Short answer
Merchant Fund Express funds existing coffee, tea and beverage franchise owners with business loans, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, lines of credit, equipment financing and working capital from $5,000 to $5,000,000. Common uses are espresso machines and grinders, ice machines and blenders, drive-thru and mobile-order upgrades, cup and syrup inventory, and barista payroll. Send three months of statements and ID; a complete file usually gets a decision in 2–4 hours.
Where coffee and beverage owners need cash
Espresso and brewing
Commercial espresso machines, grinders and brewers are expensive and get used hard every morning.
Ice and cold
Ice machines, reach-ins and milk storage. Cold drinks need cold capacity; see refrigeration.
Drive-thru and mobile
Order boards, timers, app ordering and POS upgrades that speed the line.
Supplies and payroll
Cups, lids, syrups, tea and boba stock, plus baristas paid before card batches clear.
Which funding fits which beverage need
| Need | Fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New espresso machine or grinder | Equipment financing | The machine anchors the deal |
| Ice machine failure in July | Merchant cash advance | Fast cash, repaid as a share of deposits |
| Stock up on cups and syrups at a discount | Working capital | One-time buy, repaid from sales |
| Barista payroll between settlements | Business line of credit | Draw only for the gap |
| Cold-drink summer, slow winter (or the reverse) | Revenue-based financing | Payments move with revenue |
| Drive-thru lane or patio refresh | Franchise business loans | Lump sum on a set schedule |
How a beverage store's deposits read
Coffee and tea shops are high-ticket-count, low-ticket-size businesses. Deposits are frequent and steady, which reads well in a fast review. Mobile-order and app revenue may settle on a different schedule from in-store cards; if it lands in another account, include those statements.
Seasonality cuts both ways. Hot-coffee brands peak in cold months; boba, smoothie-style and iced-drink brands peak in summer. Name your peak season on the application so the reviewer reads your three months in context. If your swing is large, see the seasonal cash flow page.
Hypothetical example, not a past deal: a drive-thru coffee owner needs a second espresso machine to cut morning wait times and a new ice machine before summer. Both are equipment; a single equipment financing package sized to deposits covers them.
Coffee and beverage brands we fund
Brand pages live now: Dunkin'.
Owners of these brands apply the same way: 7 Brew, Biggby Coffee, Ellianos Coffee, Gong cha, Kung Fu Tea, PJ's Coffee, Scooter's Coffee, The Human Bean, Ziggi's Coffee.
Running a brand that is not named here? Put the brand on the application. Merchant Fund Express funds the location on its own deposits, whatever the logo over the door.
Smoothie and juice brands have their own page: smoothies and juice. Coffee shops that are part of a larger quick-service operation, see quick-service.
Mistakes that slow a coffee file
Statements from the wrong account
Send the business account where the store's card and app deposits land, not a personal account.
Leases left off
Espresso machines are often leased. List the lease payment so the new payment is sized right.
No peak-season note
A boba shop in February or a hot-coffee drive-thru in July reads better with one line of context.
Fix those and the file reads in one pass. Coffee owners also ask whether to finance a machine or just use cash flow. If the machine will run for years, financing it keeps cash free for payroll and cups. If the need is small and short, a line of credit draw is often simpler. Merchant Fund Express will tell you which fits on the first call back.
What to send
No tax returns to apply. 500+ FICO accepted. Sole proprietors and ITIN applicants are welcome; se habla español.
Owner questions, answered
Can a coffee franchise owner finance an espresso machine?
Yes. Commercial espresso machines and grinders at an open store are a standard Merchant Fund Express equipment request.
Can a boba or tea franchise apply?
Yes. Any operating beverage franchise location depositing revenue into a business account can apply.
How fast is the decision?
Usually 2–4 hours on a complete file. Same-day funding is available, and funding often arrives the next business day.
I have one store and a second under construction. Can you fund the new one?
Not the build-out. The open store can fund its own needs; see the second location page.
Do mobile-order payouts count?
Yes. Include the statements for wherever those payouts land.
Are you affiliated with any coffee or beverage franchise?
No. Merchant Fund Express is independent. Brand names only identify the owners the page is for.
Keep going
Merchant Fund Express is a separate company with no franchisor ties. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.