Famous Dave’s is a beloved, international barbeque franchise. Our team was fortunate to assist the owner of Famous Dave’s in Fort Mill, SC as he opened the first location in the Carolinas in 2018. In terms of the delicious food, the ribs are the number one seller for this location. Additional mouth-watering entrees include brisket, pulled pork, sausage, roasted chicken, and salads. All of the food is made from scratch every day.

Restaurant owner Bart Kinzel’s has been involved in the theme park industry for much of his life. Mr. Kinzel owned a Famous Dave’s at Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio for several years, which is when he fell in love with the company. After operating in Ohio for ten years, he decided to move back to his home in the Carolinas, and he wanted to bring Famous Dave’s along with him.

The loan started with the previous relationship he had with FNB. He had gotten a couple of loans through FNB and was happy to make them a first choice when the opportunity to buy the commercial real estate that he was leasing came about. After speaking with his contacts at FNB, he was referred to Brett Atkins, who had some creative ideas about getting the loan done through the SBA. With Brett’s expertise in SBA financing, the Commercial Real Estate purchase was completed much to Bart’s satisfaction.

Here’s what Bart had to say about working with FNB Small Business Finance:

I really enjoyed my experience working with Brett. He was very helpful and knowledgeable. He came out here and spent five hours with me just looking at the business. We asked each other a lot of questions – it started out as a very good relationship and I felt comfortable with Brett immediately. He got a good understanding of my business, which I felt confident about the deal.

Since March 2018, Bart Kinzel has been enjoying his new found ownership of the commercial building for Famous Dave’s. We continue to watch his business grow and wish him much success in the future!