The short answer
At a glance
| Who it covers | Restaurants, cafes, food trucks, catering, breweries, bars |
|---|---|
| Common uses | Equipment repair, walk-in coolers, slow seasons, renovations, payroll, inventory |
| MCA guideline | Commonly from about $7,500 a month, 3+ months in business, credit flexible |
| Sizing | MCA roughly 0.5x to 1.5x monthly revenue, illustrative only |
| Equipment | Terms matched to equipment life, max 60 months at MFE; vendor quote needed |
| Credit | Scores from 500 considered; stronger credit usually means better offers |
| Documents | 3 to 4 months of bank statements, ID, voided check, application |
| Speed | Same-day decisions are common on complete files; never promised |
| Avoid if | You already carry several advances; ask about a refinance instead |
Before you apply: checklist
- Download 4 months of business bank statements showing card deposits
- Pull processor statements if card sales settle to more than one account
- Get a written quote for any equipment repair or replacement
- Mark your slowest month and check the payment against it
- List any open advances with balances
- Separate the emergency need from the wish list
- Keep tip payouts and sales tax money out of the sizing math
Check what your business qualifies for
Merchant Fund Express reviews restaurant and food business funding requests from $5,000 to $5,000,000. Scores from 500 are considered, and same-day decisions are common on complete files.
Check funding options with Merchant Fund ExpressBy type of food business
- Full-service and quick-service restaurants: remodels, hood systems, walk-ins, payroll during slow months.
- Food trucks: engine and generator repairs, permits, a second truck. Equipment financing can cover the truck build-out.
- Catering: event deposits often arrive late; working capital bridges staffing and supplies.
- Breweries: tanks, canning lines and inventory before distribution deals.
- Bars: renovations, sound systems, seasonal staffing.
More detail in restaurant business funding.
Equipment repair and replacement
A dead walk-in or fryer stops service. Repairs under a few thousand dollars often fit an advance; bigger replacements usually fit equipment financing, which uses the vendor quote or invoice, may ask for a down payment, and at MFE never runs past 60 months.
Illustrative example: a walk-in cooler and a slow month
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Assumed monthly card sales | $85,000 |
| Advance amount | $45,000 (about 0.53x revenue) |
| Assumed factor rate | 1.28 |
| Total payback ($45,000 x 1.28) | $57,600 |
| Assumed holdback | 10% of card sales |
| Payment in a normal month ($85,000 x 10%) | $8,500 |
| Payment in a slow $65,000 month | $6,500 |
| Months to repay at normal sales ($57,600 / $8,500) | About 6.8 months |
These figures are illustrations, not offers. Real pricing, amounts and terms depend on the full file review.
Funding brings customers. Is your website ready for them?
Funding usually pays for growth: more stock, staff, equipment or marketing. Make sure the customers that growth brings find a website that explains what you do and makes it easy to call, book or buy. Cheap Cheap Websites builds professional sites from $399, with Website Care at $30/month.
Common mistakes
- Counting sales tax and tips as revenue when sizing.
- Taking a second or third advance instead of reviewing a refinance; see restaurant MCA refinance.
- Signing during the busy season without testing the payment against winter or summer lows.
- Funding a remodel with short-term money when equipment financing could stretch the cost.
How Merchant Fund Express handles this
Merchant Fund Express reviews restaurant, food truck, catering, brewery and bar files from $5,000 to $5,000,000. See the Merchant Fund Express industries page for how food businesses are reviewed. Credit from 500 is considered, Spanish service is available, and existing advances can be reviewed for a refinance or buyout. When ready, apply with Merchant Fund Express.
Related
Cheap Cheap Websites builds websites. It does not lend or make funding decisions. Funding is offered by our funding partner, Merchant Fund Express, and every request is subject to its review and approval. Figures on this page are illustrations, not offers. Updated October 16, 2026.