Finance question
Can I get finance to buy a coffee van business?
Often yes, in pieces. The van and espresso machine can usually be financed as equipment, while goodwill from routes, host sites or bookings is harder and you should expect to fund part of it yourself. A property-backed loan can cover the gap, subject to lender assessment.
Get your free rate quote
Tell us a few details and we will come back with your indicative rate. No obligation.
Thanks, we are on it
Your enquiry is in. Our team will be in touch shortly with your indicative rate and next steps.
The short answer
You are buying a route and a right to trade, not just a van
Open coffee van listings ask from $19,000 for a fitted caravan sold without a business to $269,000 for three vans turning over $436,574 a year, and six of the nine we counted ask $59,000 to $155,000 (coffee van guide). The spread is goodwill. Melbourne's three-van weekday route asks $269,000 against about $200,000 of vans and equipment, which leaves about $69,000 for the route (the guide's arithmetic). A lender will value the vehicle at what a used buyer would pay, and treat the route as the part that depends on the vendor.
Permits are the catch. A council permit is the part buyers most often assume comes with the van, and it often does not. City of Casey charges $3,260 a year for a coffee or ice cream van and the permit cannot be transferred on sale, so the buyer applies for a new one. Make settlement conditional on your own permit or on signed site agreements that pass to you. Lenders ask the same question, because a route without a right to trade is hard to lend against.
Funding is split by what the lender can see. Equipment finance covers the van and fitted machine against the equipment itself, and some lenders write a small acquisition loan for part of the goodwill. The rest comes from savings or a property-backed loan. Closures matter here: CreditorWatch measured 12.03% for cafes, restaurants and takeaways in the year to July 2026, against 6.69% across all industries. Ventas is a broker across 40+ lenders, with no upfront fee to you.
Do you qualify?
What a lender looks at on a coffee van purchase.
Trading evidence
Two years of BAS, bank statements and card terminal reports that match the vendor's figures.
A right to trade
A council permit in your name, or site agreements and event contracts that pass to you.
The vehicle
Registration, VIN and compliance certificates at a price a lender can support.
Experience and handover
Barista or hospitality experience, plus a handover that keeps customers.
Why the split works for a van
The van is an asset
A registered vehicle and machine can be financed against themselves.
Property covers goodwill
Home equity can fund the part a route cannot secure.
Permits are tested first
Right to trade is confirmed before you commit funds.
A worked example
A single-van route is listed at $120,000, with $70,000 for the van and fitted machine, $48,000 for goodwill and $2,000 of stock. Add $4,000 of costs, $4,000 for permit, insurance and signage and a $10,000 buffer, and the cash needed is about $138,000. Equipment finance might cover $45,000 and an acquisition loan $20,000, leaving about $73,000 from savings or a property-backed loan. Illustrative only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Does the council permit transfer when I buy a coffee van?
Often not. City of Casey permits cannot be transferred when a business is sold, so the buyer applies for a new one. Other councils differ, so ask each seller and the council before you pay a deposit.
Can I finance the goodwill in a coffee van sale?
Sometimes. Goodwill rests on routes and sites the vendor controls, and some lenders will not write a separate acquisition loan for a small amount. Plan to fund part of it from savings or a property-backed loan.
How much deposit should I expect to put in?
In the guide's $120,000 example, lender debt is $65,000, a little over half the asking price. Your funds cover the rest of the van and goodwill, stock, costs and working capital, about $73,000.
What do I send to get a number?
The listing and what is included, the split between vehicle, equipment and goodwill, two years of BAS, the permit or site agreements, your experience and the security you can offer.