This Bellcrest Lending Group article, from a small-business funding service in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, compares equipment financing options for bars and taverns and applies them to cafes, gyms and child care centers: loans, leases and supplier programs, what partners read, and how to size a payment. It cites Fond du Lac County figures for each business type.
Bar Equipment Financing Options in Brief
A bar can buy equipment with an equipment loan, lease it, take a supplier program, or use a line of credit for small items. Coolers, ice machines, glass washers, draft systems, point-of-sale systems and sound systems all qualify. Drinking places in Fond du Lac County, WI counted 42 employer establishments in 2023 with 214 employees (County Business Patterns).
- Equipment loan: you own it; the item secures the loan.
- Lease: lower payments, with a buyout or return at the end.
- Supplier or distributor program: check who owns the equipment.
- Line of credit: small items and repairs.
The wider picture is on the business loans for bars page.
Daycare equipment financing options in Fond du Lac, WI
Child care centers finance classroom furniture, cribs, playground equipment, kitchen equipment and vans. Child day care services counted 15 employers with 266 employees in Fond du Lac County, WI in 2023 (County Business Patterns), and 77 child care businesses without paid employees in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics, separate).
Playground equipment installed in the ground is harder to resell than a van, which a partner may weigh.
Business loans for gym equipment for Fond du Lac County, WI businesses
Gyms finance treadmills, bikes, racks, weights and flooring. Fitness and recreational sports centers counted 14 employers with 273 employees in the county in 2023 (County Business Patterns). Cardio machines with resale value suit equipment financing; flooring and a build-out suit a term loan.
Illustration only, invented figures: $45,000 of cardio and strength equipment over 48 months at 10% is about $1,141 a month (our arithmetic).
Working capital for gym equipment: what Fond du Lac, WI owners should know
Working capital for a gym covers payroll and rent while new equipment draws members. If equipment payments start before membership grows, the gap is working capital, separate from the equipment loan. Membership dues by bank draft give partners a steady record to read.
Illustration only, invented figures: a new rack area costing $1,140 a month in payments needs 24 new members at $48 a month to cover it ($1,140 divided by $48 is 23.75, our arithmetic).
Coffee shop equipment financing options around Fond du Lac, WI
Coffee shop equipment includes espresso machines, grinders, brewers, refrigerated cases and water filtration. Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, the Census group for cafes, counted 18 employers with 250 employees in the county in 2023 (County Business Patterns). Some roasters offer equipment programs tied to bean purchases; read who owns the machine.
Espresso machines can have a resale market, which supports equipment financing.
Coffee shop equipment financing requirements in Fond du Lac, WI
- A quote for each machine with model numbers.
- Recent bank statements plus card processor reports.
- Tax returns, if filed.
- The lease on the cafe, bar or studio space.
- Any supplier or roaster agreement.
Requirements vary by partner. Send the request through the request form or call (920) 274-3387.
Sizing a Bar's Equipment Payment Against Sales
Before financing a cooler wall or a new draft system, compare the payment with weekly sales. Illustration only, invented figures: a $26,000 draft and cooler package financed over 48 months at 10% costs about $659 a month (our arithmetic). A bar with $12,000 in weekly sales, about $52,000 a month ($12,000 times 52, divided by 12, our arithmetic), spends roughly 1.3% of monthly sales on that payment (our arithmetic).
Run the same check for each item, and add them together before signing several agreements at once.
Supplier Programs Versus Financing on Your Own Terms
A distributor or roaster may place a draft system or espresso machine in exchange for buying its products. That can save cash up front, but it ties you to the supplier and the equipment may not be yours. Price the products you would buy anyway and compare with financing the equipment yourself.
More articles are on the blog, and equipment financing covers loans and leases in detail.
By Bellcrest Lending Group · Updated
