Craft Cidery Startup Costs: $265k CAPEX Plus Runway
A small US craft cidery with production space and a taproom needs at least $265,000 for listed production CAPEX in this plan, before lease deposits, permits, opening inventory, and working capital These are researched planning assumptions, not vendor quotes In Year 1, the model carries $395,000 of revenue, $21,926 of unit COGS, $18,960 of variable selling costs, $253,000 of payroll, and $135,600 of fixed overhead That creates an estimated $34,486 operating cash gap before financing and taxes, so total funding should include CAPEX plus launch runway
Cidery CAPEX Calculator Objective
Startup CAPEX Calculator
This estimates capitalized startup assets only for a craft cidery, including production equipment and taproom build-out items.
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What this excludes This CAPEX view excludes inventory, payroll runway, deposits, debt service, working capital, owner draw, operating losses, rent runway, financing fees, and other non-CAPEX funding needs.
Cidery Startup Cost Breakdown Table Objective
Startup cost summary
Shows the main buildout equipment and launch cash needed for a cider producer with tastings.
Highlighted CAPEX$265,000Base planning example
Excluded cash needs$738,000Outside CAPEX total
Funding need$1,003,000CAPEX + excluded cash needs
Cost Category
Base Estimate
Main Cost Driver
CAPEX Calculator
Fermentation Tanks
$100,000
Fermentation capacity
Yes
Cider Press
$45,000
Apple processing
Yes
Kegging Equipment
$25,000
Draft packaging
Yes
Canning Machine
$55,000
Packaged output
Yes
Bottling Line
$40,000
Bottled output
Yes
Operating Reserve
$738,000
Launch runway and cash buffer
No
What does this screenshot show?
The Craft Cidery Financial Model Template CAPEX tab organizes assumptions: $265,000 assets, startup costs, and depreciation. Validate quotes, permits, buildout.
Screenshot highlights
Month 1-7 equipment
Taproom and wholesale sales
Year 1 revenue: $395k
Payroll: $253k
Fixed costs: $135.6k
Cash gap before financing
Cidery Cost Scenarios Table Objective
Scenario table
Taproom size, packaging depth, and cold storage swing startup cash fast for a craft cidery, so Lean, Base, and Full show three different launch paths.
Lean, Base, and Full launch options for a craft cidery.
Scenario
Lean LaunchLower burn
Base LaunchModeled core
Full LaunchScale build
Launch model
Start with juice sourcing, a smaller taproom, and delayed canning or bottling.
Use the modeled setup with onsite press, kegging, canning, bottling, and taproom sales.
Build for higher volume with larger tanks, more storage, and more automation from day one.
Typical setup
Keep the press setup light and use mobile packaging only when demand is clear.
Build a standard production floor and taproom around the core equipment mix.
Add a bigger taproom, more cold storage, and heavier packaging and facility buildout.
Cost drivers
Juice sourcing
smaller taproom
delayed packaging
lower cold storage
lighter buildout
Onsite press
kegging
canning
bottling
taproom sales
Larger tanks
bigger taproom
cold storage
packaging automation
heavier buildout
Planning rangeCAPEX only
Lower funding bandCapital-light path
Mid funding bandModel-based path
Upper funding bandScale-first path
Best fit
Best for founders who want to test demand with less upfront spend and slower equipment buildout.
Best for founders who want the main model with balanced production and tasting-room revenue.
Best for capital-backed founders who want to chase volume and capacity early.
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Planning note: These scenario ranges are researched planning assumptions, not exact vendor quotes.
How much money do you need to open a cidery?
You need at least $299,486 to open a Craft Cidery: $265,000 in modeled CAPEX plus a $34,486 operating cash gap before financing and taxes. For setup steps, see How To Launch A Craft Cidery?, but don’t treat equipment cost as the full funding need.
Core Cash Need
Start with $265,000 modeled CAPEX
Add $34,486 early operating cash gap
Plan for $395,000 Year 1 revenue
Track cash before financing and taxes
Cash Not Included
Budget $32,383/month fixed cash burn
Payroll is $21,083/month in Year 1
Fixed overhead adds $11,300/month
Separate deposits, permits, inventory, insurance, contingency
Debt service and owner draw sit outside the core startup cost, so add them only after you choose loan terms and founder pay.
