Cash advances for UK gastropubs.
For gastropubs, dining pubs, and food-led country pubs. Funded against your card takings. Food, bar, accommodation if applicable. Built for operators running a restaurant pace from a pub kitchen.
What MCA means for a gastropub.
Gastropubs run a restaurant pace from a pub kitchen, with food typically 55-70% of revenue and bar trade the balance. Many also have rooms which add accommodation revenue. Card mix is typically 85-95%. Lenders treat gastropubs favourably. Diversified revenue, established demand, well-understood seasonality. Common uses: kitchen kit (combi oven, blast chiller, prep), garden and outdoor seating expansion, rooms refurb, deposit on pub-co transition, beer line and cellar upgrade, marketing for the food offer, hire of a new head chef.
Sound familiar?
Kitchen kit upgrade for a more ambitious menu.
Combi oven £6k to £20k. Blast chiller £4k to £12k. Pass and counter rebuild £15k to £60k. Restaurant-grade kit in a pub kitchen unlocks significantly higher food revenue.
MCA funds the kit upgrade. New menu drives food covers and ATV. Daily repayment % from the increased card flow comfortably absorbs the cost.
Garden and outdoor seating expansion.
Pergola, lighting, heated seating, garden bar, kids play area, £15k to £80k of works. Pays back fast in summer trade but the work has to happen in spring before the season.
MCA funds spring works. Summer card takings ramp absorbs repayment naturally. Daily repayment % particularly comfortable in peak months when the outdoor seating drives volume.
Rooms refurb for accommodation revenue.
Bedroom refurb £4k to £12k per room. 6-room gastropub refurb £25k to £80k. Improves both rate and occupancy, and AirBnB/Booking.com algorithm placement.
MCA funds the rooms programme. Higher RevPAR feeds back into card takings as room-rate and on-property F&B revenue both lift.
Here's what it actually costs.
A 4-room gastropub borrows £35,000 for kitchen kit upgrade and garden seating expansion. Monthly card takings (food + bar + rooms): £75,000. £35,000. Average monthly card takings £75,000. Fixed cost 1.2. 12% daily repayment % on card sales, total cost £7,000.
These figures are illustrative. If a term loan or asset finance fits your situation better, we'll tell you.
Open the fixed cost calculator →Work out the real cost.
New businesses typically start at a higher daily % and a shorter term.
Illustrative only, not a quote.
- Advance£35,000
- vs card takings47%
- Fixed cost1.20
- Daily repayment£296
- Avg monthly£9,000
- Est. term4.7 months
Illustrative. The fixed cost is set on day one; daily repayment varies with takings. Term capped at 18 months.
Illustrative only, not a quote. Every figure here is subject to the funder. Funders advance anywhere from 100% up to 150% of monthly card takings, so 150% is not guaranteed, and the fixed cost is not guaranteed either. Your actual advance, fixed cost and terms depend on the funder and your business profile.
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Apply with these numbersGastropubs, quick answers.
No. Pub-co tied tenants and lessees can apply for MCA on the trading entity (your operating company). The pub-co contract doesn't restrict your business borrowing for capex and stock outside the beer-tie.
Funding options for gastropubs
Gastropubs blend wet trade, food covers, and rooms. Almost all settled on card. A merchant cash advance (MCA), also called a PDQ cash advance or card machine loan, lets you turn those daily takings into working capital. Repayments scale with card sales, so a quieter midweek means a lighter share. Advances from £10,000 to £1,000,000. See PDQ cash advance →
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