MONTREAL / SOUTH SHORE / NATIONAL

FOR PIETRO MAIO & LUCIO CARLOMUSTO

YOUR 2026
Growth Plan.

Five locations. One financing partner.
I work the banks so you can keep building.

Locations in pipeline

$1.2M+

Projected financing

100%

Turnkey. You focus on the build.

FILE 001 / GROWTH PLAN

SCROLL ↓

QUICKER. ✱ FASTER. ✱ MORE SEAMLESS. ✱ EVERY LOCATION. ✱ EVERY TIME. ✱ QUICKER. ✱ FASTER. ✱ MORE SEAMLESS. ✱ EVERY LOCATION. ✱ EVERY TIME. ✱

01 / THE REALITY

You said it yourselves.

I'm going to play it back, because this is the problem I'm going to solve.

We're so busy with the nitty-gritty that sometimes when we have a file with the bank, we just need to get to the result. Quicker. Faster. More seamless.

Lucio and I do it. And it's like four in the morning. We're checking stuff and it's very frustrating as we grow.

We don't know how to present something. Sometimes we show too much, we give too much information. It's not good.

That's exactly what I'm going to prevent. Files structured the way they need to be, the first time. No 4am sessions. No restarts. No opportunity cost dressed up as a "learning experience."

WITHOUT A PARTNER

Files built at 4am

Rejections for structuring

Months lost restarting

No borrower or bank strategy

Too much info. Wrong emphasis.

Every location is a new headache

WITH SWEET SAUCE

You send me the essentials. Done.

Bank-ready on first submission

Lenders managed across institutions

Structuring handled proactively

Credit, quirks, history. All strategized.

Every location flows from the last

Your Focus

Find great locations

Negotiate leases

Build restaurants

Hire and train teams

Serve great food

Build the empire

The least friction. The most value. You get funded.

Sweet Sauce Handles

CSBFP strategy & structuring

Financial modelling & projections

Complete business plan

Lender submission & coordination

Follow-up through to funding

02 / THE PRECEDENT

Mile End is the proof.

Before this engagement structure existed in writing, it existed in practice. Mile End is the file we built it on.

Loan secured

$340K

Through Desjardins, after TD's refusal

Loan to value ratio

75%

CSBFP financing secured against eligible project costs

Discovery to verbal approval

Business days from our first call to verbal confirmation of funding. The post-approval coordination with Desjardins has taken longer than expected. Every relationship has a learning curve, and I'm applying everything I've learned here to every file that follows.

The TD file was refused. Not because the deal was bad, because the application wasn't structured the way TD needed to see it. That cost real time and forced a restart. I rebuilt the file for Desjardins, repositioned the borrower profile and the use of funds, and the deal funded at $340,000.

The 2026 plan applies the exact same structure to five more locations, with the rates locked across every file, regardless of how many we end up doing.

Mile End is the file. The 2026 pipeline is the system.

03 / 2026 PIPELINE

Five more. I've already started thinking about each one.

Your actual pipeline. The financing strategy I'd recommend for each location.

/ 01

Heal · Griffintown

~$140K turnkey · Lucio + Pietro · Lease signed

May '26Target open

→

TD OPPORTUNITYRELATIONSHIP BUILDER

StrategySmall file, strategically important. The TD downtown commercial banker who called Pietro is more senior than Bruno and already opened the file. This is the perfect test case to establish the TD relationship on a low-risk deal, then leverage it for larger files.

Even at $140K, a CSBFP application lets us finance the majority and preserve cash for the bigger builds right behind it. And if TD moves fast, we prove they can execute, giving us another lender for future locations.

/ 02

Rosie's · Bird Bar Space

Conversion · New corp (Clement + Mike) · HBFG has plans

Jun-Jul '26Target open

→

CORPORATE STRUCTURING

StrategySome complexity here. The key is getting the corporate structure, the guarantor profile, and the share reversion plan clean before submission.

