A premium coffee shop on Main Street, Moab

January 2027 target · $50,000 owner capital · business not registered · exact premises not selected.

Preliminary estimate, not a guaranteed opening cost or a complete funding assessment. Research the details and confirm requirements, fees and quotes for your exact business and premises before committing money. Every budget amount below is a scenario assumption, not a researched Moab price, an agency fee quote, supplier quote or expected sales. Grants and loans are not approved and are excluded from available capital.

The simplest viable concept to investigate

A small, owner-operated specialty coffee bar with a focused espresso and filter menu, sourced pastries and limited seating. Premium means product consistency and service; a full kitchen or extensive renovation would require a different budget. Compare competing menus, opening hours, winter demand and customer access on the exact block before committing. No traffic or demand has been measured for this example.

1. Opening budget

This assumes a space needing only light changes. A shell, new kitchen, major plumbing, HVAC, electrical capacity, accessibility work or impact fees could invalidate this scenario. Existing equipment can reduce new purchases only after its suitability is checked.

2. Monthly bills and first-year commitments

Rent scenario: $2,500 base plus $500 lease operating charges. Annual total: $36,000. Utilities scenario: $8,400/year. These are assumptions, not Main Street quotes. All regular bills: $8,500/month. Ingredients, payment fees, taxes and debt service are additional; do not add annual rent to startup cash as well as monthly payments.

Staffing scenario: 125 paid hours/month at $24/hour including assumed employer costs. At 30 days × 7 customer-facing hours, the owner must cover at least 85 additional hours plus preparation, cleanup and administration. This is a workload illustration, not a local wage quote; revise hours and staffing for safe operation and breaks.

The remaining $8,200 covers less than one month of the assumed regular bills with no sales. $50,000 alone leaves little room for delays or a slow start in this scenario. Compare a smaller launch, lower fit-out costs or additional financing; do not treat this as a recommendation to borrow.

3. Sales and risk checks

Assume an average $10 purchase and variable costs of 35% of sales, including ingredients, packaging and payment fees. Covering $8,500 of monthly bills requires about $13,077/month, or 44 purchases/day over 30 open days. This is a mathematical threshold, not evidence that these customers exist.

Illustrative $16,000 sales would leave $1,900 before taxes and debt payments. At 20% lower sales ($12,800), the result becomes −$180. At $8,000 early-month sales, it becomes −$3,300. Test winter demand, hours, waste, tourist seasonality and competing offers instead of assuming steady sales from January.

A $25,000 loan request to investigate

A preliminary request of $25,000 would give $75,000 total capital with your $50,000, covering this scenario’s shortfall and leaving a small extra buffer. It is a planning request, not an estimate of what you will be approved for. Revise it once premises, supplier quotes and winter cash flow are known. Do not borrow the program maximum simply because it is offered.

Utah Microloan Fund currently states that first-year startups may qualify for up to $25,000, with fixed rates generally 10–14% and terms up to six years. Actual approval and terms depend on the applicant. Source: UMLF published loan terms, checked October 4, 2026.

These are fully amortizing payment calculations using the stated annual rate divided by 12, excluding application, origination and closing fees. They are not personalized APR quotes. Confirm the lender’s actual rate, APR, fees, guarantees and disbursement terms.

At the 12% illustration, bills plus the loan payment are about $9,056/month. The sales threshold rises to about $13,933/month, or 47 purchases/day over 30 days at $10 each. Including three loan payments in the reserve raises the opening funding target to about $68,968. Of $75,000 capital, about $6,032 remains above that target, before unpriced expenses and financing fees. At $16,000 sales the monthly surplus after this loan is about $1,344 before taxes; at $12,800 sales it becomes about −$736.

