Key Takeaways
- TPS holders operating restaurants qualify based on daily sales volume, not immigration status
- Pupuserias, taquerias, Haitian restaurants, and Central American cuisine businesses all qualify
- Revenue-based financing repays as a percentage of card sales — payments flex with your business
- Kitchen equipment, working capital, second location, and renovation all fundable
- Bankable does not require a green card, citizenship, or SBA eligibility
In Langley Park, Maryland — a DC suburb that is home to one of the largest Salvadoran communities in the United States — pupuserias line the commercial strips and Central American restaurants fill strip malls. In Miami's Little Haiti, Haitian-owned restaurants have been feeding their communities for three decades. In the Bronx and in Houston's East End, Honduran restaurants serve as community anchors. TPS-owned restaurants are not marginal operations — they are established, revenue-generating businesses that in many cases have been operating for 10-20 years.
These restaurant owners have EINs, business bank accounts, years of daily card transaction records, and real revenue — yet they cannot access SBA loans because of a policy rule that has nothing to do with their financial strength or creditworthiness. The SBA's 2026 eligibility update, requiring 100% US citizen or national ownership, has cut off every TPS-owned restaurant from one of the lowest-cost loan programs available. Bankable was built for exactly this moment.
Understanding the TPS Restaurant Ecosystem
Central American cuisine restaurants — pupuserias specializing in El Salvador's national dish, Honduran baleadas joints, Guatemalan restaurants serving pepián and kak'ik — operate with revenue models that are deeply legible to Bankable's underwriters. Daily card sales of $1,500-$8,000, consistent seasonal patterns, low ticket averages with high volume. These are bankable businesses.
Haitian restaurants in Miami and Boston, Venezuelan restaurants in South Florida and New York, and Somali restaurants in Minneapolis and Columbus all share similar profiles: strong community loyalty, consistent daily revenue, and long-standing operations run by TPS holders who have built American small businesses from scratch.
Funding Uses for TPS Restaurant Owners
- Kitchen equipment: Commercial ovens, walk-in coolers, ventilation systems, dishwashers, and POS systems financed against the equipment value
- Working capital: Cover payroll, food costs, and rent during slower periods or while waiting on catering payments
- Renovation and buildout: Upgrade dining rooms, expand seating, improve accessibility, refresh the space
- Second location: Finance the buildout and opening costs for your next restaurant
- Catering equipment and vehicles: Expand into catering with commercial transport and cooking equipment
- Marketing and delivery platform fees: Invest in Google ads, social media, and delivery platform onboarding
Revenue-Based Financing for Restaurants
Revenue-based financing (RBF) is particularly well-suited for restaurants because repayment flexes with daily sales. If your card processor deposits $3,200 on a busy Friday, the Bankable repayment is calculated as a percentage of that amount. On a slow Monday with $800 in sales, your payment is proportionally smaller. You never miss a payment because the payment adjusts to what you actually earned. This structure was designed for the exactly the cash flow volatility that restaurants experience. Learn how revenue-based funding works for TPS businesses.
The SBA Rule Change and Its Impact on TPS Restaurants
Restaurant owners have historically used SBA 7(a) loans for kitchen equipment and buildouts because of their relatively low interest rates and long repayment terms. The 2026 rule change eliminating TPS holders from SBA eligibility is a particularly painful blow because restaurants have high upfront capital needs. A new commercial kitchen costs $80,000-$200,000. A second location buildout runs $150,000-$400,000. Without SBA access, TPS restaurant owners need a lender who can move fast and fund based on demonstrated revenue. That is Bankable. See what to do after an SBA rejection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Bankable provides restaurant funding to TPS holders based on daily card sales volume and bank statement revenue. No green card or SBA eligibility required.
We typically fund restaurants with at least $15,000 in monthly revenue (about $500/day). Stronger revenue unlocks larger amounts. A restaurant doing $80K/month can qualify for working capital of $80K-$160K.
You receive a lump sum, and repayment is collected as a fixed percentage of your daily card processing deposits. Typically 8-18% of daily card sales. On slow days you pay less. On busy days you pay slightly more. The total payback amount is fixed regardless of how fast you repay.
Yes. Bankable funds second location expansions for TPS restaurant owners. We evaluate your first location's revenue, your management capacity, and the market for the new location.
48-hour decision. 3-5 business days from approval to funding. Faster than any bank or SBA lender.
Yes. We fund food trucks, catering equipment, and commercial vehicles for restaurant expansion. See our dedicated food truck funding page.
Not necessarily. Bankable's primary evaluation is your bank statement revenue and card processing history. Personal and business credit are reviewed but are not the primary qualification factor.
Pupuserias, taquerias, Honduran baleadas restaurants, Guatemalan restaurants, Haitian restaurants, Venezuelan restaurants, Cuban restaurants, Peruvian cevicherias, and all other restaurant formats operated by TPS holders.