Finance question
Can I get finance to buy a takeaway shop?
Often yes, but expect to fund a large share yourself. Lenders are cautious about takeaway shops because most of the price is goodwill that can leave with the owner. A purchase is usually split between a business acquisition loan, equipment finance on the plant and your own funds or property equity, subject to lender assessment.
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The short answer
A takeaway is bought on its profit, and lenders test that first
Takeaway shops are listed from about $49,000 up to $500,000 for a franchise resale, and the independents in our survey ask $49,000 to $189,000, mostly 8 to 15 times weekly turnover (takeaway shop guide). Takings alone do not set the price. Chelsea and Balwyn both take about $6,500 a week, yet one asks $85,000 and the other $50,000, and the gap sits in the lease and the rent. A lender looks at the same things: how much profit is left after rent, wages and delivery app commission, and how many years of lease are left.
The caution is real. CreditorWatch measured a 12.03% closure rate for cafes, restaurants and takeaways in the 12 months to July 2026, against 6.69% across all industries. A shop is small, owner-run, often on a short lease and priced on goodwill that walks out with the vendor. Branded franchises gear better, with banks usually financing about 60% of a Domino's. Independents will sit lower, and some lenders set minimum loan sizes that a $50,000 shop never reaches.
So the deal is built in layers. A business acquisition loan can cover part of the goodwill, equipment finance can cover the ovens, fryers and fridges against the equipment itself, and the rest comes from savings or a property-backed loan secured on your home or another property, where the lender relies on the property rather than the shop. Ventas is a broker across 40+ lenders, not a single bank, and there is no upfront fee to you; the lender pays us on settlement.
Do you qualify?
What a lender looks at on a takeaway purchase.
Reconciled trading history
Two to three years of financials that match lodged BAS and bank statements, cash sales included.
A lease that outlasts the loan
A committed term at least matching the loan term, with landlord consent in hand.
Your channel mix
Delivery app statements showing how much profit survives the commission.
Experience and security
Food business experience or a trained manager who stays, plus cash or property to put in.
Why a split structure works for a small shop
Equipment backs its own loan
Ovens and fridges are tangible, so they can be financed separately from goodwill.
Property can carry the gap
Equity in a home or other property can fund the part the shop cannot support.
The lease is tested early
Landlord consent and term are checked before you pay for valuations.
A worked example
At a $150,000 asking price, add $8,000 of stock, $8,000 of legal, accounting and set-up costs and a $24,000 working capital buffer, and the cash needed is about $190,000 before duty. A business acquisition loan might cover $45,000 of goodwill and equipment finance $30,000 of the plant. That leaves about $115,000 from savings or a property-backed loan. Illustrative only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How much deposit do I need to buy a takeaway shop?
Expect to put in a large share. In the guide's $150,000 example the debt is about half the asking price, and your funds also cover stock, costs and working capital, about $115,000 of a $190,000 total. Savings or equity in property can supply it.
Will a lender finance a takeaway on a short lease?
It is harder. Lenders weigh the committed lease term over options, and a shop with under three years left and no option is usually treated as a deal-breaker. Ask the vendor about an extension before you sign.
Does the delivery app share of sales matter to a lender?
Yes. Uber Eats charges 30% commission when Uber delivers, which leaves 32% of each order for wages, rent, power and profit on a 38% cost of sales. Bring 12 months of app statements and the sales split by channel.
Which documents should I gather first?
The listing, the vendor's split between goodwill, plant and stock, two to three years of financials and BAS, 12 months of weekly turnover, the lease with its term and options, and your experience and security.