Coffee Vendor Toolkit

01 / Gather the details

Before you quote

Use these prompts in your own conversation after a customer contacts you or you unlock a paid lead. Confirm the details with the customer; an inquiry is not a confirmed booking.

Event basics

Date or date range, event city, venue, occasion and expected guest count. Confirm the decision-maker and the date they need your quote.

Service window

Arrival, setup, drinks service and breakdown times. Ask whether guests arrive together or throughout the event; a short rush needs different staffing from steady service.

Menu and demand

Hot and iced drinks, tea options, milk choices, cup size and any hosted drink limit. Guest count alone does not tell you how many drinks to prepare.

Venue access

Loading route, stairs or lifts, parking, usable service space, and the venue contact. Confirm equipment-specific power, water and waste arrangements with the venue.

Your service plan

Available staff, travel, equipment, weather backup and realistic service capacity. Ask follow-up questions before promising availability or accepting payment.

02 / Build your own price

Work through the costs

Use your actual costs and pay for all working time, including preparation and cleanup. This worksheet does not prescribe a market rate. Add any other costs your business incurs and avoid counting the same expense twice.

Ingredients and disposables

$

Preparation, service and cleanup labor

$

Travel, parking and loading costs

$

Rentals and additional equipment

$

Overhead allocated to this event

$

Payment processing and other selling costs

$

Any lead or other booking-acquisition fee

$

Estimated total costs

$

Proposed selling price (before separately charged taxes)

$

Estimated surplus: selling price minus total costs

$

The estimated surplus is a planning figure, not a guaranteed profit or a tax calculation. Check payment-processing charges and any other costs you have not included, then compare estimates with actual results after the event.

Find A Coffee Cart lead access is optional: $5 for up to 50 guests, $7 for 51–150, or $10 for more than 150. Comparison leads may be offered to other local vendors and are not exclusive. Buying a lead does not guarantee a reply or booking. Read how leads work.

03 / Confirm before you arrive

Event-day readiness checklist

Review this with your team before packing. Keep the customer’s private contact details in your own secure booking records.

• Written scope: menu, service hours, staffing, guest assumptions and what is included.
• Customer approval, payment schedule, cancellation terms and process for changes.
• Confirmed venue contact, access instructions, arrival and breakdown times.
• Equipment-specific power and water confirmed with the venue; outdoor backup agreed.
• Stock, consumables, equipment and staffing checked against the final service plan.
• Afterward: record actual costs, drinks served and what to improve next time.