SBA 504 Liquor Store Feasibility Study in California

The SBA 504 book for liquor stores in California

The SBA 504 record for liquor stores in California runs to 38 loans and $27.1 million approved, counting FY2017 to FY2026 in California. Half the California loans sit at or below $640,500; the middle half of liquor stores spans $472,500 up to $895,500. Next to liquor stores nationally under SBA 504, California shows a median ratio of 1.15x, which puts California above the national figure for liquor stores. No California liquor stores loan is flagged as a franchise, so California's share reads 0.00%.

For SBA 504 loans to liquor stores, California stands at rank 1 among states, while within California the class ranks 21 of 39. FY2026 was the California high point, 9 loans and $5.9 million together, and FY2026 lists 9 loans worth $5.9 million. California tops every state for 504 liquor store lending, the national leader for the class, here separated from the 7(a) loans the blended page mixes in.

Most California loans sit with The Mortgage Capital Development Corporation, which holds 12 worth $10.2 million. Next come CDC Small Business Finance Corp.: 7 loans, $5.1 million in all and Business Finance Capital: 7 loans, $4.6 million in all. SBA's California file puts The Mortgage Capital Development Corporation first among 38 loans, where each name holds or held liquor stores loans; none is rated. Among counties of California, Los Angeles shows 9 loans; next are San Diego with 5 and Alameda with 3. Lower on the list are Santa Clara 3, Napa 2 and Orange 2.

Reading the outcome floors for California liquor stores

With 38 liquor stores loans in California, the California cancellation cohort is too small, just as the California funded cohort cannot carry a loss rate. Nothing here asserts zero. Only loans in SBA's California files appear.

What a California liquor store study must show

A 504 loan reaches only the real estate and equipment side of a liquor store, so the study must show how the license and inventory are funded near Los Angeles. Licensing comes first; confirm that it transfers. Competition includes supermarkets selling wine and beer. Margins differ by category, so test payments on a loan near $640,500 when high-margin lines grow slowly. An appraiser values building, license and stock apart. Permitted sale hours and delivery rules limit what an Arizona store can earn.