Full-Service Restaurants acquisitions in North Carolina: SBA loan data
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 56 7(a) loans to buy an existing business classified as Full-Service Restaurants in North Carolina, totaling $58.1M. The median loan was $551,000. That is 3.6% of the 1,575 acquisition loans in North Carolina.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 56
- Median loan
- $551,000 (middle half $331,750 to $1,204,025)
- Top lender
- The Huntington National Bank (11%, 6 loans)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 11 (-15% vs FY2025)
SBA lenders approved 56 7(a) loans to buy a business classified as Full-Service Restaurants in North Carolina from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $551,000 and a middle half of $331,750 to $1,204,025. The Huntington National Bank made 11% of them. FY2026 had 11 loans, down 15% from FY2025.
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How Full-Service Restaurants in North Carolina compares
| Measure | Full-Service Restaurants in... | North Carolina, all industries | Full-Service Restaurants, nationwide | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $551,000 | $800,000 | $411,700 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $331,750 to $1,204,025 | $350,000 to $1,800,000 | $225,000 to $819,000 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 8.72% | 7.92% | 8.08% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | n/a | 2.1% | 5.9% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 56 | 1,575 | 2,797 | 48,902 |
The median for loans to buy restaurants in North Carolina is $551,000, below the $800,000 median for all North Carolina acquisitions, above the $411,700 median for Full-Service Restaurants acquisitions nationwide and slightly below the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $331,750 to $1,204,025, 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 8.72%, above the 7.76% national average.
Too few of these loans are old enough to measure a charge-off rate; the national rate for seasoned acquisition loans is 3.5%.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | Full-Service Restaurants in... | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 30% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 41% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 11% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 18% | 17% |
Most loans to buy restaurants in North Carolina (71%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 41%, against 33% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
The Huntington National Bank made 11% of loans to buy restaurants in North Carolina, and the top three lenders together made 23%. 6 of the 33 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, 24 loans to buy restaurants in North Carolina were approved. That is 118% more than the 11 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $518,000, slightly below the $551,000 median across all years.
Full-Service Restaurants acquisition loans in North Carolina by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 2 | $250K | $125,000 | |
| FY2019 | 7 | $6.3M | $566,000 | |
| FY2020 | 6 | $4M | $389,000 | |
| FY2021 | 2 | $1.1M | $533,650 | |
| FY2022 | 4 | $7.3M | $1,945,000 | |
| FY2023 | 4 | $2.9M | $640,850 | |
| FY2024 | 7 | $11.4M | $867,000 | |
| FY2025 | 13 | $9.6M | $425,000 | |
| FY2026 | 11 | $15.3M | $755,500 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Fewer than 20 Full-Service Restaurants in North Carolina acquisition loans are old enough to measure losses reliably, so no charge-off rate is shown. The benchmark across all SBA acquisition loans in the FY2018 to FY2021 cohort is 3.5% by count. 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 | The Huntington National Bank | 6 | 10.7% | $8.2M | |
| 2 | First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | 4 | 7.1% | $11.4M | |
| 3 | Truliant FCU | 3 | 5.4% | $3.7M | |
| 4 | First National Bank of Pennsylvania | 3 | 5.4% | $3.3M | |
| 5 | TowneBank | 3 | 5.4% | $2.5M |
Top franchise brands
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Corral | 1 | 1.8% | $5M | |
| 2 | Zaxby's | 1 | 1.8% | $566K | |
| 3 | Subway | 1 | 1.8% | $258K |
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Questions buyers ask
How much do SBA loans for Full-Service Restaurants acquisitions in North Carolina run?
The median SBA 7(a) loan was $551,000 across 56 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), with the middle half between $331,750 and $1,204,025. 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 North Carolina?
The Huntington National Bank (6), First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (4), Truliant FCU (3), First National Bank of Pennsylvania (3), TowneBank (3). Some lenders repeatedly finance this industry in this state; the counts above show which.
How often do Full-Service Restaurants acquisition loans fail in North Carolina?
Fewer than 20 loans in this combination are old enough to measure losses reliably, so no rate is shown. The national benchmark for all SBA acquisition loans is 3.5% (FY2018 to FY2021 cohort).
Are franchised businesses part of Full-Service Restaurants acquisitions in North Carolina?
5 of the 56 loans (9%) involved a franchise brand, most often Golden Corral (1).
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a restaurant in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina was $551,000, and the middle half ran $331,750 to $1,204,025.
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 24 loans to buy restaurants in North Carolina in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a restaurant in North Carolina?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: The Huntington National Bank (6), First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (4), Truliant FCU (3), First National Bank of Pennsylvania (3), TowneBank (3). The Huntington National Bank made 11% of loans to buy restaurants in North Carolina. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
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Related
- All North Carolina acquisitions
- Financing one? How to get an SBA loan to buy a restaurant
- Full-Service Restaurants nationally
- Full-Service Restaurants in California
- Full-Service Restaurants in Texas
- Full-Service Restaurants in Florida
- Full-Service Restaurants in Washington
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- Full-Service Restaurants in Pennsylvania
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Small samples move a lot: each loan in this combination is 2% of the count. Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded. See the methodology.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "Full-Service Restaurants in North Carolina: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/state/nc/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/nc/full-service-restaurants-722511.json.