Coffee Shop Feasibility Study in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area

Where Washington stands for this class

Washington accounts for 127 SBA approvals to coffee shops from FY2017 to FY2026, for $46.1 million in gross dollars. By rank, Washington is 14 of 612 among metro and micro areas, and cafes and snack bars hold 10 of 39 inside the area's own lending classes. Set beside the national mix, coffee shops fill a smaller place of Washington lending, a location quotient of 0.93x. The Washington median loan is $280,000, 1.17x the class median nationwide. Smaller tickets cluster near $74,000; the larger end of the typical span reaches $500,000.

Coffee shop loans by program in Washington

Franchise-affiliated borrowers make up 49.6% of coffee shop loans here. This table lists no 504 lender for coffee shops and snack bars in Washington. Loan Analytics withholds the split of loans by program for cafes and snack bars in Washington, because one program holds too few loans to print without exposing a small figure. Under 7(a), the biggest holder is Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, with 27 loans and $5.2 million; TD Bank, National Association ranks second at 10, and Hanmi Bank follows at 7. The names above are today's holders of these loans as SBA reports them; the table shows who carries the paper now and says nothing about the original decision or any holder's requirements.

Where in Washington and when

Project counties rank Fairfax County, VA first (27), District of Columbia, DC next (23) and Loudoun County, VA third (15). Volume was highest in FY2026, with 31 approvals worth $18.2 million, and lowest in FY2020, with 6 loans worth $1.3 million. Neither FY2017 nor FY2018 carries a printed count or dollar total, because Loan Analytics withholds years built on very few loans; that does not mean nobody was approved.

Washington cancellations, losses and county lines

Washington should be read as a county-based number: by SBA's count, SBA's project county, in practice, paired by name to 2023 areas, determines inclusion for coffee shops and snack bars. At least 11.4% of coffee shop approved loans in Washington were cancelled once approved within FY2017 to FY2024, a floor; treating approvals still undisbursed as cancelled brings it to 11.4%, a ceiling. The loss rate for coffee shops and snack bars in Washington has no printed figure: the funded cohort has fewer than 30 loans.

Testing a cafes and snack bars project in Washington

Demand is where a study begins when coffee shops and snack bars are proposed for Washington: drinks against food sales, plus chains and local roasters. A record of 127 approvals is context, not evidence for one location. The coverage test should allow for a sluggish initial period, since Washington shows coffee shop approvals that did not run as approved. Costs to price include bean and supplier contracts, and rent set against what a small footprint can sell; the sum then goes beside Washington loans of $74,000 to $500,000, with $280,000 at the center. Last, for the record, the appraisal of a Washington site for coffee shops and snack bars should address a recipe a buyer may not want, along with sales tied to one corner.