Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisitions in California: SBA loan data
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 399 7(a) loans to buy an existing business classified as Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in California, totaling $269M. The median loan was $480,000. That is 7.7% of the 5,184 acquisition loans in California.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 399
- Median loan
- $480,000 (middle half $296,000 to $867,700)
- Top lender
- Open Bank (20%, 81 loans)
- Charge-off, FY2018-FY2021 loans
- 0.0% (all-acquisition: 3.5%)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 67 (+26% vs FY2025)
SBA lenders approved 399 7(a) loans to buy a business classified as Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in California from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $480,000 and a middle half of $296,000 to $867,700. Open Bank made 20% of them. FY2026 had 67 loans, up 26% from FY2025.
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How Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in California compares
| Measure | Beer, Wine, and Liquor... | California, all industries | Beer, Wine, and Liquor..., nationwide | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $480,000 | $600,000 | $650,000 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $296,000 to $867,700 | $296,225 to $1,395,000 | $370,875 to $1,166,250 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 7.97% | 7.87% | 7.66% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 0.0% | 4.1% | 1.4% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 399 | 5,184 | 1,736 | 48,902 |
The median for loans to buy liquor stores in California is $480,000, below the $600,000 median for all California acquisitions, below the $650,000 median for Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisitions nationwide and below the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $296,000 to $867,700, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 10 years, the same as the national median; the average initial rate is 7.97%, above the 7.76% national average.
None of the seasoned loans were charged off, against 4.1% for all California acquisitions, 1.4% for Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisitions nationwide and 3.5% for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | Beer, Wine, and Liquor... | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 33% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 46% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 17% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 4% | 17% |
Most loans to buy liquor stores in California (79%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 46%, against 33% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Open Bank made 20% of loans to buy liquor stores in California, and the top three lenders together made 42%. 19 of the 39 lenders involved made three or more. Repeat experience is spread across many banks. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 120 loans to buy liquor stores in California were approved. That is 32% more than the 91 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $551,000, slightly above the $480,000 median across all years.
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisition loans in California by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 35 | $18.3M | $350,000 | |
| FY2019 | 55 | $38.7M | $465,000 | |
| FY2020 | 42 | $19.7M | $354,000 | |
| FY2021 | 39 | $30M | $574,000 | |
| FY2022 | 17 | $19.2M | $1,000,000 | |
| FY2023 | 43 | $23.5M | $405,000 | |
| FY2024 | 48 | $32M | $487,500 | |
| FY2025 | 53 | $32.7M | $500,000 | |
| FY2026 | 67 | $55M | $570,000 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 171 Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in California acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), none have been charged off by the SBA. 106 have already been paid in full.
For comparison, Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in California has none charged off, against the 3.5% average across all SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the same cohort. Non-acquisition 7(a) loans (every other stated purpose) approved FY2018 to FY2021 charged off at 6.2%.
"Charged off" is the SBA's final loss action on a defaulted loan after collection efforts. It lags default by a year or more, which is why only older cohorts are measured. It is not the same as a delinquency rate, and loans still outstanding can still fail. See charge-off in the glossary.
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Top lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Bank | 81 | 20.3% | $64M | |
| 2 | American Continental Bank | 48 | 12.0% | $28.6M | |
| 3 | Commonwealth Business Bank | 40 | 10.0% | $18.4M | |
| 4 | PCB Bank | 39 | 9.8% | $33.3M | |
| 5 | Bank of Hope | 38 | 9.5% | $15.8M |
Top franchise brands
No franchise brands recorded in this combination.
The purchase agreement decides what you bought, not the loan approval.
Request Engagement AssessmentAlex Lubyansky leads every engagement.
Questions buyers ask
How much do SBA loans for Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisitions in California run?
The median SBA 7(a) loan was $480,000 across 399 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), with the middle half between $296,000 and $867,700. The loan excludes the buyer's equity and any seller note and may include working capital, so the price is usually higher than the loan.
Which banks finance Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisitions in California?
Open Bank (81), American Continental Bank (48), Commonwealth Business Bank (40), PCB Bank (39), Bank of Hope (38). Some lenders repeatedly finance this industry in this state; the counts above show which.
How often do Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisition loans fail in California?
Of 171 seasoned loans (FY2018 to FY2021), none were charged off, against the 3.5% rate for all SBA acquisition loans.
Are franchised businesses part of Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisitions in California?
None of the 399 loans in this combination were recorded with a franchise brand.
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a liquor store in California?
The SBA requires the buyer to make an equity injection, commonly 10% of total project cost, and a lender may ask for more. The SBA file does not record injections, so the figures here are the financed portion: the median for loans to buy liquor stores in California was $480,000, and the middle half ran $296,000 to $867,700.
How long does an SBA acquisition loan take?
For a change-of-ownership 7(a) loan, 45 to 90 days from application to close is typical. It varies by lender and by how quickly third-party reports, such as the business valuation and appraisal, come back. The SBA file records approval dates, not application dates, so this site cannot measure it. Lenders approved 120 loans to buy liquor stores in California in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a liquor store in California?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: Open Bank (81), American Continental Bank (48), Commonwealth Business Bank (40), PCB Bank (39), Bank of Hope (38). Open Bank made 20% of loans to buy liquor stores in California. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
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Related
- All California acquisitions
- Financing one? How to get an SBA loan to buy a liquor store
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers nationally
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in Colorado
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in Georgia
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in New York
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in Michigan
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in New Jersey
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in Texas
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in Maryland
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in Illinois
- Full-Service Restaurants in California
- Limited-Service Restaurants in California
- Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores in California
- Hotels and Motels in California
- Convenience Retailers in California
- General Automotive Repair in California
- Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers in California
- Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly in California
Small samples move a lot: each loan in this combination is 0% of the count. Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded. See the methodology.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in California: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/state/ca/beer-wine-and-liquor-retailers-445320 (data as of September 30, 2026). Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan file, data.sba.gov. Aggregated by SBA Acquisition Data.
The figures on this page are also published as JSON at https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/data/state/ca/beer-wine-and-liquor-retailers-445320.json.