Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisitions in Illinois: SBA loan data
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 60 7(a) loans to buy an existing business classified as Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in Illinois, totaling $63.3M. The median loan was $837,500. That is 3.4% of the 1,779 acquisition loans in Illinois.
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How Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in Illinois compares
| Measure | Beer, Wine, and Liquor... | Illinois, all industries | Beer, Wine, and Liquor..., nationwide | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $837,500 | $650,000 | $650,000 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $433,250 to $1,293,750 | $300,000 to $1,551,000 | $370,875 to $1,166,250 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 8.15% | 7.78% | 7.66% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 0.0% | 4.5% | 1.4% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 60 | 1,779 | 1,736 | 48,902 |
The median for loans to buy liquor stores in Illinois is $837,500, above the $650,000 median for all Illinois acquisitions, above the $650,000 median for Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisitions nationwide and above the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $433,250 to $1,293,750, 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 8.15%, above the 7.76% national average.
None of the seasoned loans were charged off, against 4.5% for all Illinois 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 | 15% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 45% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 27% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 13% | 17% |
Most loans to buy liquor stores in Illinois (60%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 45%, against 33% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Byline Bank made 35% of loans to buy liquor stores in Illinois, and the top three lenders together made 57%. 3 of the 25 lenders involved made three or more. Only 3 lenders have repeat experience here. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 20 loans to buy liquor stores in Illinois were approved. That is 54% more than the 13 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $761,500, slightly below the $837,500 median across all years.
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisition loans in Illinois by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 6 | $5.5M | $675,000 | |
| FY2019 | 6 | $3.4M | $501,750 | |
| FY2020 | 6 | $4.2M | $590,500 | |
| FY2021 | 3 | $3.7M | $852,000 | |
| FY2022 | 6 | $7.5M | $1,089,000 | |
| FY2023 | 9 | $12.8M | $1,450,000 | |
| FY2024 | 4 | $4.6M | $1,225,000 | |
| FY2025 | 12 | $15.4M | $922,500 | |
| FY2026 | 8 | $6.1M | $392,500 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 21 Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in Illinois 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. 13 have already been paid in full.
For comparison, Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in Illinois 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 | Byline Bank | 21 | 35.0% | $31M | |
| 2 | Centerstone SBA Lending, Inc. | 7 | 11.7% | $9.9M | |
| 3 | Village Bank and Trust, National Association | 6 | 10.0% | $2.7M | |
| 4 | GBank | 2 | 3.3% | $2.1M | |
| 5 | Simmons Bank | 2 | 3.3% | $1.7M |
Top franchise brands
No franchise brands recorded in this combination.
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Questions buyers ask
How much do SBA loans for Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisitions in Illinois run?
The median SBA 7(a) loan was $837,500 across 60 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), with the middle half between $433,250 and $1,293,750. 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 Illinois?
Byline Bank (21), Centerstone SBA Lending, Inc. (7), Village Bank and Trust, National Association (6), GBank (2), Simmons Bank (2). 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 Illinois?
Of 21 seasoned loans (FY2018 to FY2021), none were charged off, against the 3.5% rate for all SBA acquisition loans. With a sample this size, treat the figure as a direction, not a precise rate.
Are franchised businesses part of Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers acquisitions in Illinois?
None of the 60 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 Illinois?
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 Illinois was $837,500, and the middle half ran $433,250 to $1,293,750.
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 20 loans to buy liquor stores in Illinois in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a liquor store in Illinois?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: Byline Bank (21), Centerstone SBA Lending, Inc. (7), Village Bank and Trust, National Association (6), GBank (2), Simmons Bank (2). Byline Bank made 35% of loans to buy liquor stores in Illinois. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
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Related
- All Illinois acquisitions
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers nationally
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers in California
- 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
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Small samples move a lot: each loan in this combination is 2% 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 Illinois: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/state/il/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/il/beer-wine-and-liquor-retailers-445320.json.