Setting up a market coffee stand can be a fantastic way to generate income, especially if you choose a food-focused market in a busy area. If you are passionate about coffee, it can help you to build awareness about your favourite beans and roasts while you earn a decent profit. For those who are new to the market industry though, it might be difficult to get the hang of things.
You should invest in an urn for your coffee stand to provide fresh, hot water for your coffee. Using a coffee machine alone for a market stand is not ideal, as you might not have enough electrical outlets to run both, and an urn can provide essential hot water for drinks other than coffee. For a market coffee stand, you should also have a carefully constructed menu to complement your caffeinated offerings.
Below we give some tips on how to set up a profitable market coffee stand.
All About Equipment
The most important part of your market coffee stand is having the right equipment to create the perfect cuppa for your customers. Because the market will likely be outdoors, you should invest in an urn as well as a coffee machine so that you have a backup of water in case the coffee machine stops working for some reason.
Other catering equipment you might need for a coffee stand is a food warmer for any baked treats you might be offering or a waffle and pancake maker if you would like to surprise and delight your clients even more. Be sure to look for equipment that does not need too many electrical outlets, such as an urn, or that can operate without using any electricity at all.
Make A Magnificent Menu
At markets, people are often looking for quick bites of food and tasty hot drinks, so be sure to focus your menu on the needs of your consumers. You can keep your menu simple and offer only different types of coffee, which is ideal for those who only want to use minimal equipment like urns and coffee machines.
You will need to think about what will set you apart from the other food and drinks stands at the market, so be sure to create a unique coffee menu. For example, you could offer customers the option to choose what types of beans or which roast intensity they would prefer for their drinks. You could also have a snacks menu to complement your coffee, such as biscuits, cakes, and quiches.
Choose The Best Beans
A coffee stand is all about the coffee, so you should look at choosing the absolute best coffee beans or grounds for the job. If you are catering for people who do not mind a good cup of instant coffee, choose the best brands you can find. If you want to target coffee connoisseurs, opt for high-quality Arabica beans from African or South American countries.
You will be able to find coffee roasteries who provide to caterers in bulk, which will save you money on making small purchases of bags of coffee for every market. If you are using an urn instead of a coffee machine, be sure that the coffee you use does not have leave sediment at the bottom of the cup. You could use a pour-over method for added showmanship for customers.
Location, Location, Location
Where your market coffee stand is placed can have a direct impact on how profitable your stand is. If you would like to be the first stand that customers flock to for an early morning market, then it is best to set up your stand close to the entrance of the market. This way, customers will be able to smell your coffee and you can start up the urns and start serving immediately.
If you would like to have customers spend a little time at your coffee stand and purchase more drinks and snacks, you should position yourself in the middle of the market. This way, customers will reach you after having done some browsing and when they are feeling peckish or thirsty for a good cup of coffee.
Wake Up And Smell The Coffee
Setting up a market coffee stand might sound like a difficult feat, but if you follow some simple tips you will soon be making a decent profit. Start by choosing the right equipment, creating a good menu, and choosing the best coffee beans for your needs. You should also find the best location in the market so that you can make the most of foot traffic and customer needs.
If you would like to reap the benefits of having your own market coffee stand, speak to Caterwize today to find out what catering equipment we can offer you.
