Beauty and the... SBA Loan

The Opening Struggle

Marco Navarette described his two-year battle: "I've been going through underwriting for the past two years with various banks to get funding. We were trying to move our bakery from one location to a better location."

The situation worsened when their landlord seized their space: "Our landlord took our spot and gave it to our neighbors so she could expand into a med spa. On top of that, she also signed on another franchise that competed with ours, so she wasn't really willing to renew."

The business deteriorated rapidly. Operating from home and doing pop-ups, Marco and Mikayla struggled to maintain their dream bakery while paying bills.

The Two-Year Battle

Marco had started early seeking financing, but multiple top-tier SBA lenders strung him along without clear answers. After one bank's full year of underwriting, construction bids arrived at double the original estimates.

Marco explained his reasoning: "We finally got our bids back after we submitted plans to contractors, and they came at double. The bank was willing to front the difference, but we weren't, because whatever our payment was gonna be... we were not gonna be able to afford long term what the cost was."

He possessed substantial assets: "I've got this building we own in the area. It's paid free and clear."

The Family Sacrifice

The family's commitment ran deep. Marco revealed: "I probably will have, by the end of this month, maybe anywhere between eight and ten thousand. We are, as a family, selling — we have people that are selling their houses just as backup, and I'm selling my own house because the commute is killing me."

His reasoning reflected responsibility: "Since this project took so long, I don't wanna take more of their time. They're my parents and other family members, but they have their own things they're doing."

The Pivot Point

A breakthrough came unexpectedly. Marco discovered an alternative: "I saw a Korean barbecue place that's down the street from our place in the same downtown area that went on the market last month. It has a kitchen, it's turnkey. It would just be mostly cosmetic things and moving our equipment in."

The Right Way Forward

This pivot transformed their approach. Rather than pursuing a construction project with escalating costs, they found an existing space ready for occupancy.

Marco reflected on his earlier experience: "I feel like we were talked towards a path that made it balloon higher. It felt like we were being set up to fail."

He demonstrated financial wisdom: "I feel comfortable at a certain amount. I don't wanna fail in the first few months."

Moving to Close

By June 13th, Marco's real estate agent submitted an offer. The sbaloansHQ team added their lending partner to the loan tracking portal, and the response was immediate: "Thanks, confirming receipt. This one looks like a good deal for our shop. We will review and be in touch Monday with next steps."

The closing notice arrived: closing has been scheduled for August 15th at 12:30 PM. When asked for a final status, Marco responded: "I'm all set! Still very surreal. I appreciate you getting me here."

The Bigger Picture

After two years of obstacles and rejection, Marco and Mikayla persisted. Beauty and the Baker secured their permanent location, the couple got their opportunity, and another small business received a second chance at success.

Marco and Mikayla were reclaiming more than a building — they were purchasing their future on Cass Avenue.