Copperford Finance helps Washington County, Wisconsin bar and tavern owners request funding. The county had 47 bars with employees in 2023. This page covers loans for a bar with a kitchen, bar equipment, how owners get a loan, small business loans for bars and taprooms, pub and tavern loans for remodels and patios, and buying a tavern.
At a glance
- Bars with employees, Washington County, WI
47 (County Business Patterns 2023)
- Employees at those bars
292 (County Business Patterns 2023)
- Bars with fewer than five employees
48.9% (County Business Patterns 2023)
Bars in Washington County, WI: Employers, Payroll and Small Staffs
County Business Patterns counted 47 drinking places with employees in Washington County, WI in 2023, employing 292 people with an annual payroll of $4.5 million, about $15,524 per employee (our arithmetic) (County Business Patterns 2023). Just under half, 48.9%, had fewer than five employees, and 11 had a ZIP 53095 address (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023). Many taverns also serve food; those with a full kitchen may be counted as restaurants instead.
Bars are small employers in the county's data: the 47 bars employed 292 people (County Business Patterns 2023), about six per bar (our arithmetic). With small staffs, the owner's own credit and the tavern's deposit history carry much of a partner's reading.
Loan for a Bar and Restaurant in Washington County, WI: Kitchen and Bar Together
A tavern that adds a kitchen, or a bar and restaurant run together, funds both sides at once. Illustration only, invented figures: an invented $88,000 kitchen addition with a hood, fryers and a flat-top, over 84 months at an invented 9.75%, costs about $1,450 a month (our arithmetic). The partner reads food and bar sales separately where the point-of-sale system splits them.
Bar Equipment Financing for West Bend, WI Taps, Coolers and Ice Machines
Draft systems, glycol chillers, walk-in and reach-in coolers, ice machines and glass washers are bar equipment a partner can finance on its own. Illustration only, invented figures: an invented $26,000 draft system and cooler upgrade over 48 months at an invented 9.5% costs about $653 a month (our arithmetic). Some distributors offer draft-system programs; compare their totals with a partner's.
A draft system is plumbing as much as equipment: lines, a glycol chiller and towers are installed into the building. If the tavern leases its space, the lease should say who owns the system at the end, because a partner financing it needs to know it can be removed.
How Washington County, WI Bar Owners Get a Loan
- Gather card and cash deposits, sales tax filings and the last two business tax returns.
- Get quotes for the remodel or equipment, with installation listed.
- Read the lease: its remaining term and whether it can pass to a buyer.
- Call or send the request form with the use and the amount.
- Answer the partner's questions and read the offer in full.
Cash-heavy bars help their own case by depositing cash consistently, so deposits match the sales the tavern reports.
Small Business Loans for Washington County, WI Bars and Taprooms
Small business loans for bars and taprooms follow the same reading: deposits, the lease, existing payments and the owner's credit. A taproom attached to a brewery adds production equipment, which belongs on equipment financing. Liquor, beer and wine stock bought ahead of busy weeks can go on inventory financing or a line of credit.
A taproom that sells packaged beer to go also holds finished goods, and a partner can count those as inventory alongside kegs and cans waiting to ship.
Pub and Tavern Business Loans in Washington County, WI
Pub and tavern remodels earn over years. Illustration only, invented figures: an invented $54,000 patio with seating, heaters and a service window, over 72 months at an invented 9.75%, costs about $994 a month (our arithmetic). The partner reads whether the lease allows the patio and outlasts the loan.
Patio work often needs a permit and, for alcohol service outside, approval from the municipality. Build that approval into the schedule before the loan closes so the payments do not start months before the patio can open.
Business Loans to Buy a Washington County, WI Tavern
Buying an operating tavern buys its license position, equipment, lease and sales. Illustration only, invented figures: a buyer pays an invented $360,000, puts $72,000 down and finances the rest over 120 months at an invented 9.75%, about $3,766 a month (our arithmetic). Copperford does not arrange the building purchase if real estate is part of the sale. The article on loans to buy a business covers the steps from letter of intent to closing.
Buying a tavern that is already open is worked through in getting a loan to buy a business.
By Copperford Finance · Updated