Slateshire Finance, which arranges funding for food businesses in Sanford, NC and Lee County, breaks a downtown cafe project into its pieces: espresso and kitchen equipment, building out an older storefront, permits, and the first months of running costs. It explains how each piece can be funded, what partners look for, and how an existing business and a new one differ.
Break the cafe into fundable pieces
To get funding for a cafe, describe the project in pieces a partner can review:
- Equipment: espresso machine, grinders, brewers, refrigeration, ice machine, dishwasher, POS
- Build-out: counters, plumbing, electrical, flooring, seating, signage
- Opening stock: coffee, milk, cups, baked goods or ingredients
- Running costs: payroll and rent until sales cover them
Equipment is one piece that can be financed, with the machines as security. The equipment financing page sets owning against leasing for café gear.
Coffee businesses in Lee County, NC
County Business Patterns counted 12 snack and nonalcoholic beverage bar employers in Lee County, NC in 2023, the Census category that includes coffee shops, with 104 employees; half had fewer than five. For comparison, the county had 51 full-service and 57 limited-service restaurant employers.
Those are county figures. The Census data collected for this site does not single out downtown Sanford, so anything specific about a downtown block comes from your own research: foot traffic, nearby businesses and the building itself.
Older storefronts: permits and surprises
A downtown building can be older, and turning a retail space into a cafe can count as a change of use. Confirm with each office whether that brings requirements for plumbing, grease handling, accessibility or fire separation. Confirm zoning and permit needs before signing a lease; the zoning and permit checklist lists the questions.
Get the contractor's estimate after the permit questions are answered, not before, and add a contingency. An older building can hide problems.
The first months: payroll before the regulars
A new location takes time to build a daily crowd, while staff and rent start on opening day. Working capital or a line of credit can cover those months for an existing business opening a second spot. Illustration only, not an offer or a typical figure: a cafe with $9,000 of monthly payroll and $2,500 of rent that expects sales to cover costs by month four is carrying about three months, roughly $34,500, plus any shortfall in opening stock.
For a brand-new owner with no operating history, partners have less to review. Equipment financing secured by the machines is one structure a new owner can ask about; running costs at the start may need to come from other sources until there are months of sales to show.
What partners look for on a cafe request
- For an existing business: bank and card processing statements, tax returns and the cafe's sales history
- Vendor quotes listing each model number
- The lease and the contractor's build-out estimate
- A simple plan for the first months: expected sales, payroll and rent
- Existing loans, leases or advances
A merchant cash advance is based on card sales. It is not a loan; compare its total payback with equipment financing or working capital first.
Where to read more
The restaurant and cafe page covers kitchen equipment, remodels and second locations in more depth. County business figures are on the Sanford, NC page.
