How Much Does It Cost to Open a Cocktail Bar?
What it costs to open a cocktail bar in Spain: investment lines, sourced public figures, Madrid licences by municipality and what changes behind the bar.
How much does it cost to open a cocktail bar? There is no single price, and be wary of anyone who gives you a figure without first asking about the premises. What does exist is a structure of cost lines that comes up every time. If you understand it, you can build your budget from your own numbers instead of trusting a headline.
In this article I give you the map: the cost lines, the public figures I have been able to verify (with source, country and year), how licences work and what changes when the venue is a cocktail bar rather than a general one.
An important warning before any figures
The amounts in this article are a rough guide. They come from two commercial web pages published in Spain in 2025 and they refer to bars in general, not cocktail bars. Both are blogs from software and business-plan companies, not official studies, and there are big differences between them. Use them to organise your thinking, not to apply for a loan.
I do not include any figures from Stillroom or from my own investment, and I am not going to make any up.
The cost lines of a cocktail bar
These are the eight lines I always review, in this order. The table sets out what each one covers and what changes in a cocktail bar.
| Cost line | What it covers | What changes in a cocktail bar |
|---|---|---|
| Premises | Key money (traspaso) or deposit, rent and entry costs | You need a visible bar, a storeroom and, if you make preparations in-house, a prep area |
| Licences and paperwork | Licence or declaración responsable, fees, technical project, insurance | Capacity, noise and ventilation weigh more than in a bar that mainly serves beer |
| Works and refurbishment | Building services, air conditioning, soundproofing, fixed furniture | The bar is the heart of the project and takes most of the cost |
| Bar equipment | Fridges, ice machines, glassware, tools, till (EPOS) | Ice, glassware and tools make the difference |
| Opening stock | Spirits, liqueurs, mixers, fresh produce, consumables | More lines and more premium product tying up cash |
| Staff | Wages and social security at the start | A trained, standardised team from day one |
| Marketing | Website, social media, photography, launch | Brand and menu have to say who you are |
| Cash cushion | Fixed costs for the first months, before full income | A cocktail bar takes time to build its audience |
How much does it cost to open a bar in Spain: verified public figures
These are the figures given in the two sources (both about Spain, consulted in October 2026). I quote them as published and compare them with each other.
| Cost line | Qamarero (Spain, July 2025) | Modelos de planes de negocio (Spain, August 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Total investment | €80,000 to €150,000 | €20,000 to €150,000 (usual minimum €20,000 to €100,000) |
| Key money (traspaso) or deposit | Traspaso: €10,000 to €40,000 | Deposit or traspaso: €2,000 to €10,000 (2 to 6 months’ rent) |
| Refurbishment | €50,000 to €100,000 (full refurbishment); €1,000 to €1,200/m², attributed to Hostelería Madrid | €1,000 to €1,200/m² |
| Activity or opening licence | No amount given | €1,000 to €5,000 |
| Equipment | €10,000 to €15,000 | €10,000 to €30,000 |
| Opening stock | No firm amount given | €2,000 to €6,000 |
| Staff (start-up) | Not given | €9,000 to €18,000 (3 to 6 months of wages and social security) |
| Initial marketing | Not given | €500 to €2,000 |
| Cash cushion | Not given | €30,000 to €60,000 (3 to 6 months of fixed costs) |
What can be said, with due caution:
- Refurbishment is the heaviest line, and both sources agree on the range of €1,000 to €1,200 per square metre.
- The figures do not quite add up between the two sources, even on a line as basic as key money. It is the best proof that there is no off-the-shelf price.
- Neither talks about cocktail bars. An opening stock of €2,000 to €6,000 or equipment of €10,000 to €15,000 hardly describes a bar with glassware, quality ice and premium spirits. I do not extrapolate: I am only warning you that you need to adjust up or down with real quotes.
A worked example, with illustrative numbers and not from any real project: a 60 m² unit with a refurbishment at €1,000 or €1,200 per square metre comes to between €60,000 and €72,000 for the works alone. That is before licences, equipment, stock, staff and cash cushion.
Licences for a cocktail bar: it depends on your municipality
This is a point worth clearing up early: licensing rules in Spain vary by municipality, and also by type of activity, capacity and works. What holds in one town hall does not hold in another. So my advice is always the same: before you sign the lease, ask the town hall (or a qualified technical adviser) whether that unit allows your activity.
As an example of how one specific case works, in the city of Madrid the city council explains on its website that Ordenanza 6/2022, de 26 de abril, de Licencias y Declaraciones Responsables Urbanísticas (Ordinance 6/2022 of 26 April on planning licences and responsible declarations) applies. According to that page:
- The declaración responsable (responsible declaration) is the general procedure, and it takes effect from the moment it is filed with the register, provided the requirements are met. The council or a collaborating body can inspect afterwards.
