Cash advances for UK wine bars.
For independent wine bars, natural-wine specialists, and small-plates operators. Funded against your card takings. Built for operators stocking £20k of wine to sell three glasses at a time.
What MCA means for a wine bar.
Wine bars sit between bar and restaurant in revenue terms. Card mix typically 75-90%, gross margins lower than spirit-led bars but average spend per customer higher. Specialist natural-wine and small-batch operators face the additional challenge of supplier minimums and limited-allocation lots. Common uses: vintage/import stock buy, by-the-glass programme rollout, retail-takeaway corner build-out, glassware programme, supper-club kitchen upgrade, marketing for wine club launches, second-site working capital.
Sound familiar?
Vintage allocation buys.
Specialist importers offer limited-allocation wines that have to be paid for upfront. Often 6-12 months before serving. £8k to £40k tied up in stock that doesn't move quickly.
MCA frees working capital for allocation buys. Repayment paced through ongoing trade. Lender comfortable with stock investment because daily card flow continues regardless.
Coravin or by-the-glass system rollout.
Coravin or argon-based by-the-glass preservation systems unlock a much wider wine list at glass prices. £4k to £15k of equipment plus inventory rebalancing.
MCA funds the system and the wider stock investment. Margin lift from premium glass-pour offer feeds back into card takings, which the daily repayment % draws from.
Retail/takeaway corner build-out.
Many wine bars now sell bottles to take away or for delivery. £10k to £30k of fit-out plus stock holding for the retail offer. Higher-margin than glass-pour but ties up cash.
MCA funds the retail launch. New revenue stream feeds card takings. Particularly strong fit because retail card transactions are simple and add to overall daily card flow.
Here's what it actually costs.
A natural-wine bar borrows £20,000 for vintage allocation buy and Coravin programme rollout. Monthly card takings: £42,000. £20,000. Average monthly card takings £42,000. Fixed cost 1.22. 12% daily repayment % on card sales, total cost £4,400.
These figures are illustrative. If a term loan or asset finance fits your situation better, we'll tell you.
Open the fixed cost calculator →Work out the real cost.
New businesses typically start at a higher daily % and a shorter term.
Illustrative only, not a quote.
- Advance£20,000
- vs card takings48%
- Fixed cost1.22
- Daily repayment£166
- Avg monthly£5,040
- Est. term4.8 months
Illustrative. The fixed cost is set on day one; daily repayment varies with takings. Term capped at 18 months.
Illustrative only, not a quote. Every figure here is subject to the funder. Funders advance anywhere from 100% up to 150% of monthly card takings, so 150% is not guaranteed, and the fixed cost is not guaranteed either. Your actual advance, fixed cost and terms depend on the funder and your business profile.
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Apply with these numbersWine bars, quick answers.
Helps. High transaction count, predictable evening pattern, very high card mix (90%+). Wine bars are one of the cleanest hospitality MCA fits.
Funding options for wine bars
Wine bars sell glass after glass on card, with a steady evening pattern and very high card mix. A merchant cash advance (MCA), also known as a PDQ cash advance or card machine loan, turns those takings into working capital for stock buys, Coravin programmes, or retail build-out. Repaid as a percentage of daily card sales. Advances from £10,000 to £1,000,000. See PDQ cash advance →
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