Aspenhollow Business Capital, based in Olympia, WA, arranges coffee shop financing through funding partners: commercial espresso machine financing, equipment for a full café, term loans for build-outs, and working capital. Thurston County, WA had 105 snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in 2023 with 1,198 paid employees. This page explains each option.
| Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars | 105 (CBP 2023, NAICS 722515) |
|---|---|
| Paid employees | 1,198 |
| Annual payroll | $29.0 million |
| Share under 5 employees | 27.6% |
| With no employees | 10 (NES 2024) |
The café cash cycle
A coffee shop may earn small amounts many times a day. Milk, beans and cups may be bought weekly; baristas are paid every pay period. The large costs come at the start and at replacement time: the espresso machine, grinders, brewers, refrigeration, a water filtration system, and the counter and seating. Coffee shop loans can follow that split: equipment financing for the machines, a term loan for the space, working capital for everything in between.
Commercial espresso machine financing
Commercial espresso machine financing is one use. A multi-group machine, matched grinders and water treatment are durable equipment that can be resold, which gives a partner an asset to value. An espresso machine loan, lease or equipment finance agreement can all work; compare the total cost and what happens at the end of the term. Coffee machine financing for batch brewers and grinders can be bundled into the same request.
Try the espresso machine financing calculator to see the monthly payment and the total cost including the down payment for a price, rate and term you enter, and read financing espresso equipment for an Olympia, WA café before shopping.
How to get a loan for a coffee shop
- Price the equipment and the build-out separately.
- Decide what can be bought used or refurbished.
- Gather bank and card statements, or for a new café, a plan with costs.
- Have the lease or letter of intent ready.
- Call or send the online request, and say which items you want financed.
Coffee shop equipment financing is backed by the equipment, a different structure from unsecured funding; compare both on total cost.
Counters, plumbing and the cash to open
Plumbing, electrical, drains and counters make a café build-out costly. A term loan for the space and equipment financing for the machines keeps each matched to its working life. Working capital covers opening stock and payroll until sales settle. Because cafés run on card sales, advances can be offered; an advance is not a loan, and the merchant cash advance page explains how to total its cost.
Illustrative example: a two-group machine
A hypothetical example, for illustration only. A café prices a two-group espresso machine, two grinders and water filtration at $24,000, and puts $4,000 down. If a partner offered a 48-month term, the calculator would show the monthly payment for whatever rate the partner quotes, plus the total cost including the $4,000 down payment. Compare that total, not just the payment, with a lease for the same equipment.
Coffee shops and cafés in Thurston County, WA
Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars (NAICS 722515), the census code for coffee shops, juice bars and similar counters, counted 105 employer establishments in Thurston County, WA in 2023, with 1,198 paid employees and $29.0 million in payroll (County Business Patterns 2023). 27.6% had fewer than five employees, and 23 had a ZIP 98501 address (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023).
The separate Nonemployer Statistics program counted 10 businesses in the code with no paid employees in 2024; it is not compared with the employer counts.
Drink counts, plumbing and power: café checks
- How many drinks do you serve at the busiest hour, and does the machine keep up?
- Is the machine new, refurbished from a dealer, or a private sale?
- Does the space have the water, drainage and power the machine needs?
- Are any card receipts committed to an advance?
A partner may ask about these. A quote plus clear answers gives the review a starting point.
Drive-throughs and second locations
A café adding a drive-through window or a second location faces a project budget: construction, permits, a second machine set and extra wages while sales build. A term loan for the build and equipment financing for the machines keeps each matched to its life.
What partners commonly review
- Equipment quotes, itemized
- Card processing and bank statements
- The lease
- For new cafés: a cost plan and the owner's own investment
- Owner credit; existing debt
Partners do not publish thresholds.
Related pages
Full-menu operations are on restaurant funding. County context is on the Olympia, WA page; see all industries.
By Aspenhollow Business Capital · Updated