The break-even point is the revenue or unit volume where your total income equals total costs, no profit, no loss. Calculate it by dividing your total fixed costs by your gross profit margin (for revenue break-even) or by your contribution margin per unit (for unit break-even). Every small business owner should know this number before making any pricing, hiring, or expansion decision.
Break-Even Calculator for Bar / Brewery
Pre-filled with real bar / brewery industry benchmarks
Bars and breweries have a deceptively attractive cost structure on paper: alcohol carries 70 to 85% gross margins on most pours. But the reality is that high rent (bars need nightlife or entertainment districts), labor (bartenders, barbacks, security, cleaning staff), and licensing costs eat into those margins fast. A bar's fixed costs include the liquor license (which can cost $3,000 to $300,000+ depending on the state and type), commercial lease in a high-traffic area, insurance (liquor liability is expensive, $2,000 to $8,000/year), equipment, and entertainment costs (live music, trivia, sports packages). Breweries add a manufacturing layer: brewing equipment ($50,000 to $500,000+), ingredients (grain, hops, yeast), and taproom build-out. Most bars need $30,000 to $60,000/month in revenue to break even, while a brewery with a taproom needs $40,000 to $80,000/month depending on the operation. This calculator helps you figure out your nightly revenue targets and per-seat economics.
Break-Even Calculator
Pre-filled with bar / brewery industry defaults. Edit any field to use your real numbers.
Break-Even Units
59
Break-Even Revenue
$34,397
Contribution Margin
75.0%
Bar / Brewery industry average margin: 75.0% gross margin with 25.0% COGS.