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Permalink Reply by Neal on April 19, 2012 at 6:09am

For 15-20k you should be able to get a well equipped cart. I am in a similar situation but I have been researching it for several months now. Check out Coffeecartbiz they have some nice package deals that will give you an idea of price and what you need. For people here to give you detailed info they are probably going to need to know some more details such as what location are you shooting for? Is it inside or outside? How busy is the location?

One that I am wondering is why are you planning to change locations every 6 months or so?

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Doulass on April 19, 2012 at 5:43pm

The change of locations is most likely not going to be needed as often as I previously had noted.  I am shooting for an indoor location in one of the higher populated businesses in my area.  I am working through the process meeting with these businesses to find the need and desire to have a coffee cart.  I am hoping to come to an agreement with a company that has upwards of 1000 employees.  I am not sure if this type of deal would be better to have a coffee cart or kiosk.  I assume that a kiosk is much more expensive than a cart would be but could provide more drink options.  

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Permalink Reply by Neal on April 19, 2012 at 6:23pm

Actually the cart that handles the espresso machine is by far the most expensive. It has most of the electrical components and water handling devices that can get pricey. To add another, side cart or something to form a kiosk, appears to be relatively cheap because there isn't anything fancy about it.

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Permalink Reply by Jessica Crandall on April 19, 2012 at 7:57pm

After building our own cart 2 years ago, we recently found a used trailer made by apollo carts on ebay. I would suggest keeping an eye out for another one of these carts-- absolutely amazing quality and functionality crammed into a very small space. http://www.apollocarts.com/530.php has all the specs for the cart-- and is a good working list of what you will need. 

We forgot to include a separate hand washing station in our first cart... a hassle when it came to the health inspector. If you're building it yourself I can give you a list of essentials. 

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Doulass on April 19, 2012 at 8:09pm

I have actually been trying to come to a conclusion on buying a cart or building my own.  Which have you found to be the better bang for your buck?  I just need to make a couple big picture decisions to see what route is going to suit my situation the best.  Do most kiosks have electrical and plumbing or is it essentially just an additional cart?  I appreciate the insight and help from all.

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Permalink Reply by Jessica Crandall on April 19, 2012 at 8:30pm

We were able to build our own cart for cheaper by scanning craigslist and altering already made things. If your plumbing and electrical skills are up to scratch you could make one. Where are you located?

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Doulass on April 20, 2012 at 12:33pm

I am located in Columbus Ohio.

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Permalink Reply by Mickael on April 22, 2012 at 7:39pm

the last time i had a company build a cart is was close to $10k.  The cart included everything except the cord to plug it in.  Reason being in Oregon you have you have an electrician get a permit.  The cart had circuit breakers to power the machine, hot water heater, pump and grinders.  You can get lucky and find a used cart online maybe.  If you were in Oregon I would finance the whole project for you so you just had to pay a monthly lease payment.

mikey@espressomachineexperts.com

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Permalink Reply by Brady on April 24, 2012 at 6:26am

Links can disappear or change over time, so here's the feature list from that page:

"

2 Group Espresso Machine* Commercial Coffee Grinder Tubular Steel Framework Stainless Steel Exterior Stainless Steel Countertop Double Stainless Steel Sink Locking Storage Compartments 12 VDC Water Pump 12 VDC Refrigeration* 12 Deep Cycle Battery 12 VDC/110 Invertor Package

9 Gallon Fresh Water Tank 14 Gallon Waste Water Tank 3 Gallon Propane Hot Water Heater Complete Plumbing System Collapsible Framed Canopy with Flip-Up Doors Canopy Covered in Vinyl Your Choice of Colors Removable Towing Bar Jacking Wheel 2000lb Axle with 8" Pneumatic Tires Shipping Crate

"

This one is clearly meant to operate mobile. A kiosk probably won't need things like batteries, pumps, and water tanks. Maybe that's the difference between a cart and a kiosk?

Some coffee-specific features might include things like permanent knockbox and pitcher rinser.  Don't forget water conditioning either! If you do run mobile, an accumulator tank between the espresso machine and pump would also be a good idea.

Anyone have anything else they'd add to that list?

Jessica Crandall said:

After building our own cart 2 years ago, we recently found a used trailer made by apollo carts on ebay. I would suggest keeping an eye out for another one of these carts-- absolutely amazing quality and functionality crammed into a very small space. http://www.apollocarts.com/530.php has all the specs for the cart-- and is a good working list of what you will need. 

We forgot to include a separate hand washing station in our first cart... a hassle when it came to the health inspector. If you're building it yourself I can give you a list of essentials. 

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