True cost — by format
Small footprint, espresso-led, limited hot line. Toast cafe guide puts build-your-own construction at $200-$300/sq ft before fit-out; a former cafe space can fall well below this band. Equipment is dominated by espresso machine ($5,000-$22,000 for commercial two-group), grinders and refrigeration.
| Line | Range |
|---|---|
| Typical size | 1,000–2,500 sq ft |
| Build-out (new build) | $175–$325 per sq ft |
| Equipment package | $20,000–$60,000 |
| Opening inventory | $5,000–$15,000 |
| Worked example — build-out at 1,750 sq ft | $306,250–$568,750 |
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: Toast — How Much Does It Cost to Open a Cafe / Small Restaurant; FinModelBuilder — Coffee Shop Startup Costs 2026, 2026-06-11 — 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.