Espresso Cart Business

 Are you planning to open a coffee/espresso cart? Then this information is for you!

     We will show you how to maximize the potential of an espresso cart and how to prevent mistakes that may cost you thousands of dollars or even endanger the existence of your business!

    Like with any coffee shop or coffee drive-thru, the choice of a location in placing your espresso cart will be the single-most important factor for the success of your espresso cart business. You can have the best looking cart in the world and serve the best tasting drinks, but if your prospective customers cannot see you or get to you easily, then you won't do any business.

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    First of all, let's talk some "coffee cart business sense":

  • Your coffee cart "business success," or lack of it, will depend mostly on the cart location, not on the brand of the cart, the espresso equipment, or coffee that you may be using
  • Before you invest any money in any cart or equipment, you should secure the location where to put it, or, like many people that got into this business without doing their home work, you may be serving cappuccinos to your neighbors from your garage
  • Once your location is secured, you should do everything possible within your means to maximize it's potential, that is, to sell the most number of drinks in order to derive the most profit from that location. After all, we assume that you are in business to make money, aren't you? 

    Though the answer may be obvious, we have seen a number of carts that seem to do everything possible in order not to sell many drinks! They have "too extensive" menus which don't make any sense to new potential customers; they have no idea  how to prepare drinks promptly and correctly for better taste; their prices are sky-high and they surround the cart with thirty or more flavored syrups, making customers choice difficult.

     What are the best opportunities and locations for espresso carts?

    A great variety of business owners all over the country may have excellent opportunities to increase their morning business by placing espresso carts either within their stores or right outside their entrance. (You must get permits from your local health dept. and some other agencies.) We have seen espresso carts inside of dry cleaners, hardware stores, supermarkets, book stores, liqueur stores, outside of restaurants in malls, in amusement parks, airports, lobbies of large office buildings, hospitals, school and college cafeterias, department stores, C-stores, service stations, car washes, etc., etc., etc.

    Of course, being the owner of a business and placing a cart there makes it much easier than for someone looking for a cart location in somebody else's business. If you are the owner of a business and you place a cart on your property, you are not going to kick yourself out should you make your cart business a success!

     Unfortunately, unless a cart location has a long term lease, which is unlikely, that is what may happen in many instances. The moment your cart starts making real money, you will be asked to leave and the next thing you know the wife, girlfriend or some other relative of the owner/property manager has his/her cart in your location - - benefiting from the customer base that you have created! Sad, isn't it?

     So, before you invest anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000 for a cart, make sure you have a good and secure location! What is the best location for an espresso cart? A large hospital or medical facility would be my first choice. The hospital administrator is not concerned about the rent that the hospital may derive from your cart, but they want to make their environment more attractive to the hospital staff and visitors, and if you do a good job, they are not going to kick you out. There are countless examples of hospital carts making sales up to $1500 a day, as compared to the average of around $250.

    If you make $250 a day in sales, and you work it yourself, you probably will be able to put in your pocket or purse around $100 a day.

Where to start:

1. Find a prospective location, talk to the owner/manager, check with the health department for local regulations. If everything checks out, call us and let's talk about your location, equipment needs, product, etc. There is no charge or obligation for this service.

2. We do not sell any carts or equipment, but will be able to put you in contact with people that do, probably save you money, and you will have the assurance that your cart/equipment is first rate.

3. Depending on your circumstances, you may lease the whole cart and equipment for as low as $350 a month, depending on the type and size.

4. Once you have your location and cart, to maximize your chances of success, you should learn how to "make real money" with your business. That is where we come in. We will teach you how to "jump start" your business, advise you on the best products to use in your part of the country, train you and all your employees in all phases of the business, including on how to prepare drinks fast for better taste. Please call us for the fee and references.

If you are not ready for our full scope of consulting services,  Alex's book and video tape "Espresso Business Success Program" (click here) will provide you with all the basics on how to design, open and operate a coffee by the cup business.

Main page: "How to Make Real Money with Espresso"