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Coffee Shop Business Startup Costs

Coffee Shop Startup Costs

Depending on the location, appearance of the structure, marketing and the overall understanding of the business, espresso business owners make anywhere from $60,000 to $1,000,000 a year in sales.

As a coffee shop business owner, you must decide on the type of specialty coffee business that you want to start. You can choose from a Commercial Coffee Cart (Espresso Cart), Coffee and Espresso Kiosk, Espresso Drive Thru Coffee Shop or Café Business.

How much does it cost to start a coffee shop business?

What are cost ranges for opening various types of coffee businesses? Coffee shop business startup costs can vary. Below is a quick breakdown showing how much it costs to open a coffee shop, coffee cart, coffee kiosk or cafe business.

  • Commercial Coffee Cart / Espresso Cart - The average cost of starting a coffee cart is roughly $30,000. Starting up an espresso cart is recommended at first in order to understand the local demand for coffee or espresso.
  • Coffee Kiosk / Espresso Kiosk - Starting a coffee kiosk business or espresso kiosk business can cost anywhere from $30,000 - $60,000. The startup costs will depend on the coffee and espresso menu, kiosk size and other features outlined in your coffee kiosk business plan.
  • Drive Thru Coffee Shop - Starting a coffee drive thru business can be fairly challenging. The costs associated to starting a drive thru coffee shop can range anywhere from $60,000 - $150,000. The startup costs depend on features outlined in your coffee drive thru business plan.
  • Café Business - Starting a cafe business, coffee bar or sit down coffee shop cafe is fairly expensive. Opening a cafe business can cost anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000. Café business startup costs depend on the features or services outlined in your cafe business plan.

Top Coffee Business Locations

Commercial Zones on a high traffic road, with easy access and visibility. Best locations would be on a corner, providing high visibility.

  • Highly visible and easily accessible Locations.
  • Convention Centers
  • Near Movie theaters
  • Gas Stations
  • College/University Locations

Keys to a Successful Coffee Shop Drive-Thru Business

Running a successful drive-thru specialty coffee business is not an easy task. Many factors and details are to be considered in order to produce quality beverages and deliver superior customer service.

Freshly made ingredients, well-trained baristas, consistent quality and superior customer service are all keys to a successful drive-thru business. However, the primary key to a successful business is the owner. A successful drive-thru owner must have the following required skills:

  • Solid communication skills, Great leadership skills, Superior customer service skills, Effective management skills, Goal Setting and accomplishing skills, Problem solving skills, and Sales skills.
  • Great leaders have goals, plans and visions for their business. They are also able to share their goals and visions with others. Great leaders are well equipped with breath-taking organizational, communicational and motivational skills. They know exactly what their vision is and have a solid action plan for achieving unpredictable success.
  • Other important keys to success include: An effective marketing strategy, a drive-thru shop designed for speed and efficiency, equipment layout, time management, the quality and taste of your beverages, and continuous effort and dedication.