/ 03

Rosie's · 1450 Victoria

Freestanding flagship · Original pylon signage · Showcase

Aug-Sep '26Target open

→

LARGEST CAPEX

StrategyThe big one. Freestanding building, full build-out, and Rosie's themselves are calling it their showcase location. Likely the largest CapEx in the pipeline, which means maximizing CSBFP financing here has the biggest impact on your cash position.

Lease signing end of April. I'll start strategy the week the lease is signed so we're not racing the clock. South Shore demographics, competitive landscape, and traffic data are all unique to this file.

/ 04

Rosie's · Dix30

Outdoor lifestyle mall · Top-producing retail centre in Canada

Sep-Oct '26Target open

→

Keys expected August-September. This file gets prepared in parallel with Victoria since the timelines overlap. Dix30's exceptional foot traffic data makes for a very strong business plan narrative.

By the time we submit this one, we'll have three approved Rosie's CSBFP files on record.

/ 05

Mont Tremblant Village · Multi-Concept

Heal + Rosie's + Ciccio's · CapEx partner opportunity

Late '26Target open

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EQUITY PARTNERMULTI-CONCEPT

StrategyDifferent animal. The new owner of 105 commercial condos wants to be your CapEx partner across multiple concepts. That changes the financing structure, potentially blending CSBFP with equity capital. The business plans, corporate structures, and lender presentations all need to reflect a partnership model.

Highest-complexity, highest-value opportunity in the pipeline. Getting the structure right from the beginning means the difference between a clean deal and months of back-and-forth.

★ / THE COMMITMENT

I work in outcomes, not hours.01

I share the risk with you. We win together.02

Your files take priority.03

Every bank. Every time.04

I only earn when you fund.05

✦

This is the plan we'd build together. Five locations, one operator, the same standard on every file. If it matches what you had in mind, everything that follows is just the structure that makes it happen.

04 / THE VALUE ENGINEERED INVESTMENT

One investment. Every location.

No tiers. No brackets that change deal to deal. No retainer. No payroll. The same clean structure on every file, with compensation tied directly to outcomes. Successful funding.

Your Engagement
Structure

Applies to every location. Same deal, every time.

Your engagement investment is broken into two components:

1. Project Launch Investment 2. Shared Success Compensation

1. Project Launch Investment

Single-file rate$5,000

$3,500 your pipeline rate

Payable at engagement start, per location.

My standard launch investment is $5,000 for a single-file engagement. Because you're committing to multiple files in 2026 and beyond, I'm running $3,500 across the entire pipeline, locked. And I'm applying the same rate retroactively to Mile End. You save $1,500 today on the file already in motion, and $1,500 on every location that follows.

2. Shared Success Compensation

Blended Rate

Payable only upon successful funding. I share the risk with you and only win if you do. If you don't get funded, you don't pay.

Blended Success Schedule · Multi-File Pipeline Rate

My standard success rate across single-file engagements runs 5% to 7.5% across the board. I'm offering this blended structure as part of the value-engineering built for the long-term partnership with Carma.

First $0 – $200,0005.0%

$200,001 – $350,0004.0%

$350,001 – $500,0003.0%

Above $500,0002.0%

For single-file engagements my schedule typically runs higher than this. The 5/4/3/2 structure is the multi-file pipeline rate, value-engineered for Carma and locked across every file in your 2026 plan, regardless of how many we end up doing.

Minimum Engagement

$11,500

A $150K file takes essentially the same work as a $500K file. Same strategy, same modelling, same lender process, same documentation. So every engagement carries a floor of approximately $11,500 total. On smaller loans like Heal Griffintown, the shared success compensation adjusts upward so the work gets done properly. On larger loans, the blended schedule above kicks in and you get a lower effective rate as the loan grows.

Same standard on every file. The math just changes shape.

In Practice

On a $200,000 CSBFP loan, your total engagement investment is $13,500: $3,500 upfront and $10,000 on funding. On a $300,000 loan, it's $17,500. On a $150,000 loan, it's the minimum engagement of $11,500. Larger loans get a lower effective rate through the blended schedule. Every dollar of shared success compensation is conditional on you actually getting funded.

