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 68 real coffee carts in the US, including 31 that closed.
✓Your budget should cover this.
Bills run about $1,150 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.
Form an LLC with your state ($50 to $500). Get a free tax number (EIN) from the IRS.
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 | $2.2k | $3.9k | $6.9k |
| Year 3 | $5.8k | $9.3k | $14.9k |
| Year 5 | $7.3k | $12.1k | $20.1k |
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.”
$21.6k
about $64k
Starting costs about $42.4k less. Buying costs more, but you earn from the first month and skip the risky early years.