Should I invest In a Mobile Coffee Van, Cost £14,000

Should I invest In a Mobile Coffee Van, Cost £14,000

by Carl

I am interested in starting a mobile coffee (proper coffee done the traditional way) with a purpose built mobile coffee van that will cost me £14,000. I hope to secure a weekly booking with a big car boot sale and wondered if this sounds promising business?

Long term I would like to build a reliable brand an reputation for serving great coffee at outdoor events. Over time to add more vans and employ good staff to run them.

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Should I invest In a Mobile Coffee Van, Cost £14,000

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Oct 11, 2011
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In the Recession what is happening to Coffee
by: Kevin

Hi
Have been reading this posting. I live in London and begun looking at the possibility of buying a van, my budget is around £15,000

Now my idea would be to get a pitch close to a tube station to catch commuters and offer in addition to coffee . tea, mineral water and food cheese rolls , pastries , croissants

My friend tells me near where she lives in Glasgow the coffee van used to do a breakfast bag , drink , danish and cheese roll for for £2.50 and the prices were tea 0.80 coffee 1.00

Now if I could offer similar prices in London and have the pitch would this be succesful

After that there are more hours in the day , so far I have been to 4 car boot sales and the vending vans have been quiet , they also offer burgers and coke Meal deal, coke , fries and burger £3.50 that does not sound like a lot left for profit, so was looking at other alternatives and one that sprung to mind was night shift Thursday to Sunday catering to clubbers, I know I need a licence but not sure how the local authority would view this

Can somebody please provide me with some current advice of how likley success is in this particular economic climate

Kevin

Sep 28, 2011
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Paul
by: Anonymous

Hi Paul...

Your email does not work. How can i reach you?

ersahkahraman@hotmail.com

Sep 21, 2011
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does not have to be that expensive
by: Anonymous

I have seen coffe vans like a 2004 ford transit kitted out with equipment selling for £7000
So it doesn't need to cost you £14000.
Sell any vehicle you might already have to help cover your new van cost and get your tradining licences sorted out and health and safety etc and away you go.
Should be able to make enough profit to cover expenses and some left over if you find a good place to trade and with experience will come more money.

Sep 15, 2011
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Still thinking about it?
by: Anonymous

If you're still thinking about/looking for a mobile coffee van - I have a converted van and business for sale - Carpuccino. Branded and equipped to a high spec, been running for 3 years and profitable, now selling as was offered a job I couldn't turn down and can't run both. Selling the business with all knowledge learnt from 3 yrs of trading and a calendar of profitable events. Have a look www.carpuccino.co.uk and give me a call if interested.

Jun 21, 2011
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keep your set up costs down - think carefully about your market
by: Paul

We have been supplying duel fuel machines for a few years, to different types of customers and we see some fly and others flop. From this experience I would pass on three things:

1. Think carefully about your market and don’t give up easily on venues and pitches. Think about what will be bread and butter (your lunchtime round or town centre pitch) and what will bring in the bonus earnings (events, functions, festivals, weddings etc) These two aspects will need to work together. Often you will receive a negative response to town/centre pitches and objections from static businesses, but be persistent and appeal if necessary.

2. Don’t overspend on set up costs, otherwise it will be harder to pay back your investment and make a living.
• The majority of our customers have brought and converted second hand vans /piaggio’s etc. We have then fitted the coffee machine, grinder etc usually duel fuel with a flow-jet pump and battery inverter. This is going to be around £3k depending on the options.
• The main additional components needed for the coffee machine installation, are the gas bottle & connection and water tank.
• A two group machine, which serves four coffees at a time is usually the best size, but make sure your vehicle/cart is going to fit everything you need. Don’t get carried away with the cart and then compromise on what you need to serve your customers.

3. Other than busy locations or events, coffee will not be enough to earn a good living, so think about the products you can sell and what you need i.e. fridge etc. With a duel fuel coffee machine, you can run it off the gas (and battery inverter) or electric hook-up. It also gives the flexibility to run the additional equipment from a generator without the coffee machine being a draw.

I hope this is helpful, but please feel free to contact us, if you are thinking of setting up a mobile coffee business. Contact me, Paul sales@bestcoffeebeans.co.uk or http://www.bestcoffeebeans.co.uk/coffee-van-coffee-machines-167-c.asp

May 12, 2011
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think long and hard...........
by: Anonymous

some of you guys are living on planet zog; £200 per day? you'll be EXTREMELY lucky to do that in a WEEK. and never forget; TURNOVER is sanity PROFIT is sanity.

It is a very hard item to sell around the industrial estates in these straitened times (i know, we built our own van and have been doing it a year)and yes, events are where the money is.

BUT they are only there 6 months of the year and are EXTREMELY hard to get into as the network uses "Bob, Dick and Harry who we've used for years." i dont regret doing it, love it in fact but it will keep you poor.

Don't ever believe its money for old rope. the equipment's VERY fragile to be rocked around in the back of a van and mechanical breakdowns can be manifold and frequent and costly to repair (service on the machine minimum £450 + vat).

to trade on the streets as it were you'll need a street traders licence (£350 p.a.) to say nothing of annual public liability premiums and PAT testing of appliances and insurance for a catering van itself is c£900.

