🎯 The business: an espresso cart that goes where people already are: weddings, corporate events, office lobbies, markets and school fundraisers. A booked morning pays $600 to $1,200, and the cart costs a fraction of a truck.
Event planners and couples pay a flat fee for two to three hours of unlimited drinks, typically $600 to $1,200 plus a per-cup rate above a count. Offices book a monthly morning as a perk. Markets and festivals are per-cup sales at $5 to $7. Weddings are the premium work; offices are the recurring work.
| Cart, two-group espresso machine, grinder, water system (used) | $8,000 to $15,000 |
| Health permit, food manager card, commissary agreement | $400 to $800 |
| LLC, liability insurance (venues will ask for a certificate) | $800 |
| Barista training, cups, syrups, opening stock | $800 |
| A website with real photos and a booking form | $300 |
| All-in | ≈ $10,000 to $18,000 |
Learn to pull a consistent shot and steam milk properly before the first paid event; it is the entire product. Work two free events for friends and photograph the cart in use. Introduce yourself to five wedding planners and three venues. Offer local offices a trial morning. Price packages, not hours.
A $900 wedding package is about three hours of service plus setup and travel, with maybe $90 of beans, milk and cups. Three weddings a month plus two office mornings a week is roughly $8,000 a month of revenue in season. Wedding season is spring and fall; offices and holiday parties fill the gaps.
A mobile food permit from the county health department, with the handwash and water tank requirements they specify, a commissary agreement, and a certified food manager. Venues require a certificate of insurance. Some cities require a separate vendor permit per event.
A machine that trips the venue’s breaker. A generator that is too loud for a ceremony. Long lines because one barista cannot make 120 drinks in an hour; bring a second person for anything over sixty guests. And seasonality, which is why the office accounts matter.