{"id":26077,"date":"2026-06-02T16:10:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T23:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tmcfinancing.com\/?p=26077"},"modified":"2026-06-02T16:10:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T23:10:02","slug":"harringtons-bar-grill-san-francisco-sba-504-loan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tmcfinancing.com\/es\/harringtons-bar-grill-san-francisco-sba-504-loan\/","title":{"rendered":"Harrington\u2019s Bar & Grill: A San Francisco Legacy and the SBA 504 Loan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harrington\u2019s Bar & Grill: A San Francisco Legacy and the SBA 504 Loan<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re continuing the legacy of the Harrington family and all they built over nearly a century, while helping to reinvigorate the local economy,\u201d says Ben Bleiman who, along with his partners, reopened Harrington\u2019s Bar & Grill<\/a> \u2013 a beloved Irish tavern that had operated at 245 Front Street in the city\u2019s Financial District since 1935, but had closed due to a series of challenges after the pandemic. \u201cOur teams at TMC and Five Star Bank understood what this meant to us and to our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the opportunity evolved for Ben and his business partners \u2013 and how TMC Financing and Five Star Bank partnered on an Pr\u00e9stamo SBA 504<\/a> to help them achieve their goals.<\/p>\n

Serendipitous connections create an opportunity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben brings tremendous experience to this new venture \u2013 between them, he and a business partner, Duncan Ley, had owned a dozen bars and restaurants in San Francisco before selling them over several years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI absolutely believe that nightlife and fun are essential to downtown revitalization,\u201d he says, \u201cand that\u2019s where I\u2019m most effective.\u201d That\u2019s evident in his work as President of the Entertainment Commission and as the founder of the San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance.<\/p>\n

About Harrington\u2019s legacy, Ben expands on the tavern\u2019s significance in San Francisco history, saying, \u201cAlong with the politicians and business leaders who were regulars here were people in the local commercial real estate industry \u2013 it became the place for them to hang out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among those industry regulars were Chris and Jason Freise, leaders of Redco Development<\/a>, who were friends of a friend to Ben and Duncan. \u201cI was ready for the next opportunity and that led to an introduction to the Freises, and then the Harrington family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt all felt, and still feels, so serendipitous,\u201d Ben says.<\/p>\n

A partnership, a reopening, then a purchase<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before long, Ben, Duncan, the Freise brothers, and a longtime associate, Lucia Camarada, formed a business partnership, Friends of Harrington\u2019s LLC, to reopen and operate Harrington\u2019s \u2013 with the family\u2019s blessing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe third generation of the Harrington family had been running the business and it was, of course, a very difficult decision to close. After meeting with us, though, they knew our goal was to preserve and grow the legacy that they\u2019d built and that brought some comfort,\u201d Ben says. \u201cAnd between the relationships and the experiences that our group brings to the table, the Harrington family knew the institution that is Harrington\u2019s would be in good hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

By December 2023, the partners secured a master lease with an option to purchase<\/a> the property, brand, and business assets. Harrington\u2019s reopened on St. Patrick\u2019s Day in 2024, with Ben and Lucia running the business\u2019s day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n

The next step was finding the right lending partners to finance the purchase.<\/p>\n

Securing Harrington\u2019s with an SBA 504 loan from TMC<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel a responsibility to the Harrington family and the friendships and marriages and the business and political deals that took place here over nine decades, so this was a significant purchase on a lot of levels,\u201d Ben admits. \u201cAnd we needed the right financing to make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n

As commercial real estate brokers, the Freises had closed several deals financed through the Programa de pr\u00e9stamos SBA 504<\/a> and knew that it would be a great option for the Harrington\u2019s purchase. These loans are made in partnership between the business owner, a bank, and a certified development company (CDC), like TMC<\/a>. It\u2019s an outstanding option for small business owners who want to purchase commercial property for their businesses because it offers:<\/p>\n