Lending data
Who actually lends to restaurants, bars, and hotels in Alabama?
248 SBA 7(a) loans went to restaurants, bars, and hotels in Alabama recently, at a median of $460,250. Here are the lenders that made them, ranked.
248 SBA 7(a) loans went to restaurants, bars, and hotels in Alabama in the most recent fiscal years. The median was $460,250 over 10 years. The most active lender was Sabre Finance, with 25 loans.
What lending to restaurants, bars, and hotels in Alabama actually looks like
Every figure on this page is computed from SBA 7(a) loan-level FOIA data released 2026-06-30. It reflects loans that were actually approved, not rate cards or advertised ranges.
| Measure | Restaurants, bars, and hotels, Alabama | All 7(a) borrowers |
|---|---|---|
| Loans approved | 248 | 214,102 |
| Median loan | $460,250 | $150,000 |
| 25th - 75th percentile | $154,850 - $1,211,450 | $50,000 - $500,000 |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median initial rate | 10.00% | 10.25% |
| Share to startups | 56.9% | 33.6% |
| Charge-off rate, FY2010-19 cohort | 8.1% | 7.1% |
Which lenders actually funded them
Ranked by loans approved to restaurants, bars, and hotels in Alabama. This is the list worth working from, because a lender that has funded dozens of businesses like yours in your state has seen your file before.
| Lender | Loans | Median loan | Startup share | Median rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabre Finance | 25 | $150,000 | 60% | 10.50% |
| The Huntington National Bank | 24 | $324,450 | 62% | 10.25% |
| Live Oak Banking Company | 12 | $550,000 | 33% | 10.00% |
| Newtek Bank | 12 | $162,500 | 25% | 10.50% |
| United Community Bank | 9 | $870,000 | 100% | 9.75% |
| BankFirst Financial Services | 9 | $224,700 | 44% | 11.25% |
| Readycap Lending, LLC | 8 | $1,085,500 | 62% | 10.50% |
| Peoples Bank | 7 | $3,816,000 | 100% | 8.75% |
| GBank | 6 | $2,682,500 | 17% | 8.62% |
| Northeast Bank | 6 | $119,000 | 17% | 11.25% |
What stands out in this market
Reading the figures above against the national picture:
- Loans here run larger than average. The median of $460,250 is 207% above the $150,000 national median. Expect lenders in this market to be geared toward bigger deals, and expect a small request to get less attention.
- New businesses do well here. 57% of these loans went to startups or businesses under two years old, against 34% nationally — an unusually open market if you have no trading history.
- Lending here is fragmented. The top three lenders made only 25% of these loans between them, so no single institution owns this market. That is good news: it means shopping genuinely pays.
Which of them lend to new businesses
Of those loans, 56.9% went to businesses the SBA classes as startups — new, under two years old, or opening with the proceeds. These are the lenders in this market that actually wrote them.
| Lender | Loans | Median loan | Startup share | Median rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabre Finance | 15 | $150,000 | 60% | 10.50% |
| The Huntington National Bank | 15 | $324,450 | 62% | 10.25% |
| United Community Bank | 9 | $870,000 | 100% | 9.75% |
| Peoples Bank | 7 | $3,816,000 | 100% | 8.75% |
| Readycap Lending, LLC | 5 | $1,085,500 | 62% | 10.50% |
| SouthPoint Bank | 4 | $150,000 | 80% | 9.75% |
How to use this
- Shortlist three lenders from the table whose median loan is close to what you need.
- Ask each whether they are a Preferred Lender and how many 7(a) loans they closed last year. See choosing an SBA lender.
- Check your coverage first with the affordability calculator so you ask for a number the cash flow supports.
- Assemble the package before you call. The document checklist is the single biggest thing you control.
Compare other markets
- Other sectors in Alabama: retail, construction, personal services, healthcare, professional services, admin services
- Restaurants and Hotels in comparable states: Kentucky, Louisiana, Idaho, Connecticut, Nevada, Kansas