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Permalink Reply by Brandi Heath on December 2, 2009 at 7:30pm

the only thing i can answer is that yeah you sure can do without ''running'' water. you just need to purchase pressurized water cannisters and a water heater!

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Permalink Reply by Jarred Hoffpauir on December 2, 2009 at 8:56pm

Power is going to be your largest hurdle. I have a client who does brewed coffee and pancakes because he can do it all with bottled water and 110v power. Espresso is difficult because of the general requirement of using 220v power.

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Joseph John on December 2, 2009 at 9:31pm

It can be done if you are willing to make the right compromises. We have done some modeling for this type and will be happy to share ideas. Shoot me an e-mail, if interested.

You can run a basic espresso set up with 6 linear feet of counter space. I have a "working model" running at our place. There are two group espresso machines that operate on 110 volts, if you cannot get 208 volt supply. At the trade shows we run these stations off of bottled water and drain into a bucket. So it is very possible, though not the most convenient.

You also have to be modest in your menu offerings. You are probably going to be a solo operator, at least only one person at a time, because of space constraints. So may be one size espresso, one size cappuccino, and one size latte; and may be one size Americano. Possibly muffins, cookies, and biscottis to munch.

So location has to be steady, medium traffic density. May be fifty customers per hour for a couple of hours. Be prepared to open for only parts of the day. Not popular with location owners.

Good Luck.

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Permalink Reply by Mike M on December 2, 2009 at 10:03pm

Thank you all for your input!

Brandi - Pressurized water cannisters and a water heater you say? Do you have experience with these? What are the major benefits/drawbacks of using these? Do you think the hassle outweighs the potential benefit?

Jarred - What would you say is the 'standard' power supply at commercial locations? If I did run espresso machines that required greater power than the voltage currently offered, is my only option to purchase a machine that required less power?

Dr. John - I've sent you a friend request and am certainly interested in hearing more about your thoughts on your set up ideas and experience with this type of endeavor. If you wouldn't mind sending me your email address I would be happy to contact you.

Thank you all again!

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Permalink Reply by Jarred Hoffpauir on December 4, 2009 at 8:23am

You are always going to be able to get close to a 110v power outlet and it will generally have a 20amp breaker on it. The real trick at micro locations is to have that be dedicated just for you. If someone else has a line of computers plugged into another outlet on the same breaker they will be disappointed when you blow the breaker.

Ask John as he seems to know the 110 power machines but I always found them to be much slower to use and if you are serving people in "rushes" that can be bad. They seem hard to find but you might consider a lever operated machine. I think they generally run on 110 and are not slower due to lack of power. Well you add the power when you pull the lever :)

As for additional items to sell, check out my company www.chefstack.com. You will see 3-4 times the profit margins on our pancakes as you will see on muffins and other food items. They are hot, fresh and made to order in less time then you can make your drink order. Let me know if you want to set up a demo and we can talk about more specifics as well as financing we have available for new shops.

Michael Morand said:

Thank you all for your input!

Jarred - What would you say is the 'standard' power supply at commercial locations? If I did run espresso machines that required greater power than the voltage currently offered, is my only option to purchase a machine that required less power?

Thank you all again!

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Permalink Reply by Mike M on December 4, 2009 at 9:37pm

Jarred - Thank you for the input. That's a good connection to remember between the power availability and the speed needed.

The pancake maker sounds really interesting! I'm looking at potentially having a couple of kiosks or micro shops at a university or two if I can get their respective housing offices to sign off on it, and a short stack of pancakes with some berries or other fixings could be a great meal on the run for students. It'll be a bit, but I just might take you up on the offer to provide additional details. I did poke around on your website though. Neat stuff!

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Permalink Reply by Giovanni Esposito on December 8, 2009 at 12:10am

Hey All,

Unfortunately, I don't have the information on available on hand as I recently moved to Australia from Canada and left the book at home. However, I HIGHLY recommend the following book, "ESPRESSO! Starting and Running Your Own Specialty Coffee Business", for anyone interested in starting up a coffee business ESPECIALLY if your focus is on a coffee kiosk business. I remember the book having step by step instructions for setting up your kiosk business. Also, had a list of supplier contact information for kiosks.

Here is the link to the book on Amazon (in the USA): http://www.amazon.com/ESPRESSO-Starting-Running-Specialty-Business/...

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