How do you start a coffee cart business in 2027?

Honest 5/10 baseline.

Startup costs: $8K-$35K. Cart or trailer ($3K-$20K used, more new), espresso machine ($2K-$8K commercial), grinder, water filtration, generator or shore power, POS, refrigeration, branding/signage, initial bean and milk inventory, propane setup if needed.

Permits/licenses: Business license, mobile food vendor permit, health dept permit (espresso/dairy elevates risk class), commissary kitchen agreement in most cities, food handler cert, sales tax permit, commercial liability, possibly fire marshal sign-off if propane.

Customer acquisition: Recurring corporate office routes, farmers markets, construction site morning runs, weddings/events, gym lobbies, Instagram with location pins, Google local, loyalty app or punch card, neighborhood Slack/Nextdoor.

Revenue model: Per-drink ($4-$8), event flat rate ($400-$1,500/event), corporate recurring ($500-$2,000/visit), tips. Milk/bean cost is usually 18-25%.

Realistic year-1: $35K-$120K revenue solo-operated. Dawn shifts, weather-dependent foot traffic, event circuit takes time to build. Repeat customers > random walk-ups.