most own their real estate. Restaurants are mostly freestanding with a drive-thru, and the menu pairs a cooked-to-order kitchen with Fresh Frozen Custard made daily, so custard equipment, freezers and a big crew drive most funding questions.
Read this with the burger franchise sector guide and our restaurant industry page.
Checked Oct 2026 against official sources: the franchisor's own franchising site, its FDD or SEC filings, or the SBA Franchise Directory. Figures change; confirm current numbers in the latest Franchise Disclosure Document. Figures we could not confirm from an official source are left out.
Already running a Culver's location and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing franchise owners with every product below. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.
A down custard machine takes the signature product off the menu. Equipment financing on a dealer quote replaces it; see emergency refrigeration funding.
Roofs, HVAC, lots and lanes are the owner's bill, on top of a mortgage. A term loan spreads a big project; see remodel or relocate a restaurant.
Summer peaks need hiring and training before sales arrive; see franchise payroll funding.
| Need | Product | Published requirement it leans on | What to send |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custard machine, dipping cabinet | Equipment financing | Vendor quote and useful life | Dealer quote, 3 months of statements |
| Roof, HVAC or lot work on owned property | Business loan | Tier 1: 3+ years, FICO 650+, applicant owns 50%+ | Contractor bid, statements |
| Summer crew hiring and training | Working capital | Tier 2: 6+ months, FICO 600+, $60K verifiable revenue | Statements, payroll summary |
| Property tax and insurance lumps | Line of credit | Tier 1: about $25K/month revenue, 8+ deposits a month | Statements, debt schedule |
| Winter slowdown | Revenue-based financing | Tier 2: $800 minimum daily balance, up to 2 current advances | Statements |
Merchant Fund Express offers Spanish-speaking support and accepts ITIN applicants.
Imagine a restaurant depositing $260,000 in a summer month. Food and paper run $80,000, payroll $72,000, royalty, advertising and local marketing $19,500, the real estate mortgage $14,000 and existing equipment payments $5,000. The owner wants two custard machines and a dipping cabinet quoted at $96,000.
Figures in this example are illustrations of the arithmetic, not an offer, quote or approval. Real terms depend on the file and the funder.
A restaurant that is still in development has no deposits, so it needs an operating history before Merchant Fund Express can review it; start with buying a franchise. An owner-operator adding a second restaurant is read on the first one's deposits; see second location funding. Taking over an operating restaurant follows franchise transfer financing.
Yes. Custard machines, dipping cabinets and freezers are financed against the dealer's quote and the equipment's useful life.
Owned property shows up as a mortgage payment rather than rent. We read the operating entity's deposits and count that payment like any other fixed cost.
No. We read about three months of statements with the season in mind, and revenue-based financing can follow lower winter sales.
Yes. For Tier 1 products the applicant should own at least 50%.
No. Merchant Fund Express is independent. We use the Culver's name only to identify the owners this page is for; it does not mean the franchisor endorses or works with us.
Merchant Fund Express is independent. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Culver's or its franchisor. Brand names identify the owner audience only.
Merchant Fund Express reviews your location's revenue, deposits and existing payments. Same-day decision on a complete file; funding often the next business day. About five minutes to apply.