- The planning licence (licencia urbanística) is kept only for cases where reasons of safety, public health or environmental protection justify it.
You can read it on the Madrid City Council page on how to start an economic activity. That page does not set out specific requirements for hospitality, music or capacity, so I do not take them for granted: for your own unit, ask the Agencia de Actividades (Madrid’s activities agency) or a qualified technical adviser.
If your project is in another city, look for the equivalent ordinance on its council website. Do not assume it works as it does in Madrid.
What changes when the venue is a cocktail bar
Here is the difference from the general guides, which almost always talk about “a bar”.
- The bar is designed as a workstation. Distances, ice within reach, under-bar fridges and room to work fast. A design mistake is paid for every night.
- Ice and glassware are an investment, not a detail. You can see and taste them in every drink.
- Stock ties up more cash. More lines and a product that does not turn over as fast as a pint of lager.
- If there is a lab, there is equipment and space to find. At Stillroom, for example, we work with ferments, an N₂O siphon, a centrifuge and vacuum evaporation (Calle Moreto 9, Madrid, open since 14 April 2026). That shapes the unit and the works from the very first plan. It is not required to open a cocktail bar, and I give no figures.
- The team is part of the investment. A trained team with spec sheets from day one costs less than fixing things once the bar is open.
What to do with the numbers: order of work
If you are at the idea stage, this is the order I recommend:
- Define the concept and the average spend per head before you look for premises.
- Find premises and check the permitted use with the town hall before you commit.
- Ask for at least three quotes for the works and one for the technical project.
- List the equipment by priority: what you cannot do without on day one and what can wait.
- Work out the opening stock from your menu, not from the supplier’s catalogue.
- Budget for staff for the first months, and for the cushion.
- Work out the break-even point from your fixed costs and your real margin per drink. For that you need a costing sheet for every cocktail.
And always keep a reserve: the second source recommends covering 3 to 6 months of fixed costs. That cushion is the insurance that lets you correct course without closing.
Grants and subsidies
This is one of the most common searches, and the honest answer is that it depends on your region, your municipality and that year’s call for applications. I have not verified any specific call for this article, so I do not cite any. Check the website of your town hall and of your autonomous community, and ask your accountant or business adviser (gestoría). Do not count on a grant in your plan: treat it as an extra if it comes.
How I help with an opening
A well-run opening starts before the works: concept, menu, costing, bar layout, equipment and team. I have opened Stillroom and I know the mistakes that get paid for later. If you are planning your project, see how I handle opening a cocktail bar or the bar audit and cost control, and write to me through contact with the unit or the idea you have.
Topics: cost to open a bar · bar startup costs · cocktail bar business plan · opening a cocktail bar
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a bar in Spain?
There is no single figure. The two commercial sources I reviewed, both from 2025 and both about Spain, give very wide ranges (between €20,000 and €150,000) and do not agree with each other. The real cost depends on the premises, the refurbishment, the municipality and the concept. Get real quotes before you fix a number.
What do you need to open a cocktail bar?
Premises with a compatible use, a municipal licence or declaración responsable (a responsible declaration filed with the town hall), a technical project if one is required, bar equipment, opening stock, staff, insurance and a cash cushion. The exact requirements vary by municipality and by type of activity.
How much does a bar licence cost in Spain?
It depends on the town hall and on the works. One commercial source from 2025 (about Spain) gives between €1,000 and €5,000 for the activity or opening licence, more expensive in big cities. It is a rough guide: check the fees in your own municipality.
Is opening a bar profitable, and how much does a bar owner make?
I do not know of a reliable public figure that works for every bar, and I would be wary of anyone who offers one. What an owner earns depends on the real margin per drink, the rent, the staff and the volume. That is why the first number to work out is the break-even point: how many drinks you need to sell each month to cover your fixed costs.
Can you open a bar with €100,000?
The two Spanish sources I reviewed (2025) give very different totals: €80,000 to €150,000 in one, €20,000 to €150,000 in the other (with a usual minimum of €20,000 to €100,000). So it depends on the premises and the concept. As a worked example, a 60 m² unit with a refurbishment at €1,000 to €1,200 per square metre (a range cited in commercial sources) would mean €60,000 to €72,000 for the works alone, before equipment and licences.
Want to bring this to your bar?
Opening a cocktail bar
I support you through opening your cocktail bar: concept, menu, bar layout, equipment, suppliers, costs and pre-opening.
Bar audit and cost control
I come to your bar during live service, review your menu, costings and waste, and leave you a prioritised 90-day plan.
