Aurora’s bar scene spreads across a very large city: arts-district spots on East Colfax, taprooms around Stanley Marketplace, neighborhood taverns in older shopping centers and sports bars near the newer southeast and E-470 developments. This page covers bar financing in that market; the Aurora city page has the broader economic picture.
The Aurora bar market
The Census Bureau’s 2023 County Business Patterns counted 65 drinking places (NAICS 7224) with paid employees in Arapahoe County and 39 in Adams County, the two counties that hold nearly all of Aurora. Breweries with taprooms and restaurant bars fall under other codes, so the competitive set for a new bar is larger than those counts suggest.
The Aurora Cultural Arts District on East Colfax, anchored by the Aurora Fox Arts Center, received a state Creative District designation in 2021. A 2026 boundary expansion, confirmed by City Council in May, brought Stanley Marketplace, Second Dawn Brewing and Central Park Collective into the district. That expansion ties northwest Aurora’s arts corridor to a cluster of taprooms and gathering spaces.
Stanley Marketplace itself changed hands in September 2026, when Magnetic Capital bought the former aviation plant, and the new owner has said it intends to keep the marketplace running for its tenants. On the city’s east side, Gaylord Rockies brings convention groups near E-470, and Buckley Space Force Base and the Anschutz Medical Campus support after-work crowds.
What Aurora bars usually finance
- Interior remodels and patios through construction and renovation loans.
- Draft systems, coolers, ice machines, televisions and sound through equipment financing.
- Buying an existing tavern and transferring its license, frequently with SBA loans.
- Brewhouse and taproom expansion through brewery financing.
- Late-night venues with security and sound costs, covered under nightclub financing.
- Short-term inventory and payroll needs with a business line of credit.
More background is on our main bar financing page.
Licensing in Aurora
Aurora’s Tax and Licensing Division takes local liquor applications for the city’s Local Licensing Authority, which holds a public hearing on new licenses before the file moves to the Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division. A tavern license requires snacks and sandwiches to be available, while a hotel and restaurant license calls for a full food program. Because Aurora crosses three counties, confirm your address is inside city limits before you file.
Getting started
The application is short: business type, time in business, revenue, amount needed, use of funds, timeline and number of locations. Upload three months of business bank statements with it. Bars that deposit cash consistently and keep clean point-of-sale records give lenders the clearest picture.
Questions owners ask
How do bars in Aurora get financing?
Aurora bar owners typically pair equipment financing for draft and refrigeration systems with a term loan, SBA loan or renovation loan for remodels or purchases, plus a line of credit for slower stretches. Lenders look at verified deposits, time in business, debt and credit. One application through a broker reaches several lenders at once.
Who issues liquor licenses in Aurora?
The City of Aurora’s Tax and Licensing Division accepts local applications on behalf of the Local Licensing Authority, which hears new licenses in public. The state Liquor Enforcement Division in the Colorado Department of Revenue then issues its own license. Buying an existing bar involves a transfer, and a temporary permit may allow operation while it is processed.
Do lenders fund cash-heavy Aurora bars?
Yes, if the cash shows up in the bank. Lenders underwrite from deposits they can verify on your business statements, so cash kept out of the account does not help your application. Depositing daily, reconciling with point-of-sale reports and keeping personal and business funds separate can make a cash-heavy bar easier to finance.
More Aurora and Colorado resources
See restaurant loans in Aurora, head to the Colorado hub, or compare bar financing in Denver. Ready to see options? Check what you qualify for.