Blueleaf Financial explains how to get a business loan for a coffee shop in Harrisburg, PA, aimed at owners who already run a cafe or food business. It covers espresso and kitchen equipment financing, build-out term loans, how a card-heavy shop can weigh an advance, and the records partners review, with Dauphin County, PA restaurant figures.
Who This Post Is For
Funding partners review a business's track record, so this post is written for owners who already operate: a cafe adding a second site, a bakery adding an espresso bar, a restaurant converting space to a coffee counter. A brand-new venture with no sales history faces a different conversation that this site does not target.
Coffee Shops in the Dauphin County, PA Counts
Coffee shops fall within limited-service eating places in the Census codes. Dauphin County, PA had 251 limited-service restaurant employers in 2023, 37.8% with fewer than five employees, part of 527 restaurant and eating-place employers overall (CBP 2023). The Nonemployer Statistics counted 81 limited-service eateries with no payroll in 2024, a separate program and year.
The figures do not separate coffee shops from other counter-service food, so treat them as the broader setting rather than a count of cafes.
How to Get a Small Business Loan for a Coffee Shop: Equipment First
The espresso machine, grinders, brewers, refrigeration, ice machine and point-of-sale system are the core purchase. Equipment financing lets those items carry much of the deal; partners look at vendor quotes and whether items are new or refurbished. Refurbished espresso machines from reputable service companies can make sense.
Hypothetical, for arithmetic only: a two-group espresso machine, two grinders and a brewer cost $26,000. At about 180 drinks a day and roughly $1.80 of gross profit per drink after milk, coffee and cups, the bar earns about $324 a day, or $9,700 over 30 days, before labor and rent. The equipment payment is a small slice of that if volume holds.
Counters, Plumbing and a Second Cafe
Plumbing, counters, seating and ventilation are build-out costs, which a term loan can fund. Bring the contractor's estimate, the lease and the current shop's statements. The restaurant funding page covers second-site questions in more depth.
Card-Heavy Cafes and Merchant Cash Advances
A coffee shop with card-heavy sales may be offered a merchant cash advance. An advance is not a loan: the provider buys future card receipts and collects a share of daily sales. Compare its total dollar cost with equipment financing or a term loan before deciding, especially for long-lived purchases.
Coffee Shop Business Loan Checklist
- Card terminal and bank statements for the existing business
- Last year's business tax return
- Vendor quotes for equipment
- Contractor estimate and lease for any build-out
- A simple projection of daily drink volume and average ticket
By Blueleaf Financial · Updated
