Lavu Launches Lavu Capital to Offer Accessible Funding to Restaurants

Albuquerque, NM (September 28, 2022) — Lavu, a major global restaurant software and payments solution provider built by restaurant people, today announces Lavu Capital, offering restaurant merchants cash advances to provide funding that can be used to help run and grow their businesses. Powered by Parafin, a full-stack, embedded fintech company, Lavu Capital gives restaurants, primarily small businesses, easy access to fast capital that typically is not available through traditional bank financing.

Unlike a loan that charges interest, merchants agree to pay a portion of future sales in exchange for receiving fast and efficient funding, all for one low, flat capital fee based on the cash advance amount. With Lavu Capital, pre-approved merchants that demonstrate consistent or increasing sales get access to a cash advance that can be used for any business expense such as equipment, staff, marketing and rent costs. This eliminates the application and credit check requirements that often preclude small businesses from receiving bank funding.

Learn More: 10 Cash Flow Management Best Practices for Restaurants

• Eligible merchants view their pre-approved advance offers in their Lavu Dashboard, toggle the slider to select the capital amount that best fits their business and verify bank account details in order to accept the cash advance.
• After accepting, the merchant receives the funds directly to their bank account in 1-2 business days. This requires no additional paperwork and has no impact on credit score. 
• The merchant will pay a one-time, flat capital fee, that depends on the amount of accepted capital. 
• Payment is automated on a set pay schedule and is based on a percentage of sales through Lavu determined prior to accepting the capital. There is no interest, no minimum payment, and there are no late fees.

“It’s frustrating to see how many restaurant owners don’t qualify for traditional loans despite their strong track records, ” said Saleem Khatri, CEO of Lavu. “In the same way we helped thousands of restaurants quickly transition to online ordering to survive the pandemic, we are launching Lavu Capital to help more restaurants keep their doors open during challenging times.”

“Our mission at Parafin is to grow small businesses by making it easier and faster to access financial services, starting with capital,” said Sahill Poddar, CEO, Parafin. “We’re honored to work with platforms like Lavu that are heavily invested in the growth of the thousands of restaurants they work with, in order to deliver on this mission.” 

New and existing restaurant merchants can learn more at https://www.lavu.com/newsroom/lavu-launches-lavu-capital-accessible-funding-restaurants, https://www.lavu.com/lavu-capital-faq/ or contact Lavu Customer Success.

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Lavu is the world’s leading restaurant management platform for small and medium-sized restaurants. The company’s products include an award-winning mobile point-of-sale, online ordering, payment processing and accounts payable suite. Embodying values of hospitality in its 24/7 support of restaurant partners in more than 65 countries, Lavu helps businesses grow with solutions built for restaurants by restaurant people. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lavu was the first iPad point of sale in the Apple App Store and continues to offer the latest in restaurant features and functionalities. Learn more at Lavu.com.

Parafin is full-stack embedded financial infrastructure that serves small businesses better, faster, and cheaper. Parafin works with the platforms that small businesses already use — such as marketplaces, payment processors, and software providers — to help small businesses bridge their cash flow needs, invest in their growth, and run their business. Parafin was founded in 2020 by Sahill Poddar, Ralph Furman, and Vineet Goel, three of the earliest employees at Robinhood. Together, they served as the head of machine learning, first data scientist, and head of risk and fraud, respectively.

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Lavu is now able to provide pre-approved cash advances to its restaurant merchants through Lavu Capital, which offers funding that helps businesses grow or cover unexpected expenses. Lavu Capital, powered by Parafin, does not charge interest, making it different from other business loans. Instead, merchants are able to repay a portion of future sales in exchange for receiving an immediate cash advance, all for one low, up front capital fee based on the cash advance amount.

New and existing Lavu merchants are eligible for pre-approved funding, which can be used for any business expenses, including new uniforms, coffee machines, tables, or whatever the restaurant may need. 

Eligible Lavu accounts will see a pre-approved advance offer in their Control Panel, and if they are interested, can toggle the slider to select which amount they would like to accept. Merchants then enter in their bank account details and accept the cash advance, which will hit their bank accounts in 1-2 business days. This will not affect credit scores at all. 

Merchants will not have to pay interest on this cash advance! Instead, they will pay a one-time, flat fee upfront, which differs based on the amount accepted. After that, automated payments will be set up based on the merchant’s monthly sales, which is determined before the cash advance is accepted. The best part? There is no minimum payment and no late fees. 

If the merchant is eligible, there will be a pre-approved cash advance offer located in the Lavu Dashboard. Once the merchant accepts which amount they would like to accept, the money will be transferred to their bank account within 1-2 business days. 

Caroline Pruett, Lavu Media Relations
caroline.pruett@lavu.com