Frances & Sons Catering Equipment Expansion

Arizona catering company secured $200K equipment financing to expand kitchen capacity and service capabilities, resulting in 35% revenue growth within 12 months.

Valerie Santos, Executive Chef and Owner of Frances & Sons Catering Company a food-services business in Arizona standing at ease

Executive Summary

Frances & Sons Catering Company applied for $200,000 in equipment financing to upgrade their commercial kitchen facilities and expand operational capacity. The investment enabled them to purchase industrial-grade cooking equipment, refrigeration units, and food preparation machinery critical to scaling their business. Within one year, the company increased revenue by 35% and expanded their service team by 40%.

The Challenge

Kitchen bottlenecks prevented the company from accepting contracts for events exceeding 300 guests
Aging equipment resulted in frequent breakdowns, compromising service quality and client relationships
Limited refrigeration capacity forced the company to decline high-margin corporate catering opportunities worth $150K+ annually

The Solution

Frances & Sons Catering selected equipment financing as the optimal funding strategy because it preserved cash flow while matching the useful life of assets to repayment terms. Unlike traditional loans, equipment financing required minimal collateral and offered favorable terms aligned with the company's seasonal revenue patterns.

The $200,000 was deployed strategically across critical infrastructure: $85,000 for a commercial convection oven system and range suite, $60,000 for a 3-unit refrigeration and freezer setup, $35,000 for food prep tables and warming equipment, and $20,000 for delivery and installation. This modernization increased kitchen throughput capacity from 300 to 750 simultaneous meals.

Valerie Santos, Executive Chef and Owner
"This equipment financing was transformational for our business. We went from turning down large contracts to confidently bidding on events for 500+ guests."

The Outcome

Revenue increased 35% ($450K to $607K annually) by capturing previously declined contracts
Equipment downtime reduced from 8% to less than 1%, improving client satisfaction scores to 4.8/5.0
Kitchen staff productivity improved 28% due to efficient workflow enabled by new equipment configuration

Conclusion

The equipment financing proved instrumental in removing operational constraints that were limiting growth. Frances & Sons transformed from a capacity-constrained business into a scalable operation capable of pursuing enterprise-level catering contracts.

Looking Forward

Valerie plans to refinance this equipment in year three and pursue an additional $150K financing round to add a second kitchen facility in Scottsdale. The company projects $900K in annual revenue by 2026 with expanded geographic market reach across Arizona.