Brewery, Winery and Distillery Feasibility Study in the Rochester, NY Metro Area

The densest concentration in this group

Rochester ranks 19 of 443 for breweries, wineries and distilleries, and the class is 6 of 39 within the area. A location quotient of 2.47x puts beverage producers far above their national share of loans. The record holds 45 approvals worth $13.9 million, FY2017 through FY2026.

Small producers

The midpoint of $100,000 is 0.34x the national midpoint, and typical loans run from $50,000 to $195,000. That points to craft-scale producers: small brewhouses, cideries, tasting rooms and equipment upgrades rather than large production plants. Under 7(a) there are 37 loans, and 8 under 504. The franchise share is 0.00%.

The class definition

A borrower in this code makes beer, wine or spirits; whether a tap room or visitor business exists cannot be seen. The class was narrowed on 2026-11-10 to these three industries, so wine, beer and spirits producers are all here, and the rest of manufacturing is not.

Holders and counties

Five Star Bank (NY) is listed on 14 loans worth $2.1 million with Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company right behind on 11 worth $1.7 million. Monroe County has 21 loans and Ontario County 11, so the record reaches into the Finger Lakes side of the metro. These are the holders SBA lists now.

Years and floors

FY2017 is printed with 11 loans and $2.4 million, FY2019 with 6 and $295,000, FY2021 with 5 and $698,000, and FY2024 with 6 and $4.3 million. Other years are hidden. No loss rate is printed for the cell, whether cancellation or charge-off, and a gap of that kind is not a zero.

Testing a Finger Lakes producer

A study should test the production plan: batch size, equipment price, and the volume that must be sold to cover the payment. It should check the federal and state licenses a producer needs and how long they take, and the mix of channels: distributors, wholesale to restaurants, direct shipping where lawful, and the tasting room. If tourism is part of the plan, seasonality has to be shown month by month. Agricultural inputs and a farm-winery structure add their own questions. Because loans are small, the study should say what each dollar buys. The appraiser should value equipment and real estate apart from the brand.