Swiftbank Lenders, a small-business funding service in Grand Forks, North Dakota, explains funding for bars and taverns: equipment financing for draft systems, coolers and kitchens, term loans for remodels, working capital for slow stretches and merchant cash advances (not loans). It covers liquor-license questions, financing agreements, what partners review and Grand Forks County bar counts.
| Bar employers, county | 31 (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Bar employees, county | 392 (CBP 2023) |
| Bars in ZIP 58201 | 12 (ZBP 2023) |
| Share under five employees | 19.4% (CBP 2023) |
How a Bar's Cash Moves
Bars collect at the point of sale, and distributors are paid for product on terms the supplier sets. Labor is another large cost. Equipment does a lot of work: glycol draft systems, back-bar coolers, ice machines, dishwashers and, for taverns with food, a full kitchen line.
Where sales are daily and card-based, a receipts-based advance is one option a bar may be offered. Compare total dollar cost before choosing.
Bar Equipment Financing Options
Draft systems, walk-in coolers, ice machines, POS terminals, sound and lighting, and kitchen equipment can be financed through an equipment loan or lease. A loan gives you ownership; a lease can make sense for POS and audio-visual gear that dates quickly. Equipment built into the space, like a glycol line in the walls, can be harder for a partner to treat as collateral.
Worked numbers, hypothetical (not an offer)
A tavern replaces a 12-tap draft system and two back-bar coolers, quoted together at $36,000. Six thousand down leaves $30,000 to finance. The owner compares the monthly payment with the cost of product lost to warm lines and service calls on the old system.
Liquor Licenses and Financing: A Legal Question First
Whether a license can be transferred, pledged or financed is a legal question that depends on state and local rules, so this site does not answer it. Partners may consider a bar's license status when they review a request, and buyers of an existing bar should have an attorney review the license transfer before closing.
Remodels and Expansions
A new patio, a bigger bar top, or a kitchen added to a bar that served only drinks are long-lived improvements suited to a term loan. Remodels may need permits; the timing matters for your reopening date.
Bar Financing Agreements: Read Before You Sign
- Total amount to be paid or remitted, in dollars
- Whether payments are fixed or a share of card sales
- Personal guarantee and collateral terms
- Prepayment terms or early-payoff discounts
- Which events trigger default, and the remedies that follow
A merchant cash advance is a purchase of future receipts, not a loan; it is collected from card sales or bank debits until the purchased amount is delivered. For recurring gaps, compare the total dollar cost of working capital or a line with the total remitted on the advance.
Bars in Grand Forks County, ND: The Census Counts
Grand Forks County had 31 drinking places (NAICS 7224) with 392 employees and $6.8 million in annual payroll in 2023 (County Business Patterns). Most employ five or more people: only 19.4% had fewer than five employees. Twelve had a ZIP 58201 address (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023), and 4 bars operated without payroll in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics).
For context, the county also counted 21 employers classified as other gambling industries (NAICS 713290) in 2023 (CBP); this site makes no claim about how those relate to local bars.
Buying an Existing Bar in Grand Forks, ND
Buying a bar means buying a lease, equipment, a customer base and a license whose transfer is a legal process. Partners funding the purchase read the seller's tax returns, card processing history and the lease, and they want the license transfer settled by counsel. A partner may ask for a down payment and for a reserve to carry the first months under new ownership.
Bar Business Loans: What Partners Review
- Recent months of card-processor and bank statements
- Distributor invoices and a profit-and-loss statement
- Lease terms and remaining years
- Vendor quotes and contractor bids, itemized
- Any advance currently being remitted
Restaurants have their own page. Census counts for the county are on the Grand Forks, ND page, and other industries on the industry index.