How should I build a cidery funding plan and financial projections?
Build the Craft Cidery plan in this order: uses of funds first, then Year 1 revenue, then runway. Start with $265,000 CAPEX, then separate startup expenses, opening inventory, deposits, and working capital; after that, layer in the Year 1 sales mix of 20,000 dry cider at $750, 6,000 flights at $1,800, 3,000 can packs at $2,200, 2,000 bottles at $2,800, and 600 T-shirts at $2,500. Then model payroll by role, fixed costs, COGS, 28% credit card fees, 12% to-go packaging, and 08% promotional events so you can show cash runway before you talk to lenders or investors.
Uses of funds
$265,000 CAPEX first
Split startup expenses separately
Include opening inventory and deposits
Reserve working capital for launch
Revenue and runway
Use Year 1 unit counts and prices
Model payroll by role
Add fixed costs and COGS
Apply 28%, 12%, and 08% costs
What hidden costs of opening a cidery get missed?
For Craft Cidery, the hidden cost is not just tanks and taproom build-out; it’s the pre-opening work around Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) permitting, state alcohol licensing, local zoning, label approvals where required, legal review, accounting setup, insurance paperwork, food or beverage compliance, training, deposits, and cash to cover a slow ramp. For a fuller cost breakdown, see What Does It Cost To Run A Craft Cidery? The recurring load alone is $9,100/month, and Year 1 can still show a $34,486 cash gap before financing and taxes.
Pre-opening costs
TTB and state licensing first
Local zoning can slow opening
Legal and accounting setup add cash
Training and deposits hit before sales
Monthly carry
$500 licensing compliance
$1,200 property insurance
$400 POS software
$2,000 marketing and $5,000 lease
Key Takeaways
Equipment CAPEX starts near $265,000 before upgrades.
Compliance costs recur monthly and vary by location.
Year 1 inventory and payroll drive early burn.
Craft Cidery Core Five Startup Costs
Production Equipment Startup Expense
Equipment CAPEX
This is CAPEX, not a monthly cost. The equipment set totals $265,000: $100,000 tanks, $45,000 press, $25,000 kegging, $55,000 canning, and $40,000 bottling, plus pumps, hoses, filtration, cleaning systems, and cold-side upgrades. The packaging block alone is $95,000.
Size the Line
Start with batch capacity and the production path. If apples are pressed onsite, the cider press stays in scope; if juice is sourced, that spend can move out. Size tanks to planned fermentation volume, then quote each major unit. One line: buy for the process you will actually run.
Press onsite or source juice.
Match tanks to batch size.
Quote each major unit.
Stage Purchases
Do not treat canning and bottling as one decision. If draft and kegs cover launch demand, defer the $55,000 canning machine and $40,000 bottling line. That keeps spend tied to sales mix, not ego. Get vendor quotes, then phase equipment by product format and taproom volume.
CAPEX Driver
The big swing is fit, not just price. Tanks, press, and packaging gear should match yield, SKU count, and batch cadence. If you overbuy on day one, cash sits in steel and motors. If you underbuy, you choke production and add labor. Buy only the gear that supports planned volume.
Facility And Taproom Buildout Startup Expense
Quote-Only Buildout
This line is quote-required because the source gives operating facility costs, not buildout CAPEX. Keep lease at $5,000/month, utilities at $1,500/month, and property insurance at $1,200/month outside the buildout bucket. Separate landlord-funded work from tenant leasehold improvements from day one.
What Gets Built
Budget the tenant fit-out around plumbing, trench drains, electrical capacity, ventilation, washable floors, cold storage, bar buildout, restrooms, seating, signage, occupancy, and code work. The estimate needs square feet, restroom count, drain runs, and service load. Taproom size and code scope drive the quote.
Ask for landlord scope first.
Quote code work separately.
Price restrooms by count.
Control The Budget
Get separate bids for tenant work, and keep landlord-funded improvements out of your CAPEX. The biggest misses are an oversized taproom, extra restrooms, and upgraded drainage or electrical service that goes beyond actual use. Start with the minimum code-compliant spec, then add finish work only where it changes sales or occupancy.
Lock occupancy early.
Use standard restroom layouts.
Skip finish upgrades first.
