Best funding for a bar or nightclub
Figures verified 2026-09-21
Bars and nightclubs qualify on the standard floor — 600 FICO, 6 months, $60,000 a year, $800 minimum average daily balance, two positions maximum. The complication in this trade is not the licence or the hours, it is cash: takings that never reach the business account are invisible to underwriting, and a bar that banks half its revenue is read as half its size.
Weekend-heavy revenue is not a problem; thin weekdays are
A bar making most of its money Thursday to Saturday is completely normal and underwriting expects it. What does cost you is the balance between those peaks: the test is the average daily balance across the month, not the balance the morning after a good Saturday. Leaving a float in the account through the week does more for the file than a single strong weekend.
What you need to qualify
| Program | Min FICO | Min time in business | Min revenue | Positions allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue-based financing | 600 | 6 months | $60,000/yr | Up to 2 |
| Bank-style line of credit | 650 | 3 years | $300,000/yr | Up to 2 |
| Bank-style term loan | 650 | 3 years | $300,000/yr | First position only |
| Renewal of an existing advance | 550 | 2 years | Set by the original | No add-on if another position exists |
How much, and on what terms
| Product | Amount | Term | Cost and conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line of credit | $10,000 – $350,000 | 12–36 months | From 1%/mo, 2.49% draw fee, $10,000 minimum draw |
| Term loan | $10,000 – $250,000 | 12–18 months | 0% origination; capped at 15% of annual revenue |
| Revenue-based financing | Set by monthly deposits | Varies | Repaid as a share of receipts |
What your bank statements have to show
| Measure | Threshold | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum average daily balance | $800 | revenue-based |
| Minimum average balance | $5,000 or 10% of monthly revenue, whichever is greater | bank-style |
| Deposits per month | 8 or more | bank-style |
| NSFs per month | 6 maximum (24 per rolling 6 months) | bank-style |
| NSFs + negative days per month | 5 maximum combined | revenue-based |
| Negative days per month | 3 maximum (9 per rolling 6 months) | bank-style |
Common questions
Does a liquor licence affect funding?
Can a bar with mostly cash sales get funded?
Can I fund a build-out or a refit?
Is seasonality a problem for a seasonal venue?
Why we publish our numbers
Most pages answering this question give you a range and tell you to call. These are the actual thresholds an application is measured against, so you can tell before you apply whether you clear them. They are reviewed and updated here when they change.