Can I finance a restaurant fit-out or refurbishment?

Yes. Restaurant fit-out and refurbishment finance is a well-developed UK lending category. Typical facility sizes run £25,000 for a quick refresh to £500,000 for a full restaurant build-out from shell. Terms are usually 3 to 7 years on hire purchase or term loan structure, sometimes layered with a separate working capital top-up to cover non-financeable costs.

A typical restaurant fit-out funding stack splits as follows. Hard equipment (kitchen, refrigeration, ventilation, dishwasher): £50,000 to £200,000 on hire purchase against an itemised supplier schedule. Soft fit-out (partitioning, lighting, flooring, signage, branding, AV): £25,000 to £150,000 on a fit-out finance facility or working capital loan. Compliance and structural (HVAC upgrade, gas safety, fire suppression, accessibility): typically rolled into the fit-out facility. Pre-trading working capital (rent deposit, marketing, training, opening stock): £10,000 to £50,000 on a separate unsecured term loan.

Specialist UK fit-out lenders include Time Finance, Aldermore and Ultimate Finance. For larger £150k+ packaged facilities, Allica Bank and Shawbrook will combine fit-out, equipment and working capital under one master agreement against a debenture and PG. For card-machine-driven repayment after opening, Capify and 365 Business Finance offer post-launch MCA top-ups.

Lease term matters. Most lenders require at least 5 to 7 years remaining on the lease to fund a substantial fit-out, so the loan term does not outrun the borrower's right to occupy. See our fit-out loan use case and can I include HVAC, electrical, plumbing and compliance upgrades in the funding.