Brookharbor Lenders in Charleston, West Virginia passes restaurant funding requests from Kanawha County kitchens to funding partners. This page covers equipment, expansions, financing options, slow-week cash flow and county restaurant counts.
At a glance
- Restaurants and other eating places
Restaurants and other eating places, Kanawha County, WV: 347 employer establishments, the largest four-digit industry (CBP 2023)
- Limited-service restaurants
Limited-service restaurants, Kanawha County, WV: 183 employer establishments (CBP 2023)
- Full-service restaurants
Full-service restaurants, Kanawha County, WV: 136 employer establishments (CBP 2023)
Loans for Restaurants in Charleston, WV: Hoods, Fryers and Walk-Ins
A restaurant kitchen's biggest equipment purchases are hood and fire-suppression systems, ranges, fryers and griddles, walk-in coolers and freezers, dish machines and ice makers. In ZIP 25301 there were 28 full-service restaurants and 10 limited-service restaurants with employees in 2023 (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
Equipment loans and leases secured by the equipment are the usual fit. Bring the installed price, including electrical, plumbing and refrigeration work. For loans and leases in general, see the equipment financing page.
Restaurant Lenders and the Card-Sales Months They Want to See
Restaurant lenders read card-processing statements closely, because card sales are the clearest record of a restaurant's revenue. They look at monthly totals, the pattern across the week, chargebacks and any existing advance being collected from those sales.
Bank statements show what the card statements do not: cash deposits, delivery-platform payouts and the payments going out. Several months of both, with a short note on any unusual month, give a partner the picture.
Restaurant Funding for a Patio or Bar Expansion in Charleston, WV
Adding a patio or expanding the bar adds seats without adding a second kitchen. It is still construction: permits, a contractor and sometimes outdoor dining approval from the city. The City of Charleston's Planning Department lists outdoor dining applications among its services.
A term loan usually suits the construction, with equipment financing for any coolers or draft systems. The zoning and permits guide covers the city steps.
Restaurant Financing Options: Equipment Loan, Term Loan or Card-Sales Advance
An equipment loan is tied to a specific item and secured by it. A term loan covers a broader project, such as a remodel or buying a restaurant. A merchant cash advance is not a loan: a provider buys a share of future card sales and collects it daily.
Each costs differently. Compare the total dollars paid on each option for the same amount. Holdbacks and factor rates are explained on the merchant cash advance page.
Financing a Restaurant Business Through Slow Weeknights
Weeknight covers can be thin while rent, payroll and food orders stay fixed. A restaurant that knows its slow nights from its sales history can plan for them with a line of credit drawn on slow weeks and repaid on busy ones.
A working capital loan suits a one-time gap, such as a kitchen closed for a repair. An advance collected from daily card sales takes the most in the weeks sales are strongest and still reduces cash in the weeks they are not.
Full-Service and Limited-Service Counts for Kanawha County, WV Kitchens
County Business Patterns counted 347 restaurants and other eating places with employees in Kanawha County, WV in 2023, the largest four-digit industry in the county, with 6,991 employees and an annual payroll of about $143.8 million. Limited-service restaurants, at 183, were the largest six-digit industry; full-service restaurants numbered 136.
Those two codes add up to 319 (our sum); the rest of the 347 are cafeterias, snack and beverage bars and similar places. Drinking places, counted separately, numbered 24.
An Invented Walk-In Cooler Replacement for a Charleston, WV Dining Room
Illustration only, invented figures: a dining room in Charleston, WV replaces its walk-in cooler for $26,500 installed, financed over four years at an invented annual rate of 11%.
In this invented case the payment is about $684.91 a month, and the 48 payments total about $32,876, so the financing costs about $6,376 (our arithmetic). The owner would set that monthly figure against what spoiled stock and emergency repairs were costing before.
Sales Reports and Leases a Restaurant Owner Gathers Before a Partner Review
- Card-processing statements for the recent months a partner names.
- Business bank statements showing cash and delivery deposits.
- The kitchen lease, showing years left and renewal options.
- Recent tax returns and a year-to-date profit and loss statement.
- Equipment quotes or the contractor's bid.
- Agreements for any advance still being collected, with what is left on each.
Partners differ; gather these when one names them.
Two articles go further for kitchens: whether a card-sales advance is a loan and funding a second location.
By Brookharbor Lenders · Updated