The buyer from overseas, declined first go

The situation

A US-based client wanted to open a store with a growing Australian burger franchise, a brand with more than a dozen successful locations, on a prime Melbourne site. A new store has no trading history of its own, the buyer was new to the country, and the first application was declined.

What we did

We built the case from evidence instead of hope: ATO industry benchmarks, the network's comparable stores, and site fundamentals, all heavily shaded rather than taken at face value. That fed a proper business plan, the financial models and our serviceability worksheet, with the lease term matched to the facility so the security position made sense to a credit team.

The outcome

Even on the shaded forecasts, the debt was covered several times over. A major bank approved the finance on strong terms, and the client got his store.

Details anonymised and figures materially altered. Outcomes depend on individual circumstances and lender criteria.