4. Start registration and approvals

1. Confirm the space first. Call Moab Planning at 435-259-5129. Ask whether a coffee shop, seating, signs, accessible facilities and your proposed alterations are allowed at the exact address. Obtain written lease terms and approval contingencies before signing. City sources and contacts.
2. Choose a legal structure. Discuss liability, ownership and tax treatment with an adviser. If choosing a Utah LLC, use UtahID → Formations → Domestic → LLC in the official Utah registration instructions. Confirm the current filing fee; the $2,000 budget line is a combined scenario allowance, not the LLC fee.
3. Obtain an EIN where applicable and set up banking and tax accounts. Apply directly with the IRS; EIN issuance is free. Enter identity details only in official systems. Confirm Utah sales-tax registration and employer obligations through Utah State Tax Commission.
4. Apply for the city business license. Moab Treasurer: 435-259-5123, City Hall, 217 East Center Street, Moab, UT 84532. Ask how the coffee shop is classified and request the current fee schedule. Business licensing.
5. Confirm food-service plan review and permits. Southeast Utah Health Department, Moab office: 435-259-5602, 575 South Kane Creek Blvd., Moab, UT 84532. Ask about your menu, equipment, sinks, food-manager/handler requirements, review sequence and current fees before buying equipment. Food services · Office contact.
6. Complete address-specific approvals before opening. Confirm building, fire, occupancy, signs, utilities and final health inspections with the relevant offices. January 2027 is a target, not a promised approval date.

5. Financing: local first, then state and federal

• City and Grand County. Ask about current business-support programs through Grand County Economic Development and the city licensing contact. We have not verified an open grant that funds this startup. Old tourism-grant pages do not establish a current award or application window.
• Utah. USBCI works with lending partners on capital access; ask about startup eligibility and participating lenders. It is not automatically a grant. The state funding directory includes programs with different recipients and deadlines; county/city grants are not automatically available to a private coffee shop.
• Federal. SBA microloans can be up to $50,000 through intermediaries, subject to underwriting and permitted uses. Compare them with bank/SBA financing using actual rates, fees and personal-guarantee requirements. A program maximum is not an approved loan amount.

Use $0 grant proceeds and $0 loan proceeds until an award or loan is approved and its timing is known. Do not rely on either to sign a lease.

How to prepare a first-company loan application

1. Meet a free business adviser. Use Moab SBDC to review the business model, verified quotes and 12–24-month cash-flow forecast. Show owner contributions separately from borrowed money and grants.
2. Compare a regional startup lender. SERDA Revolving Loan Fund lists startups in Grand County among eligible businesses, with $10,000–150,000 loans, 3–10-year terms and applicant-dependent rates. Funding is limited, subject to review; a complete packet includes a $250 application fee and closing costs are extra. Call 435-613-0029 to discuss fit and current terms before applying.
3. Check UMLF eligibility before paying. UMLF requirements include Utah residency, a Utah-registered business, EIN, business checking account and SSN or ITIN. Ask about guarantees or collateral and possible staged funding. Do not assume your eligibility from having a Moab business idea.
4. Prepare the lender’s packet. Include its requested tax returns and personal financial information, your relevant experience, proof of the $50,000 contribution, written equipment and lease quotes, a uses-of-funds schedule, approval roadmap and cash flow with winter/low-sales and delayed-opening cases. Submit sensitive documents only through the lender’s official system.
5. Follow UMLF’s orientation and application process if suitable. Their published sequence includes orientation, working with a business adviser, application documents, a $50 application fee and a presentation. Approval, timing and disbursement are conditional; fees are not included in the payment illustrations above. Confirm their current checklist first.
6. Ask for a written term sheet. Compare amount, net funds received, interest, APR, total fees, payment start, term, collateral/personal guarantees, use restrictions and funding schedule. Make the opening date contingent on permits and actual available cash.

AreaVantage can organize the budget, narrative, quote checklist and cash scenarios. It does not approve loans, submit this application for you, or guarantee lender acceptance.

6. Work backward from January 2027

1. October: inspect candidate sites; get written fit-out, equipment, landlord and utility quotes; confirm permitted use and menu review; choose the company structure.
2. November: register, apply for the relevant approvals, complete lender discussions, order equipment only after requirements are checked and set a realistic staffing schedule.
3. December: finish permitted work, train, test menu margins and service capacity, arrange inspections and validate a winter customer plan.
4. January: open only after required approvals. If premises, funds or approvals are delayed, revise the date and preserve cash.

Real estate research

The map supports sourced commercial-property records, but a live listing provider is not connected. Use external listings to discover candidates; confirm current availability, asking rent, operating charges, zoning and cafe suitability with the broker. A property offered for sale or already occupied is not proof of available lease space.

Sources checked October 4, 2026. No specific property, commercial rent, equipment package, local grant award or loan approval has been verified for this plan.