Funding for your situation
What a bank decline usually says about a restaurant's file and which alternatives read the business differently.
✓ Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.
A bank decline is not a verdict on a restaurant. Banks weigh tax returns, collateral and long histories, and many healthy restaurants fall outside that box. Most sales are card and tip-adjusted, so deposits are daily and easy to read, but food cost and payroll are paid first.
Merchant Fund Express is a funding marketplace: you apply once, and the file is matched to the structure that fits it. The sections below show what this situation usually costs, how a funder reads it, and what to prepare.
A restaurant file is read through card and total deposits over the last three months, and how steady they are week to week, whether a lease, build-out or equipment purchase is already paid for or is what the funds are for and existing advances or loans debiting the same account.
Most sales are card and tip-adjusted, so deposits are daily and easy to read, but food cost and payroll are paid first. A reviewer sees that pattern in the statements before reading a word of the application.
Equipment is part of the picture. A failure such as a walk-in cooler compressor or a dishwasher replacement can run $6,500 to $7,800 and interrupt revenue while it is down.
The documents that usually matter most for a restaurant are the lease or letter of intent for the space and a contractor bid or equipment quote, alongside the bank statements.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical bank loan decision timeline, in days | 45 |
| Alternative review timeline, in days | 1 |
| Documents banks commonly ask for (count) | 12 |
| Documents typically needed here (count) | 3 |
Read it honestly. Faster and lighter paperwork usually costs more than a bank loan. Compare total repayment in dollars, not just speed; use the factor rate calculator before accepting anything.
Source: worksheet by Merchant Fund Express. Illustrative only: these figures are not an offer, and real amounts depend on your file and the funder.
Time in business, collateral, tax returns, debt ratios or documentation.
Deposits, average daily balance, existing obligations.
Speed has a price. Know it in dollars.
Three months of statements and, for a restaurant, the lease or letter of intent for the space.
These are the same factors described on revenue and deposit requirements and time in business. Merchant Fund Express walks you through how your own file reads before you apply.
A complete file is what makes a same-day decision possible. If something is missing, tell us and we will work around it.
Common reasons are time in business, collateral, tax returns and debt ratios. The decline letter, if you received one, lists them.
Usually, because it is faster and less documented. Compare the full repayment amount in dollars.
Merchant Fund Express is a funding marketplace: one application, a same-day decision on a complete file, and funding typically the next business day after signing.
The minimum FICO is 500, and better credit means better products and terms. See credit score requirements for how the tiers work.
Merchant Fund Express gives a same-day decision on a complete file. Applying takes a few minutes and will not affect your credit score.
