STATE GUIDE · ILLINOIS
SBA Brewery, distillery, or winery Feasibility Study Consultant – Illinois
Last updated: November 2026
David Jones, MAI, CCIM
4,300+ feasibility studies completed · SBA Feasibility Study LLC
Labor is the swing factor. Chicago's minimum wage rose to $17.05 on July 1, 2026, with a tipped wage of $12.96. In May 2026, City Council paused the One Fair Wage phase-out: the next step is July 1, 2028, with full parity July 1, 2030. Suburban Cook County sits at $15.40 ($9.25 tipped) and the statewide minimum is $15.
Restaurants (11.9%) and breweries, distilleries and wineries (13.0%) carry two of Illinois's highest SBA adverse rates, which is why lenders want independent projections. Revolution Brewing is among the Illinois 504 borrowers highlighted by NADCO.
What our Illinois study tests
- trade-area demand and competition
- menu and price positioning
- wage-ordinance-adjusted labor model
- build-out and equipment budget review
- DSCR under sales downside.
Illinois SBA record: Restaurants 3,080 loans, $1.57B, 11.9%; breweries/distilleries/wineries 156 loans, $98.5M, 13.0%.
Read the full Illinois restaurant guide →Read the full Illinois brewery & distillery guide →Scope this project
Fee and delivery date are fixed in your written proposal before you sign. Hotels, multi-phase construction and assisted living take longer than single-site retail projects.
Illinois SBA lending data, requirements and market research →
Talk to an Illinois SBA Feasibility Study Consultant
Fifteen-minute scoping call, written proposal inside one business day, firm fixed fee before you sign.