Obtaining a Cafe or Coffee Shop Business Loan
Being the owner of a coffee shop or cafe is a dream come true for many people. However, you are aware that opening and operating a coffee shop requires a lot of hard work—and a lot of money—and that you may need a business loan for coffee shops to cover all of your expenses. You’ll most likely be able to locate a business loan for your cafe that helps you accomplish your goals, depending on what you want to spend it on.
You may get a business loan to establish a new shop, expand to a new location, acquire a new drum roaster, or buy that expensive-but-so-worth-it lot of rare green coffee from your supplier.
We’ll go through the main choices for cafe and coffee shop business loans, as well as several situations in which they’re helpful.
The Good News About Coffee Shop Business Loans
If you’re searching for a business loan for a coffee shop, the good news is that you have choices.
To obtain permission, you don’t even have to be lucrative. Rather, lenders are interested in statistics such as your credit score and your company’s cash flow, which show your debt-paying history and how likely you are to repay your loan, respectively. It takes a long time for a company, particularly a coffee shop, to become profitable. Fortunately, lenders are aware of this.
As a result, you might consider applying for a term loan with a lot of flexibility. However, if your credit isn’t as good or you don’t have a lot of company experience, you may take a different approach. For example, obtaining a company loan to purchase café equipment.
Cafes & Coffee Shops Get the Best Business Loans
Let’s look at the alternatives with that in mind. This list isn’t comprehensive of the kinds of business loans available to cafes and coffee shops, but it’s probable that anything on it will meet your needs:
SBA Loan is the best coffee shop loan for a new cafe.
For good reason, the SBA loan is regarded as the gold standard of company financing. The US Small Business Administration guarantees up to 85% of these loans, which are provided by lenders, most of which are small banks. That implies the lender is at a reduced risk in the event of a borrower failure. And the good news is that they will pass that information on to you.
SBA loans are the most generous in terms of financing (up to $5.5 million), term length (up to 25 years), and interest rates (basically the lowest available). For a coffee shop owner, this is the perfect scenario. Of course, you’ll need to be able to qualify for these loans, which typically demand excellent credit (usually 680+), many years in company, and solid revenue and financials.
The most popular program, SBA 7(a) loans, gives borrowers a lot of leeway in how they spend their money. You may use the money to pay off previous debt, use it as working capital, and so on. Assume, though, that you’re seeking to purchase a building for your coffee business. Consider an SBA 504/CDC loan, which is designed especially for the purchase of big fixed assets, such as commercial real estate. The second-most popular program among small company owners is this one.
Many of the finest coffee shops are committed to giving back to their communities by providing programming, education, and charitable work, among other things. If this describes you, you may be eligible for an SBA microloan. These loans are intended for younger companies with less experience, and they only go up to $50,000. Businesses that have a positive effect on their communities, support marginalized groups, or are owned by women or veterans are often honored.
Another essential fact to remember regarding SBA loans is that obtaining one takes a significant amount of time and work. Translation? There’s no easy cure here. However, if you think you qualify, it’s worth the effort to apply since SBA loans are hard to match when it comes to conditions that benefit company owners.
Another way to fund a new coffee shop is to take out a term loan.
Don’t worry if you like the concept of an SBA 7(a) loan but don’t have the financial requirements to be approved. Term loans, which are generally what you think of as “conventional” company loans—a lump amount put into your business bank account for you to utilize as flexible working capital—might still be an option.
It’s worth noting that certain company term loans demand you to have worked in the industry for a certain amount of time. But what if you want to start a second coffee shop as a side business, or if you need money to do so? A term loan may be a good option for you.
Another advantage of term loans, particularly medium-term loans, is that repayment arrangements vary across lenders. So, if you’re seeking to make monthly payments rather than weekly, you may be able to locate a lender that can accommodate your needs.
Equipment Financing is the best business loan for cafe supplies.
There’s no getting past the reality that coffee businesses need a variety of equipment, both large and little, to operate. Cups and plates, for sure; seats, tables, and sofas; sound systems; espresso machines and brewers; dishwashers—we’re sure you know what we’re talking about.