Big Swing Items
The big budget swing items are taproom size, restroom work, drainage, and electrical upgrades. More seats can mean more plumbing, more exits, and more code work, so occupancy should be set before finishes. If the base shell is weak, fit-out costs move fast.
Licensing And Compliance Startup Expense
Compliance setup
Budget this as a pre-opening cash need, not production CAPEX. For a cider taproom, the core items are federal alcohol registration, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau compliance, state alcohol license, local business license, zoning review, health or beverage permits, label approvals where required, legal setup, accounting setup, and insurance documents. Requirements vary by state and municipality.
Cost build
Source model carries $500/month for licensing compliance and $1,200/month for property insurance, so the recurring floor is $1,700/month before one-time filings and legal work. Estimate it with months of coverage, state and city fee quotes, and any label or permit filings. The real swing is jurisdiction, not the taproom concept.
Use local fee quotes
Count months of coverage
Separate one-time filings
Reduce waste
Cut this cost by mapping every permit early and only paying for work tied to your state and municipality. Keep legal, accounting, and insurance scope tight, and ask for itemized quotes instead of flat bundles. Don’t treat approvals or timing as guaranteed, and don’t overbuy filings you may not need. One clean checklist can save weeks of churn.
Ask for itemized quotes
Match work to jurisdiction
Track renewal dates early
Pre-open first
Plan for these costs before the first pour, because the taproom cannot open cleanly without documentation, licenses, and insurance in place. If your state needs extra beverage or label filings, that adds more cash and time. The safest budget line is the recurring $1,700/month baseline plus quotes for local filing and setup work.
Staffing And Launch Marketing Startup Expense
Launch Burn
Treat hiring, training, launch marketing, POS setup, website, taproom onboarding, tasting-room prep, events, and cider maker labor before first sales as pre-opening expense, not equipment CAPEX. For this cidery, Year 1 payroll is $253,000, or $21,083/month, before adding $2,000/month in advertising and $400/month for POS software.
What It Covers
Build the labor budget from head cidermaker $95,000, taproom manager $70,000, plus production assistant 0.5 FTE, bartenders 1.0 FTE, and sales marketing 0.3 FTE. Estimate it as headcount × annual pay, plus $2,000/month in ads and $400/month for POS software across pre-opening months.
Use role-by-role headcount.
Multiply monthly spend by months.
Quote website and POS setup.
How To Control It
Keep the burn tied to opening dates: hire against readiness, not hope. Phase events and ads so they support the first customers, and separate software, website, and training from tanks and other hardware. That keeps cash planning clear and makes early burn easier to control.
Budget Split
This line belongs beside buildout and licensing in the startup budget, not inside equipment value. If you mix it into CAPEX, you overstate assets and hide cash needs before revenue. The clean split is $265,000 for production equipment, then labor and launch spending as operating cash.
Raw Materials And Packaging Startup Expense
What It Covers
This is inventory and consumables, not durable gear. It covers apples or juice, yeast, nutrients, cider ingredients, cans, labels, carriers, bottles, corks, cartons, kegs, glassware, flight supplies, garnishes, cleaning chemicals, and opening taproom stock. Use it for items that get used up fast and need reordering.
How To Size It
Build the budget from units × unit price, supplier quotes, and months of coverage. The source model shows dry cider at $0.60/unit, flights at $0.85/unit, can packs at $0.78/unit, bottles at $1.00/unit, and T-shirts at $0.81/unit. Year 1 unit COGS total about $21,926, so launch stock should match early sales, not full-year demand.
Price each SKU separately
Use supplier quotes
Carry limited cover stock
Trim The Mix
Keep costs down by locking apple contracts, comparing juice sourcing, and avoiding packaging minimums you can’t move. Don’t buy too many package formats at launch; every extra bottle, label, and carrier ties up cash. The biggest swing comes from seasonality and product mix, so start with the few SKUs you can sell fastest.
Limit launch SKUs
Reorder before stockouts
Match buys to demand
Watch The Swing
This estimate hides spoilage, freight, and supplier lead times. If apple supply tightens or packaging minimums rise, working capital climbs fast. Seasonal buying can also push cash out before sales land, so keep a buffer around the opening stock plan instead of treating $21,926 as a hard cap.
