Full-Service Restaurants acquisitions in California: SBA loan data
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 420 7(a) loans to buy an existing business classified as Full-Service Restaurants in California, totaling $239M. The median loan was $359,800. That is 8.1% of the 5,184 acquisition loans in California.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 420
- Median loan
- $359,800 (middle half $207,900 to $676,250)
- Top lender
- Bank of Hope (19%, 80 loans)
- Charge-off, FY2018-FY2021 loans
- 5.3% (all-acquisition: 3.5%)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 42 (+20% vs FY2025)
SBA lenders approved 420 7(a) loans to buy a business classified as Full-Service Restaurants in California from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $359,800 and a middle half of $207,900 to $676,250. Bank of Hope made 19% of them. FY2026 had 42 loans, up 20% from FY2025.
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How Full-Service Restaurants in California compares
| Measure | Full-Service Restaurants in... | California, all industries | Full-Service Restaurants, nationwide | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $359,800 | $600,000 | $411,700 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $207,900 to $676,250 | $296,225 to $1,395,000 | $225,000 to $819,000 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 8.07% | 7.87% | 8.08% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 5.3% | 4.1% | 5.9% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 420 | 5,184 | 2,797 | 48,902 |
The median for loans to buy restaurants in California is $359,800, well below the $600,000 median for all California acquisitions, slightly below the $411,700 median for Full-Service Restaurants acquisitions nationwide and well below the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $207,900 to $676,250, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 10 years, the same as the national median; the average initial rate is 8.07%, above the 7.76% national average.
Seasoned loans were charged off at 5.3%, above the 4.1% rate for all California acquisitions, below the 5.9% rate for Full-Service Restaurants acquisitions nationwide and well above the 3.5% rate for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | Full-Service Restaurants in... | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 47% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 38% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 12% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 3% | 17% |
Most loans to buy restaurants in California (84%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is Under $350K at 47%, against 30% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Bank of Hope made 19% of loans to buy restaurants in California, and the top three lenders together made 39%. 33 of the 82 lenders involved made three or more. Repeat experience is spread across many banks. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 77 loans to buy restaurants in California were approved. That is 20% fewer than the 96 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $455,000, above the $359,800 median across all years.
Full-Service Restaurants acquisition loans in California by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 56 | $22.3M | $250,000 | |
| FY2019 | 72 | $34.2M | $292,500 | |
| FY2020 | 51 | $22.5M | $250,000 | |
| FY2021 | 30 | $18.4M | $345,100 | |
| FY2022 | 38 | $19.6M | $462,000 | |
| FY2023 | 49 | $33.4M | $483,200 | |
| FY2024 | 47 | $31M | $490,000 | |
| FY2025 | 35 | $31.2M | $482,400 | |
| FY2026 | 42 | $26.1M | $429,000 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 209 Full-Service Restaurants in California acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), 11 have been charged off by the SBA, a rate of 5.3% by loan count and 2.6% by dollars. 118 have already been paid in full.
For comparison, the charge-off rate across all SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the same cohort is 3.5%, so Full-Service Restaurants in California is 49% higher than the acquisition-loan average. Non-acquisition 7(a) loans (every other stated purpose) approved FY2018 to FY2021 charged off at 6.2%.
"Charged off" is the SBA's final loss action on a defaulted loan after collection efforts. It lags default by a year or more, which is why only older cohorts are measured. It is not the same as a delinquency rate, and loans still outstanding can still fail. See charge-off in the glossary.
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Top lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bank of Hope | 80 | 19.0% | $26.7M | |
| 2 | Hanmi Bank | 50 | 11.9% | $19.9M | |
| 3 | Plumas Bank | 32 | 7.6% | $20M | |
| 4 | Open Bank | 19 | 4.5% | $7.8M | |
| 5 | PCB Bank | 17 | 4.0% | $10.1M |
Top franchise brands
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Round Table Pizza | 4 | 1.0% | $3.9M | |
| 2 | Dickey's Barbecue Pit | 4 | 1.0% | $1.6M | |
| 3 | Mountain Mike's Pizza | 2 | 0.5% | $778K | |
| 4 | Denny's | 1 | 0.2% | $1.7M | |
| 5 | Buffalo Wings & Rings | 1 | 0.2% | $826K |
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Questions buyers ask
How much do SBA loans for Full-Service Restaurants acquisitions in California run?
The median SBA 7(a) loan was $359,800 across 420 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), with the middle half between $207,900 and $676,250. The loan excludes the buyer's equity and any seller note and may include working capital, so the price is usually higher than the loan.
Which banks finance Full-Service Restaurants acquisitions in California?
Bank of Hope (80), Hanmi Bank (50), Plumas Bank (32), Open Bank (19), PCB Bank (17). Some lenders repeatedly finance this industry in this state; the counts above show which.
How often do Full-Service Restaurants acquisition loans fail in California?
5.3% of 209 seasoned loans (FY2018 to FY2021) were charged off, against 3.5% for all SBA acquisition loans.
Are franchised businesses part of Full-Service Restaurants acquisitions in California?
25 of the 420 loans (6%) involved a franchise brand, most often Round Table Pizza (4).
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a restaurant in California?
The SBA requires the buyer to make an equity injection, commonly 10% of total project cost, and a lender may ask for more. The SBA file does not record injections, so the figures here are the financed portion: the median for loans to buy restaurants in California was $359,800, and the middle half ran $207,900 to $676,250.
How long does an SBA acquisition loan take?
For a change-of-ownership 7(a) loan, 45 to 90 days from application to close is typical. It varies by lender and by how quickly third-party reports, such as the business valuation and appraisal, come back. The SBA file records approval dates, not application dates, so this site cannot measure it. Lenders approved 77 loans to buy restaurants in California in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a restaurant in California?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: Bank of Hope (80), Hanmi Bank (50), Plumas Bank (32), Open Bank (19), PCB Bank (17). Bank of Hope made 19% of loans to buy restaurants in California. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
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Related
- All California acquisitions
- Financing one? How to get an SBA loan to buy a restaurant
- Full-Service Restaurants nationally
- Full-Service Restaurants in Texas
- Full-Service Restaurants in Florida
- Full-Service Restaurants in Washington
- Full-Service Restaurants in Georgia
- Full-Service Restaurants in Illinois
- Full-Service Restaurants in Pennsylvania
- Full-Service Restaurants in Michigan
- Full-Service Restaurants in Wisconsin
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in California
- Limited-Service Restaurants in California
- Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores in California
- Hotels and Motels in California
- Convenience Retailers in California
- General Automotive Repair in California
- Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers in California
- Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly in California
Small samples move a lot: each loan in this combination is 0% of the count. Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded. See the methodology.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "Full-Service Restaurants in California: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/state/ca/full-service-restaurants-722511 (data as of September 30, 2026). Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan file, data.sba.gov. Aggregated by SBA Acquisition Data.
The figures on this page are also published as JSON at https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/data/state/ca/full-service-restaurants-722511.json.