If you don’t need the flexibility of general working capital and only need the money to purchase the La Pavoni you’ve always wanted, equipment financing may be a better option. With this kind of cafe supplies business loan, you’ll get a quotation from your vendor and submit it to a prospective lender, who will then provide you with the funds to complete your purchase after you’ve been accepted.
Equipment loans provide a number of advantages, including the fact that they are somewhat simpler to acquire than term loans. However, equipment financing is also “self-collateralizing,” which implies that the supplies you buy with the money will act as collateral for the loan if you fail. If you don’t pay, the lender may take your La Pavoni, for example, but you won’t have to put up any extra collateral.
You can also obtain rapid approval for these coffee shop loans, so if your refrigerator breaks, you may be able to acquire money to replace it quickly.
Another excellent cafe supply loan is a business line of credit.
Perhaps you don’t need such a large investment as that espresso machine or refrigerator. Consider the case when you need a dozen new tables or all new dishware. It’s more than you’d want to charge on your company credit card.
A company line of credit may come in handy in this situation. It functions similarly to a company credit card in that you have a line of credit to spend against, but it also resembles a conventional term loan in that you must apply to a lender for approval. Then, when you wish to “draw” from it, i.e. spend against it, you may have the company line of credit available. Unlike other types of loans, though, you only pay interest on what you utilize.
The flexibility of this kind of business financing appeals to many coffee shop operators. It’s excellent for last-minute purchases, but it’s also fantastic for capital-intensive possibilities (like that once-in-a-lifetime, deeply discounted Probat roaster currently on sale from your competitor who just went out of business).
Invoice Financing is the best coffee shop financing for cash flow.
Maybe you owe money to your green provider, but you don’t have the funds to pay them. That event you catered last month, for which you’re still waiting for payment? They’re in the same boat as you, and they can’t afford to pay you.
If your cash flow is inconsistent and you have unpaid bills, invoice finance may help you bridge the gap. With this kind of coffee shop financing, you negotiate with a lender to get up to 85% of the outstanding invoice paid up front, and when you eventually get paid, the lender will give you the remaining 15%, less their costs. No, giving up any part of a payment isn’t ideal, but it’s frequently necessary if you need cash.
Poor Credit Coffee Shop Financing: Merchant Cash Advance
Let’s get one thing straight: merchant cash advance borrowing is one of the most costly types of coffee shop business loans. However, if you need money right now and your credit isn’t great, this kind of financing allows you to get cash in return for a portion of your daily credit and debit card sales.
However, many coffee shops and cafés rely heavily on credit cards, with some even becoming cashless. A merchant cash advance is an alternative for a short-term loan if you earn a significant proportion of your daily income and can afford a little daily deduction from your cash flow.
If you don’t want to take out a business loan, you have another option for financing your coffee shop.
We’ve been talking about debt-based financing, which is clearly not the same as equity-based financing.
These are alternatives in which you take on debt and return it at a higher rate while keeping ownership of your café.
You do, however, have the option of looking into something like angel funding. You’ll give up some ownership in your coffee business if you hire an investor, but you won’t have to take on debt.
To be honest, most entrepreneurs—regardless of the kind of company they own—do not have this choice. Finding investors is difficult! However, if you believe that someone in your community would be interested in investing in your company, or if you have a unique business strategy (like a coffee shop-laundromat hybrid—yes, it exists! ), you may be able to attract an investor.
When dealing with an investor, keep in mind that you’ll have someone who is interested in your finances and will frequently want to give you advice. Partnering with an investor requires a high level of accountability. And, on occasion, having someone else with skin in the game is beneficial. However, it is a shift in the method you may be accustomed to working, so keep that in mind.
Remember: Before you begin, figure out why you need a coffee shop loan.
Above all, remember that in coffee shop company finance, it’s critical to match the why to the how—that is, you need to know why you’re looking for money before you can figure out how to obtain it. Not every kind of company loan will be able to help you finance your project.
The urgency with which you need funds, as well as the time and work required to prepare an application, are both considerations, as is your own personal creditworthiness. Check your own candidate profile to ensure that your expectations are in line with the realities of small business finance. It will then be much easier to match your objectives to the type of financing that is both right for you as an entrepreneur and right for your company.
But, as we’ve always maintained, you can achieve your objectives, and the appropriate instrument for funding cafes and coffee shops exists. Knowing what you have to work with is half the fight.