NYC buildout estimator · 9 concepts · 3 grades · 6 neighborhoods
What it costs to open in NYC. In real numbers.
Pick your concept, cover count, build grade, and neighborhood. Get an honest all-in capital range, timeline estimate, phase-by-phase cost breakdown, and the top 5 risks operators hit for that specific configuration. Calibrated against the Nightrush 338-bible corpus.
01 · Concept
Hybrid · add a second concept (optional)
Stack two concepts (e.g. restaurant + nightclub, café + cocktail-bar). Secondary contributes 35% of per-cover baseline + 100% of its equipment adders; timeline = longer-lead concept + 2-4wk buffer.
02 · Cover count80
2080150300
Indoor seating capacity (the number that drives kitchen line + bar build + FF&E sizing).
03 · Build grade
04 · Neighborhood
Estimate · Cocktail Bar, 80 covers, 2nd-gen restaurant, Manhattan secondary
All-in capital
$872K - $5.9M
Lease signing → opening day
Per-cover
$11K-$73K
All-in ÷ cover count
Timeline
8-15 mo
36-65 weeks
Cost by phase
7%
46%
25%
12%
10%
Pre-construction
$52K - $440K
Construction
$446K - $2.6M
FF&E
$205K - $1.5M
Pre-opening
$100K - $709K
Working capital reserve
$69K - $616K
⚠ Critical path
NYSLA on-premises liquor license — file at lease signing, 4-7 months from filing to issuance.
Top risks for this concept
- 01NYSLA OP license 500-foot rule — can delay opening 8-16 weeks if denied
- 02Bar millwork + back bar lead times 12-20 weeks; order at month -8
- 03Acoustic treatment underspec — most common post-opening complaint at speakeasy/listening bars
- 04Liquor inventory at-cost $40K-$120K before first pour; lock SLA approval first
- 05Cocktail program training requires 3-4 weeks pre-open — budget head bartender at -8 weeks
▸ Full line-item breakdown (8 items)
Pre-construction (baseline)
Pre-construction · Design fees, architect, permits, expediter, legal, insurance
$51,840 - $439,875
Construction (baseline)
Construction · GC + electrical + plumbing + HVAC + millwork + finishes
$362,880 - $2,419,313
FF&E (baseline)
FF&E · Furniture, fixtures, kitchen equipment, AV, smallware
$190,080 - $1,407,600
Pre-opening (baseline)
Pre-opening · Training payroll, marketing, opening inventory, soft launch
$69,120 - $615,825
Working capital reserve (baseline)
Working capital reserve · 3-6 months of operating reserve (rent + payroll + COGS)
$69,120 - $615,825
Back bar build + draft system
Construction · 20-40 linear ft back bar, draft towers, ice well, glass washer
$83,000 - $228,250
Cocktail program R&D + ingredient buildout
Pre-opening
$31,125 - $93,375
Glassware program (Riedel / Zalto / Schott)
FF&E
$14,940 - $49,800
Open a cocktail bar
Full operator playbook →
Phases, vendor categories, milestones.
Permit timeline
Every NYC filing →
DOB + FDNY + DOH + NYSLA Gantt view.
Vendor categories
337 NYC categories →
Browse every vendor category.
Estimator calibrated against Nightrush 338-bible corpus · 2026 NYC operator benchmarks