Good luck to you if its what you really want to do. trouble is, even at £2.00 per cup theres just not enough meat in the margin of the product.

Get yourself a crepe van, jacket potato, hog roast, donut trailer or similar for some serious earning potential.

And just maybe, if it doesnt rain, you can afford the £250 pitch fee a living wage might be possible but you'll find for the vast majority in the industry, its just a sideline to their day job. sorry!

Nov 05, 2010
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Mega Van for Sale
by: Anonymous

Dear All,

If anyone is interested i have a very stylish Aixam Mega Van for sale which has been converted to a very high standard
please call 07789255317

regards

Steve

Oct 28, 2010
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How to convert smart car to coffee van?
by: Nat

Anybody knows where can I convert a smart car to coffee van? Which companies in England are doing this and for how much?

Aug 04, 2010
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coffee van
by: Anonymous

You could pick up a very reasonable second hand van and it would cost no more than an average family car only difference is it will cover its own cost eg insurance fuel etc that you would have to pay out for but other than a means to get to work it wont make you money and its something given the right pitch could make you a reasonable living , don't expect to be a millionaire in a few years as it wont happen !. don't give in with your local council over the rejection on the pitch you really want as they will just keep fobbing you off to get rid of you , try your local counsellor to help move things forward ! If you have a passion for making good coffee and making people smile as they taste it and give you great feed back then its a very rewarding job although the often long hours can ruin social events and family life !

May 29, 2010
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Telling it like it is
by: Anonymous

The fact that you're asking questions like this should provide you with the 'answer' !

Sorry, but you already knew this didn't you ?

And yes, I have run my own coffee van business for over 3 years now.

If in doubt, don't, simple as that.

If you still REALLY know you can make a go of it then BUILD your own van, don't spend unecessary tens of thousands on a trendy thing, you don't need one, especially to start with.You will, however, need all the CASH you can lay your hands on when starting out.Spend as LITTLE as possible - it's not hard to build a van,it might take a bit longer but there are plenty of people to ask for help if you really look, and you will know more about the business because of it.

May 26, 2010
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Mobile Coffee
by: Anonymous

Have done it and stopped doing it, but may come back to it? As people say you need right pitch, also make sure you can physically work outdoors all year round. It is Ok in the summer but challenging in the winter.

Top tip! When finding a pitch make sure you are not too far from toilets and warmth.

Good Luck

May 22, 2010
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A good pitch
by: Anonymous

You can Make lots of money if you have the right pitch.
cost of a cuppa is 15p Lots of profit
Go For It

Apr 28, 2010
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leave it where it is
by: Anonymous

Hi, I bough a coffee van had got myself a permanent pitch at a busy train station and at a large castle. I had to do long hours , getting up at 4.30 am to get everything organised to open at 6 am for commuters, I then moved to the Castle at 2 pm , I got home at 6 pm and it took an hour or so to reload and wash down etc. I finished at 7 pm, just in time to go to bed again to get up at 4.30 am. I made good money about £20,000 a year - but it came at a price !! you want make much money at a car boot sale - people are already there trying to get something for nothing !!

Apr 03, 2010
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No
by: Ross

I invested over £50000 in a franchise and have had my fingers burnt badly. I went office to office & it was just not wanted. Markets are hopeless, too expensive & other events are hard to come by. Keep your money.

Dec 16, 2009
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Go for it, nothing ventured nothing gained
by: Anonymous

given the cost of a van at around £17000 and the equipment and fitting of it, some companies are charging 7-10k.
easily make a living from it, go for it, at 33p per drink all in, you will be clearing £1;30 per drink, as long as the coffee is good and you know what you are doing.
Iam doing exactly that, but i am doing it all myself, new van the works
good luck

Jul 31, 2009
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Coffee Van
by: Anonymous

Hi, can I ask you where you are based mate?

May 28, 2009
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thik carfully
by: Anonymous

costs 14000 pound, how bad do you want this business.
long term could be a good gold mine short term dont waste your money.

May 12, 2009
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go for it dude!
by: Anonymous

what other business can you buy for £14000 that will earn you a couple of hundred quid per day? I say go for it.

Apr 28, 2009
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Too much to Spend on Coffee Business
by: Anonymous

Hi David,

Many thanks for your good advice and thoughts. I will continue the research as you suggest.

I am concerned about the price too, I was hoping to spend no more than £10,000 on something like this.

Apr 28, 2009
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Small Business Options
by: Anonymous

Hi Carl,

I think that £14.000 is a hell of a lot of money to spend on a trailer a lone.You will have to sell a lot of coffee to make your money back.

Have you tried to secure a permanent pitch with a trailer, rather than just a trailer at least this will justify the cost.

Do visit some car boots and see what they charge for a coffee, even stay there a few hours and see how busy they get. From this you can see how much business you may get.

I think the idea is great, but do reconsider the amount of money you are going to spend.

Regards
David

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