Takeaway funding: finance for UK takeaways and fast food businesses
Takeaways are well suited to card-sales-based funding: revenue is daily, card-heavy, and visible to lenders through merchant statements — which means approval decisions rest on real trading rather than projections. Funding for a takeaway usually means one of four things: replacing equipment that died mid-service, a refit, expanding into delivery, or smoothing a seasonal dip.
The routes below are matched to the situations takeaways actually hit, along with what lenders look for. We work with UK limited companies, LLPs, sole traders and partnerships.
What can a takeaway use funding for?
Anything with a business purpose. In practice it is usually equipment (fryers, ovens, refrigeration — urgent, because a dead fryer stops trading), refits and extraction work, delivery expansion, or working capital across the quiet months.
| Need | Route that usually fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fryer, oven or fridge failed | Merchant cash advance or equipment funding | Speed — replacement cannot wait weeks |
| Refit or extraction upgrade | Term loan or refurbishment funding | Larger amount, repaid over the improvement’s life |
| Delivery platform expansion | Working capital | Short-term outlay before platform revenue builds |
| Seasonal dip (January–February) | Merchant cash advance | Repayments track card takings, so quiet weeks cost less |
How do lenders assess a takeaway?
Lenders assess a takeaway on its card takings and bank statements (typically the last three to six months) plus time trading. Card-heavy revenue works in a takeaway’s favour because it is verifiable: a lender can see the daily pattern directly. Cash-heavy takeaways get less credit for revenue lenders cannot see, which in practice means smaller offers; growing card volume genuinely widens funding access.
Delivery-platform revenue (Just Eat, Uber Eats, Deliveroo) counts too, but lenders treat it distinctly from in-store card takings because platforms pay on their own settlement cycles. Statements showing both streams give the fullest picture.
What does takeaway funding cost?
Cost depends on product, amount, term and the business’s trading profile, so ranges quoted without seeing statements are guesses. A real quote with a total repayment figure is the number to work from; judge it against what the funding earns — a replacement fryer that restores full service pays for itself differently than a refit whose payback runs over years. Any quote that comes back through us states the total cost as one fixed number before you decide anything.
The panel behind this page
Through our broker network we place cases with a panel of 200+ UK lenders offering 1,800+ products, from high-street banks to specialist funds. Where the plan involves buying or refinancing the premises, 28 of our commercial mortgage lenders lend against take-aways (checked September 2026; panel composition changes over time). We check criteria first and approach only the lenders whose requirements you fit. The full roster, category by category, is published in our lender directory.
Frequently asked questions
Can a takeaway get funding with mostly cash revenue?
Yes, but expect smaller offers: lenders can only lend against revenue they can verify, which means bank deposits and card takings. A takeaway that moves more sales onto cards typically finds both approval odds and offer sizes improve within a few months, because the trading evidence improves.
How fast can a takeaway get equipment replaced through funding?
Merchant cash advances and equipment funding are the fast routes, and speed depends mostly on how quickly bank and card statements are supplied. If equipment failure has stopped part of your service, say so — timelines can be checked against the urgency before you commit to anything.
Does Just Eat or Uber Eats revenue count for funding applications?
Yes. Delivery platform payouts visible in bank statements count as revenue, though lenders treat them separately from in-store card takings because platforms settle on their own cycles. Providing both merchant statements and bank statements gives lenders the full revenue picture.
Is CapExpand FCA regulated?
CapExpand Ltd is not directly authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. CapExpand Ltd (FRN 1060885) is an Appointed Representative of White Rose Finance Group Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630772). That appointment means White Rose Finance Group Limited is responsible for our credit broking, and both firms appear on the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk. We are a credit broker, not a lender.
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CapExpand Ltd · Company No. 14433858 · ICO ZB789649 · Annesley, Nottingham
Important information
CapExpand Ltd (FRN 1060885) is an Appointed Representative of White Rose Finance Group Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630772). We are a credit broker, not a lender, and we do not provide financial, tax or legal advice. We work with a panel of lenders whose particulars are available on request. If a deal completes the lender pays us a commission, at no cost to you; different lenders pay different amounts under different models, and we will tell you the amount for your deal on request. All lending is subject to status, valuation where applicable and the lender's own checks.
Registered office: Pure Offices, Lake View Drive, Annesley, Nottingham, NG15 0DT. Company No. 14433858.