Financing a Little Caesars with an SBA loan
Since FY2020, 55 Little Caesars locations changed hands on an SBA 7(a) loan. Here is what those deals looked like, what the brand costs to open, which lenders wrote the loans, and where the brand stands with the SBA.
Little Caesars franchising: franchise.littlecaesars.com
What a Little Caesars deal looks like
Little Caesars is an established brand in the SBA loan file: 55 acquisitions cleared underwriting in the last five years. The median loan was $553,300 at 8.75 percent. Amortized over 10 years, that is about $6,934 a month, or $83,212 a year in debt service. SBA's 10 percent minimum equity injection on a deal that size is roughly $61,478 of buyer cash, some of which a seller note on standby can sometimes cover.
Illustrative only: the median loan is not a purchase price, and every deal differs. Model your own in the deal analyzer or the DSCR calculator.
7(a) or 504 for a Little Caesars?
Little Caesars is typically a leasehold business: the value is goodwill, equipment, and the brand, not real estate. That points to an SBA 7(a) loan, usually amortized over 10 years. The 504 program, which finances owner-occupied real estate, is rarely the fit here unless the deal happens to include a building. Model the payment in the 7(a) calculator and check coverage in the DSCR calculator.
What it costs to open a Little Caesars
These are Little Caesars's own franchise terms, set by the franchisor and separate from the SBA loan. They matter to a buyer because the franchise fee and the build-out are part of the project the loan has to cover, and lenders weigh the net-worth and liquidity minimums when they size a deal.
- Total initial investment
- $446,500 to $1,817,200
- Initial franchise fee
- $20,000
- Ongoing royalty
- 6% of gross sales
- Net worth required
- $400,000
- Liquid capital required
- $200,000
Quick-service restaurant (pizza), figures from the 2025 FDD. Sources: Franchise Chatter - Little Caesars franchise costs (FDD Item 7 breakdown), Sharpsheets - Little Caesars Franchise FDD, Profits & Costs (2025), Little Caesars official franchise site (net worth / liquid capital requirements), FDD Exchange - Little Caesars Franchise Costs & Fees (2025 FDD), FranchiseVS - Little Caesars Franchise 2026 ($447K-$1.8M, 2025 FDD), The Franchise King - Little Caesars Franchise Cost (net worth/liquidity/royalty). Franchise economics are drawn from each brand's public Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD Items 5 and 7) and reputable third-party franchise databases, compiled for independent editorial reference. The Closing Binder is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any franchisor listed. Franchise fee, investment, royalty, and net-worth figures are set by the franchisor and change with each FDD; confirm current terms in the brand's latest FDD before relying on them.
Lenders that actually write these
The banks below approved the most Little Caesars acquisitions in the file. A lender that has funded this brand before is the fastest path through underwriting.
- Live Oak Banking Company6 Little Caesars loans
- Fifth Third Bank5 Little Caesars loans
- Banc of California3 Little Caesars loans
- Celtic Bank Corporation3 Little Caesars loans
- ChoiceOne Bank3 Little Caesars loans
SBA conditions on this brand
Franchisor may not enforce a Purchase Option on Real Estate owned by the franchisee or an affiliate of the franchisee and taken as collateral for the SBA Loan.
Every franchise the SBA will finance carries an entry in its directory, and some carry conditions like this one about how the real estate and the lease may be held. A lender has to clear these before funding, so they are worth reading before you make an offer.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to buy a Little Caesars franchise?
Opening a Little Caesars takes a total initial investment of about $446,500 to $1,817,200, including a $20,000 initial franchise fee, per the brand's FDD. Buying an existing location is priced differently: the median SBA 7(a) acquisition loan for Little Caesars was $553,300 in the federal loan file.
Can you buy a Little Caesars with an SBA loan?
Yes. 55 Little Caesars locations were acquired with SBA 7(a) financing since FY2020, and the brand is listed in the SBA Franchise Directory. The directory attaches a lender condition to this brand, so a lender clears that before funding.
How much do you need for a down payment on a Little Caesars?
SBA requires a minimum 10 percent equity injection. On the median Little Caesars loan of $553,300, that is roughly $61,478 of buyer cash, though a seller note kept on full standby can cover part of it. The rest is financed over about 10 years, around $6,934 a month at the median rate.
Which lenders finance Little Caesars acquisitions?
Live Oak Banking Company, Fifth Third Bank and Banc of California wrote the most Little Caesars acquisition loans in the federal file. A lender that has funded the brand before knows its franchise agreement and tends to move faster. See the full lender detail above.
Other restaurant brands buyers finance
Loan counts, median size, median rate, and lender ranking are computed from the SBA 7(a) FOIA file, change of ownership approvals, FY2025 to FY2026 Q3, as of June 30, 2026. Eligibility, the identifier code, and any conditions are from the SBA Franchise Directory, effective August 11, 2026. Franchise cost figures are from Little Caesars's public FDD and third-party franchise databases. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Little Caesars or its franchisor, and directory listing is not an endorsement of any individual deal. Methodology.