Beer Cave Cost: What a Walk-In Beer Cave Costs and Whether It Pays

A beer cave is a walk-in cooler that customers step into to pick up beer by the case. In markets where beer is a big seller, it gives the category a destination in the store and frees cooler doors for other drinks. It is also one of the larger single equipment decisions in a store, so it is worth pricing carefully.

What beer caves cost

The Hustle, citing CStore Decisions, puts beer caves at roughly:

These are reported industry figures, not a quote. Your price depends on the items below and on your region.

What drives the price

• Size. Larger boxes need more panels, more refrigeration capacity and more shelving.
• Refrigeration. The condensing unit and evaporator are sized from a load calculation. A cave opened by customers all day has a higher load than a back-room walk-in.
• Entry door. A manual door is the simplest option. Automatic sliding doors, which keep the cave closed between customers, are a significant added cost. Price them from the door manufacturer's current sheet.
• Shelving and lighting. Case-stack shelving and lighting that shows off the product.
• Building work. Fitting a cave into an existing store may mean moving walls, floor work and electrical changes.

Is a beer cave worth it?

Ask these before you buy:

1. Do you sell enough beer by the case? A cave pays when case sales are strong. If most beer sells as singles and six-packs, more cooler doors may serve better.
2. What does it replace? Floor space for a cave comes from somewhere: the sales floor, the stockroom or the existing walk-in.
3. Do local rules allow it? Alcohol rules vary by state and locality.
4. Can it be stocked easily? A cave needs a delivery path or back stock behind it.
5. Does it fit the store's look? A well-designed cave becomes a feature customers remember.

New store or existing store

In a new store, a beer cave is planned into the floor plan next to the cooler wall, with its refrigeration and power designed at the same time. In an existing store, the question is where it can go without breaking the layout. Our beer cave design page shows how we plan both.

Sources

• CStore Decisions, as reported by The Hustle, for beer cave costs by size.