The mobile coffee cart is a luxurious trolley designed for events, equipped with an Italian-made espresso machine to dispense Italian espressos and cappuccino. I always found a good mobile coffee cart setup that includes the espresso machine, a bean-grinder, a sink, and a drip machine. One tip that I can give you is when designing your mobile coffee cart, always make sure you are positioning the machines in such a way that it facilitates a good workflow.
Now that you have decided what kind of mobile coffee cart you are going to run, and where you are going to run the cart, it is time to get your materials and tools together so you can begin building it. This article will cover everything you need to know about building your DIY Mobile Coffee Cart so that you can begin to deliver your java drinks to the masses. Building a mobile coffee cart of your own is a great way to get out to the public, provide them with delicious coffee drinks, and earn some money in the process.
With an abundance of opportunities, the mobile coffee business is an excellent way to enter into the retail coffee business, reducing the risk and the financial burden – and anxiety – inherent to starting a physical coffee business. Of course, having a mobile coffee business requires all of the same focus, planning, and management that you need to run any coffee shop business.
Drive-thru coffee stands may have plumbing and electrical connections, but in general, these mobile coffee businesses need to keep things contained. If your coffee cart is going to truly be mobile, you are going to have to have a quiet generator that will provide electricity for all of the various machines that you need to provide coffee for customers.
You do not need an espresso machine if you are serving only drip coffee. If you serve espresso drinks only or only drip coffee, then another way to improve profitability is to sell both, which can help you reach more customers through a wider range of offerings.
You could boost profits by booking bigger events, providing additional items such as food or tea drinks for an extra charge, or storing coffee and other items that are in high demand to generate interest. Being mobile allows you to keep costs down while allowing higher coffee margins. Pros: The lower costs for mobile coffee businesses that are powered by foot are highly appealing.
The cost to set up a mobile coffee business can vary depending on what permits and regulations you are required to get, and what materials you are using to construct the cart. As with everything, mobile coffee business start-up costs can fluctuate greatly depending on a few factors, including the size, scale, and equipment required to transport your coffee. Startup costs are relatively low for a mobile coffee cart business–about $16,000–because, unlike a coffee shop, you do not require a physical space in which to operate. To scale up your business — like to have a brick-and-mortar coffee shop — using your specialty coffee-brewing equipment, then a basic coffee cart or a cafeteria bicycle is the best choice.
If you are already the owner of a business or the decision-maker in a larger business. Like any other establishment selling food products (or, indeed, anything), you would need to register your completely legitimate coffee business to be legal. Creating a legitimate business entity, like an LLC or Corporation, will protect you against being held personally liable should your mobile coffee cart get sued. Whether you are selling out of a coffee trailer or food truck, business is a business that can be done.
Selling works best if you are planning on operating at a farmers market or another event where you rent a space yourself, and then sell coffee to attendees. The third option involves some combination of renting out your coffee cart to local businesses and selling cups of coffee at farmer’s markets or other events. The second type of client is the individual or organization that would hire you and your mobile coffee business for their events or functions. The concept of the coffee truck can be used in many different ways for achieving the same business objective.
A cafeteria van (or any similar transportation) could also be classified as a coffee mobile business. A coffee van is not limited to selling only coffee, since it can serve as an actual mobile food stall, offering any kind of beverage or snack, as well as hot meals and other beverages depending on needs and the environment. Goodhart Coffee is the most trusted mobile cafe truck and barista service in Colorado, serving your events with an entire espresso beverage menu like lattes, cappuccino, americanos, and more. Goodhart Coffee takes pride in making your event a unique and enjoyable experience with our mobile coffee cart catering and barista services options.
We are available to bring our services to any event that you might have including birthday parties, weddings, and corporate events, as well as other gatherings. We arrive with our very mobile cart, our espresso machines, and a couple of baristas, and can provide you with luscious, artistically created lattes your guests will enjoy. Cleveland Espresso has been providing Coffee Cart & Espresso Bar Catering Services, featuring our Full-Service Espresso Bar, to Cleveland Event Planners, Caterers, Private Parties, and Organizations since 2010.
To grow your business nationally through pop-ups or mobile points of sale, rather than investing in brick-and-mortar locations, a standard or premium coffee cart will be your best bet. Several ongoing costs for running the business include the ingredients of your products costs (e.g., coffee, milk, and syrups), a jug of water (e.g., refillable five-gallon pitcher), transportation costs such as gas and insurance, staff salaries, if you have employees.