CSBFP Eligible

The fee is a CSBFP-eligible expense. Professional services qualify under the program and can be financed directly into the loan and amortized over the term. The engagement cost does not come out of pocket at closing.

05 / INVESTMENT CALCULATOR

Investment Calculator.

Investment Calculator

Enter the projected CSBFP loan amount for any location. Note: this is the loan amount, not the total project cost. Your total CapEx will typically be higher; the loan covers the CSBFP-eligible portion.

Funded Loan Amount

Try any loan amount

Project Launch Investment-

Shared Success Compensation-

Total Engagement-

Also Included · No Additional Fee

Line of Credit & Credit Card Facilities

Most CSBFP approvals come paired with an operating line of credit and merchant card facilities. Negotiating those well, rate, limit, guarantee exposure, is real money over the life of the relationship. I handle that negotiation as part of every engagement. The rates, the limits, the terms. You don't pay extra for it. It's part of how I think about the full money picture.

Value included

On
the
house.

06 / IN CONTEXT

The deal, in plain terms.

One engagement. The full picture.

Strategy.
Modelling.
Planning.
Lenders.

Four separate professionals billed separately, coordinated by you, each one needing context the others don't have. Or one operator who already knows your files, your partners, your lenders, and the file we built together on Mile End. The engagement is comprehensive by design. You shouldn't have to manage the people managing your money.

The partnership rate

5 files.
One rate.
Locked.

The pipeline rate runs lower than my single-file rate because the relationship is the point. Same standard on every file. Same operator who knows your history. The math just changes shape as the loan sizes grow. That's the deal.

07 / FULL SCOPE

What I handle
on every location.

/ 01

Strategy &
Structuring

CSBFP eligibility and loan structuring

Use-of-funds optimisation by category

Shareholder, guarantor, and net worth strategy

Equity injection planning and documentation

Corporate entity advisory

Multi-bank lender strategy

The right structure before a single document is filed.

/ 02

Financial
Modelling

3-year revenue, cost, and cash flow projections

Debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) analysis

Break-even and sensitivity testing

Loan amortisation schedules

CapEx breakdown by CSBFP category

Balance sheet projections

Working capital and contingency planning

The bank gets exactly what it needs, formatted exactly the way it wants it.

/ 03

Business
Plan

Complete bank-ready narrative plan

Location-specific market research

Competitive landscape analysis

Branded HTML and Word formats

Operator and management profiles

Not a text document. An immersive presentation that makes approving you the obvious decision.

/ 04

Lender
Management

Multi-bank strategy across institutions

Application prep and submission

Credit committee follow-up

Document coordination through funding

Portfolio leverage and negotiation

Every question, every request, every clarification flows through me.

Across the year, also included

Active lender relationships

I keep your relationships with Desjardins, TD, and any future bank current and warm between deals. Bankers move, files get reassigned, programs change. Your portfolio doesn't go cold.

First call on structures

If I see a structure in the market that fits Carma, asset purchase opportunities, equity-blended deals, programs that match what you're building, you hear about it before anyone else.

Portfolio review on request

Anytime you want a read across your active and upcoming files (timing, exposure, lender mix, where to deploy next), it's a call away. No incremental fee.

08 / YOUR EXPERIENCE

What each location
feels like for you.

Quicker. Faster. More seamless. That's what you asked for. Here's what it looks like.

You send me the lease, shareholders, the CapEx estimate.

That's the majority of the entire time commitment per location. A signed lease, a contractor quote, we do a discovery, some minimal paperwork I need to build the file. I'll tell you exactly what that is, no guessing, no back-and-forth. I take it from there.

I build the strategy, then the entire file.

Every file has its own profile. Borrower structure, guarantors, corporate history, lender fit. I map all of it first, then build: market research, financial model, 3-year projections, business plan. No 4am sessions for you.

Submitted to the right lender.

