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 77 real coffee carts in the UK, including 35 that closed.
✓Your budget should cover this.
Bills run about $1,020 a month (fuel, insurance, rent, phone). Most owners make a profit after about 4 months. Keep this much aside to pay bills until then.
From your council, about £500 to £2,000 a year. Some spots have waiting lists.
Free, with your council, 28 days before you start.
Level 2 food hygiene course, online.
Sole trader with HMRC (free) or a limited company at Companies House (about £50).
Free with most online banks. 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 | $1.7k | $3k | $5.3k |
| Year 3 | $4.4k | $7.1k | $11.4k |
| Year 5 | $5.6k | $9.2k | $15.3k |
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.”
$19.3k
about $49k
Starting costs about $29.7k less. Buying costs more, but you earn from the first month and skip the risky early years.