Here are some things to consider before starting a coffee cart in North Queensland.
1. Build Habits, Stop Moving
Coffee carts are awesome because you can move them. You can change your spot if you find somewhere better, or do events in different places.
But that’s not really how people buy coffee.
A coffee business relies on habit. Your customers keep coming back because they love you and how you brew coffee, but also because it’s just become part of their routine.
So, counterintuitively, coffee carts that stay in one spot tend to do better than carts that move around a lot. If you can find a spot with some cover, that’s a bonus when it rains.
2. Coffee carts can move, which means you HAVE to move them.
Sure, you often pay little or no rent with a coffee cart, but you HAVE to move it.
Packing up, setting up and restocking are all a bit harder with a cart. And those are hours you’re not earning money.
When I asked a bunch of the coffee carts we supply what the hardest part was, they said “the freaking setup and pack down.”
It’s an extra layer of work that isn’t obvious when you’re starting out. So when you’re building your plan, look for ways to speed up setup and pack down. Could you plug your coffee machine in at home on a timer so it’s already hot when you arrive in the morning? Maybe you can find a spot that you don't need to move from?
3. Power will be a thing
Coffee machines, grinders and fridges use a fair bit of power. You’ll probably need a big ol’ generator to run it all, and generators use fuel, are heavy and aren’t cheap.
When you’re planning, work out every way you can save on power. Maybe go with a slightly less powerful espresso machine so you can get away with a smaller generator.
In the past I worked with an electrician to install a “low power” switch on my espresso machine, isolating 1 of its 3 elements. That meant I could run it off a standard 10 amp power point if I needed to. This made events way easier to plan for, I could just use their power.
You can also convert a chest freezer into a fridge using a temperature controller like an Inkbird. Chest fridges that open from the top stay colder for longer. The less work your fridge has to do, the smaller your generator can be.
For context, the coffee cart pictured in this blog is called 'GoGo' and it ran off a tiny 3.5kw Gentrax generator.
4. Home becomes your storeroom
Cups, milk, fridges, ice and coffee beans. All of it has to live somewhere, and that’s probably your garage. Do you have the space?
Every delivery and restock means double or triple handling.
5. How good are you (and your staff) at reversing a trailer?
Trailers are awesome. It means you can still use your car after the trailer is unhitched, BUT...
Reversing a trailer takes practice. You’ll get good at it, but the people you eventually want to hire might not have the skill or the confidence. That can make coffee carts hard to hire for, and it gives you a bit less flexibility in your own life.
If you’re sick, there may be no one you can call in to cover you.
In conclusion, a coffee cart can work really well. I’ve seen plenty of operators make great money. They’re relatively cheap to set up and flexible, which makes them a great first business.
I think the best strategy with a coffee cart is to build a following, build up your cash flow, then move into a brick-and-mortar venue. You can either sell the cart or keep it as an events option for your business.
Just think through the challenges and build a plan that suits you before you commit. You’ll enjoy running your own business a lot more for it.
My background.
I've built a coffee cart, Bussy Mc Bussface.
I've owned a coffee cart, Gogo
I also run a coffee roasting company, Long Shot Coffee Co, that supplies a LOT of coffee carts. Over the years, I have learned and watched others learn the hard way what it takes to run a successful coffee cart.