Small Business Spotlight: Loyd Have Mercy

March 3, 2022

What started as a childhood chore turned into a lifelong passion for Dr. Andrew Loyd, owner of Loyd Have Mercy Restaurant in Titusville, Florida. Cooking has always been a huge part of his life. He worked various jobs within the food industry growing up and always prepared food for his church. Eventually, he decided to pursue his dream of opening a family-owned restaurant. His journey to success would not be easy, though.

Early on, Loyd encountered a few roadblocks and was forced to move the location of Loyd Have Mercy multiple times as some spots were more successful for business than others. But he was always fortunate to have a loyal customer base that stuck with him through the changes. 

Only at one point did he consider closing his restaurant and giving up on his dream. That was until he got a call from the Food Network. Convinced it was a prank, but out of pure desperation, he gave them a call back and was beyond surprised to learn that they wanted to feature his restaurant on the show Restaurant Impossible. Loyd took this as a sign to keep going. A few months later, the crew came in and helped give his restaurant a makeover.  In doing so, they picked him and the restaurant apart. But they also put them back together.

After the show, Loyd Have Mercy was busier than ever. “It helped 110% and I would do it again if I could because of the results it brought me,” Loyd said of his experience on the show.

Following the premiere of the show – and with the business it generated – Loyd was able to purchase the building he had been leasing with the help of an SBA loan from BayFirst. “It was very encouraging to me that I had someone on my team cheering me on,” Loyd said of his SBA Lending Officer, Chris Hackney, who provided support every step of the way.

                Today, Loyd Have Mercy is operating out of a building it’ll never have to leave. As Loyd reflects on his journey as a restaurant owner on the heels of Black History Month, he is proud to be the only black-owned restaurant on Washington Avenue and to have persevered when others might have called it quits.

Ready to take your small business to the next level with the help of an SBA loan? Contact an SBA expert at BayFirst today to discuss the products and services available by filling out the form below.
 
*BayFirst d/b/a BayFirst Bank is a Florida state chartered commercial bank.