Kaffeewagen Mira
“Pitch first, coffee second. I moved spots twice before it worked.”
MHMira Hoffmann · Kaffeewagen Mira · Since 2022
Numbers no longer verified
!Your budget is below the typical cost to start ($15.9k). Most survivors in this range bought second-hand equipment.
Based on 13 real coffee carts in Canada, including 6 that closed.
✓Your budget should cover this.
Bills run about $1,080 a month (fuel, insurance, rent, phone). Most owners make a profit after about 4 months. Keep this much aside to pay bills until then.
Mobile vendor permit from the city.
Health department permit for the cart.
Food handler card.
Register with your province (about $60 to $360). Get a free business number from the CRA.
Free to about $15 a month. Keeps business money apart from yours.
Sets up your books and files your first tax return.
Before costs. Busiest May–September.
| Slow | Typical | Strong | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $1.9k | $3.4k | $6k |
| Year 3 | $5.1k | $8.1k | $13k |
| Year 5 | $6.4k | $10.5k | $17.5k |
Slow: 1 in 4 make less than this. Typical: half make more, half make less. Strong: 1 in 4 make more than this.
“Pitch first, coffee second. I moved spots twice before it worked.”
“The pitch at the station is the business. The cart is just a cart.”
$20.4k
about $56k
Starting costs about $35.6k less. Buying costs more, but you earn from the first month and skip the risky early years.