Strategically placed for both the fastest approval and long-term relationship success. Mile End was Desjardins because the borrower profile, the use of funds, and the relationship fit. Heal Griffintown is TD because they offer the highest loan-to-value ratio for this type of file and there is already a warm relationship in place to build on. The right answer changes file by file. The discipline behind the decision doesn't.

I manage all follow-up.

Every question from credit, every document request, every clarification flows through me. You never get a confusing email from the bank.

You get a call. It's approved.

Always with the long view: protecting your personal credit scores, your partners' credit profiles, and the lender relationships you'll need for every location after this one. By the time the money lands, I've already started the next file.

Throughout Every Engagement

Communication

I recognize that you're building something real here, multiple locations, multiple concepts, an empire being built in real time. Part of the value I'm delivering is giving you your time and attention back. In a perfect world, you send me the essentials on day one and the next call you get is to tell you you've been approved. I know some operators want to be more hands-on, and some prefer to delegate completely. Either way works. Here's how I structure it.

Status calls on your terms

Weekly or biweekly, if you want it on the calendar, it's on the calendar. A standing touchpoint where I walk you through where every active file sits. If you'd rather keep it informal, the line is always open. No chasing. No wondering.

Milestones communicated. Work-back calendars built.

Every file gets a realistic work-back calendar from the day we engage: target submission date, expected credit decision, funding timeline, drawdown schedule. You tell your contractors and suppliers what to expect because I've given you dates you can actually plan around. When milestones move, you hear about it before it affects your schedule.

Lenders held accountable. Suppliers protected.

Mile End taught me something about how Desjardins operates post-approval, and I'm carrying that into every future file. I got you past the goalpost on funding. The post-approval coordination has been harder than I'd like, and I own that. What I can tell you is I'm applying everything I've learned to how I manage lender relationships going forward. The worst feeling is telling a supplier one date and having to walk it back. I'm building buffer into every plan and putting the fire to lenders when I need to, so that conversation stays one you never have to have.

09 / A COMMITMENT

Why I keep my
roster small.

Your files
are my priority.

I take a lot of pride in the quality of what I put in front of lenders. That means I keep my client roster deliberately small. I'd rather do five files exceptionally well than ten files at average quality.

If we move forward together on your 2026 pipeline, your files get priority. Every time. Because I can't spread myself across too many groups and maintain the standard that gets files approved on first submission.

You told me you want to be surrounded by professionals who know your quirks, your history, and your ambitions. Who get to the result quicker, faster, and more seamlessly. Who you can call and say "we have a new one" and know it's handled.

I hope I've shown you that already. That's what this is.

✦ / ABOUT ADAM

I've spent nearly two decades in restaurant finance and hospitality, not as a generalist who occasionally works with restaurants, but as someone whose entire professional career has been built inside this industry. As part of the executive leadership team at Recipe Unlimited, one of Canada's largest restaurant companies, I helped open many restaurants, managing corporate finance, bank relationships, and brand strategy end to end. That foundation, combined with training through a venture capital incubator focused on deal structuring and capital strategy, is what sits behind every CSBFP file I build. I've never had a single application refused by a lender. Not one. I'm also actively in the game as an operator, past owner of a successful ghost kitchen with concepts in development, so when I talk about what it takes to open a restaurant and get it funded, I'm not theorizing. Sweet Sauce Hospitality Partners is a boutique firm by design: I only work in hospitality, and I only work with operators I believe in.

EducationMcGill University, BCom

PreviousRecipe Unlimited · Executive Leadership

Track record100% lender approval rate

OperatorGhost kitchen owner · Concepts in development

FirmSweet Sauce Hospitality Partners · Boutique hospitality consulting

LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/adamsgilbert →

Adam Gilbert

Founder, Sweet Sauce
Hospitality Partners

LET'S BUILD THIS

You find the locations. You build the restaurants. I handle the funding.

Financing should be the easiest part of opening a restaurant, not the hardest. My goal is to make this so turnkey that the process becomes invisible to you.

You've got five more locations to open this year. Let's get every single one funded.

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