Best Business Loans for Restaurants & Food Trucks, Best Industry-Specific Loans for Food Trucks and Restaurants

Let’s face it—running a restaurant or food truck in the U.S. isn’t just about perfecting your burger-to-bun ratio or mastering the smoker. It’s about maintaining cash flow, securing capital, and surviving the unpredictable chaos of supply chain issues and rising food costs. Whether you’re serving up fine dining or flipping tacos from a truck, the right business loan can help keep your culinary dreams alive and well—without burning out. Here are five business loan options that have proven to be successful for fellow food entrepreneurs.

1. Equipment Financing – Your Kitchen’s Best Friend

• Commercial stoves, industrial fryers, refrigeration systems—they’re all essential, but they come with hefty price tags.
• Equipment financing allows you to get the gear you need, spread the cost over time, and preserve your savings for other needs.
• Bonus: The equipment itself secures the loan, which means faster approvals and less paperwork. You keep your kitchen running, while we handle the back-end details (pun intended).

2. Working Capital Loans – Keep the Lights On and the Fryers Hot

• Every food business experiences slow seasons—unless you’ve mastered selling iced coffee during snowstorms.
• Working capital loans are designed to help cover essential costs like rent, payroll, and inventory when cash flow dips, but your operations can’t afford to stop.
• Why It’s a Lifesaver: It’s the buffer between you and the dreaded “closed until further notice” sign. No one wants to explain why there’s no guac on Taco Tuesday.

3. Merchant Cash Advances – Fast Funds, No Judgment

• If your business primarily gets paid through credit and debit cards (looking at you, food trucks and cafés), a merchant cash advance (MCA) could be your best option.
• With an MCA, you receive upfront funds, and repayment is based on a percentage of your daily sales.
• Benefits: No fixed payments, and no stressing over a slow week. It’s flexible, and perfect for businesses that have fluctuating daily sales.

4. Business Lines of Credit – The Secret Sauce for Emergencies

• A line of credit is great for those unexpected costs: equipment repairs, bulk ingredient discounts, or a surprise pop-up event.
• You only draw funds as needed and only pay interest on what you use.
• Why It’s Essential: Think of it as always having a sharp chef’s knife at your side—flexible, reliable, and ready to save the day when things get tricky.

5. SBA Loans – The Long Game Player

• If you’re looking to expand your business, remodel your restaurant, or launch a second food truck, SBA loans (Small Business Administration-backed) are worth exploring.
• These loans offer low rates and long repayment terms, making them perfect for bigger investments that take time to pay off.
• Heads Up: Be prepared for more paperwork and a bit of patience. Think of it as the slow braise of the funding world—it takes time, but it’s well worth it in the end.

Let’s Get Your Business Cooking

At Viking Funding, we’ve worked with all types of food businesses—restaurants, food trucks, cafés, and more. We know your business runs on more than just recipes; it’s fueled by capital. If any of these loan options sound like the right fit for you, give us a call at 754-240-8620 or click apply now.

We’ll help you find the best industry-specific loans for food trucks and restaurants—so you can focus on what matters most: feeding hungry customers and building something deliciously yours.