How I Started a Coffee Cart Business With No Experience
If you’re thinking about starting a coffee cart business but have no idea where to begin, you’re not alone, I was in the exact same position. This blog is part journal, part guide, where I’m documenting how I went from zero experience to starting my own coffee cart, so you can follow along and learn from my journey. I have literally no idea where to start and zero resources, so I am hoping to figure this all out as I go.
Step 1: Decide If a Coffee Business Is Right for You
When I first got the idea of starting a coffee shop (I really wanted a cat cafe… not out of the question yet), I knew nothing about coffee and so I decided to get a job at a local coffee shop. I would highly recommend doing this, even for just a few months to see if the early morning schedule, constant customer service, and coffee making is really for you. For me personally, I loved it. It was such a fun way to connect with the other baristas, the customers, and to add a little joy to everyone’s day. Just like that, my idea of owning a coffee business became an official dream that I was determined to pursue.
Step 2: Learn Coffee Basics (Even Without Experience)
If you have the time and flexibility to become a barista for a few months, I would highly recommend it. However as someone who now works a 9-5, that option would no longer be in the cards for me. If that’s the case for you, don’t fret, learning to make coffee can in fact be taught in other ways - like on youtube. Fun fact: the owner of the coffee shop I worked at had never worked at one herself, so I know it’s possible. Maybe start by investing in a crappy espresso machine and testing out how to make a cappuccino, lattes, cortados, etc.
Step 3: Talk to People in the Industry
Once I had to give up the job at the coffee shop, I sat down with the owner who gave me tons of great, honest advice about owning a coffee shop. I also reached out to a local cat cafe owner who agreed to sit down with me and chat over coffee, as well as a coffee trailer owner who I met via zoom. I highly recommend connecting with anyone you know to hear firsthand about the experience!
Step 4: Get Educated
At this point I knew I wanted to start a coffee shop but had absolutely no idea where to even begin. The first thing I did was buy a book called “The Daily Grind: How to open and run a coffee shop that makes money” while it is based in the UK and is somewhat dated, it was great to wrap my head around all the aspects of a coffee shop and start thinking about the logistics. Next, I found an online course called The Coffee Shop Startups and I purchased the Professional Kit which includes interviews, content, and helpful documents. This was exactly what I was looking for since it gave me documents I wasn’t sure how to create myself such as a business plan.
Step 5: Why I Chose a Coffee Cart Instead of a Coffee Shop
One thing that has been a struggle for me was the fact that since I am in my young twenties and have never left my hometown, I would like to be able to move in the near future. However, I would still like the flexibility to move back home in my thirties if I want. While it is still possible to do this with a brick and mortar I decided that I would start with a coffee cart and work my way up from there. So, I have done some background research, confirmed this is what I want to do, and have decided that I want to have a coffee cart, now the real fun can begin… onto the logistics!
