True cost — by format
Bar build, draft system, ice and glass washing drive equipment. Homebase puts equipment + furniture at $75,000-$150,000 and opening liquor inventory at $10,000-$15,000 for ~80 core SKUs; wider guides go to $50,000 inventory, hence the wide inventory band. Liquor license itself is excluded here and varies $300 to $400,000+ by state/county. Toast bar guide average total cited at ~$480,000, range $110,000-$850,000.
| Line | Range |
|---|---|
| Typical size | 1,500–3,500 sq ft |
| Build-out (new build) | $200–$400 per sq ft |
| Equipment package | $75,000–$150,000 |
| Opening inventory | $10,000–$25,000 |
| Worked example — build-out at 2,500 sq ft | $500,000–$1,000,000 |
These ranges are the shell. Your real total adds the lines only a dataset can fill: your state's permit fees, your team's certificates, your liquor path and the dead rent while it processes. That is exactly what the calculator does.
Don't read the table — run your verdict. Your state + this format + your space and liquor plan — one labeled total.
Included in the $49 Opening Pack: the filled templates, trackers, calendars and worksheets for this door — built from the same dated datasets as the free checker above.
Sources: Homebase — How Much Does It Cost to Start a Bar?; RestaurantSupply / Toast Bar Startup Cost Guide summary, 2026-07 — researched range, labeled as such; regulated lines come from the datasets. Dataset checked October 23, 2026. Where a fee or rule is set by a county or city, this page says so instead of guessing a number.