How much does coffee catering cost in Austin?

What the cart costs

Our mobile espresso cart is priced as packages by length of service. Each one includes a working barista, a full espresso bar and drinks made to order for the whole window. The guest count is how many people one barista can comfortably serve in that time.

The full price list, including drop-off tiers and add-ons, is on our catering pricing page. Everything on it is the same number the booking form uses to build your ballpark.

What moves the price

• Hours of service. The biggest lever. Two hours covers a cocktail hour or a morning meeting; four covers a reception or most of a conference day.
• Headcount. Each package covers a set number of guests. When your crowd runs past what one barista can serve in that time, a second barista adds $250.
• How busy it is. A long, steady day is cheaper than a short, slammed one. For 5 hours or more with light traffic, we charge $700 for the cart and first 2 hours, then $150 an hour. An 8 hour office day comes to $1,600.
• Running past four busy hours. Each extra hour on the four hour package is $200.
• Distance. Travel is free within 20 miles of Austin. Past that it's a flat $45 out to 35 miles or $90 out to 50. Past 50 miles we still come, and work the travel out when we quote.
• Extras. A signature drink, built around your event and named whatever you like, is $75.

Four sample budgets

Real setups we get asked about, priced the way our booking form prices them. Add Texas sales tax to each.

• East Austin wedding120 guests, three hours from cocktail hour through the first dance, with a signature drink named after the couple.

  3 hour package

  $895

  Signature drink

  $75

  Total

  $970

• Domain office all-hands150 people over a two hour morning all-hands, everyone wanting a drink in the same half hour.

  2 hour package

  $695

  Second barista

  $250

  Total

  $945

  The second barista is what keeps the line short when the whole room arrives at once.
• SXSW or ACL brand activationA six hour day at a downtown activation, around 400 drinks, steady crowd from open to close.

  4 hour package

  $1,095

  2 extra hours

  $400

  Second barista

  $250

  Total

  $1,745

  That's per day. A three day activation is three of these.
• Round Rock school staff breakfastDrop-off coffee for 60 teachers and staff before the first bell. No cart, no barista: we brew, deliver and set up.

  Up to 75 guests

  $240

  Total

  $240

  Round Rock sits close to our 20 mile line. If your campus is past it, add $45 for travel.

Sizing it: headcount and hours

Most people overbuy hours and underestimate the rush. Coffee demand isn't spread evenly across an event. It spikes: when doors open, right after a keynote, when dinner plates are cleared. The package that fits is the one that covers your busiest half hour, not your average one.

• Weddings. Service usually runs from cocktail hour, or from dinner, to the first dance. Two to three hours covers it. If you want coffee to carry people into the late dancing, that's where a longer package earns itself.
• Office mornings and all-hands. The whole room wants a drink in the same 20 minutes. Short window, high headcount: that's the case for a second barista rather than more hours.
• Conferences and activations. Traffic is steady and the day is long. Count from first start to last finish, and tell us roughly how busy you expect it to be. A long, light day is priced differently from a short, packed one.
• Not everyone drinks coffee. At a morning event, plan on most of the room. At an evening reception it's fewer, but the ones who do tend to come back for a second.

If you're not sure, give us the headcount and the schedule and we'll size it. That's what the booking form is for: you'll see the ballpark for exactly what you entered.

What's included

Every cart booking comes with the same things, whatever the package. No setup fee, no separate charge for cups.

• The cart and a baristaWe bring the bar, the grinder, and the person who knows how to run both.
• Coffee we roastedThe same lineup we sell on the shelf, roasted close to your date. Not wholesale filler.
• Everything that goes with itCups, lids, milk, syrups, and the small stuff you'd only notice if it were missing.
• Setup and teardownWe arrive early, work the service window, and leave the space how we found it.

Travel by town

Roughly where each town falls, measured from central Austin. Bigger towns can straddle a line, so your quote uses the actual address of your event.

Within 20 miles of AustinFree

Austin, Pflugerville, Manor, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Buda, Bee Cave, Lakeway

20 to 35 miles$45

Leander, Georgetown, Hutto, Liberty Hill, Lago Vista, Elgin, Cedar Creek, Bastrop, Kyle, San Marcos, Lockhart, Dripping Springs

35 to 50 miles$90

Taylor, Smithville, Wimberley

Over 50 milesQuoted

New Braunfels, Marble Falls, Giddings

Cart, drop-off or a coffee run?

Say you have 75 people. Here's how the three usual options compare.

• A coffee shop run. At $5 to $7 a drink, that's $375 to $525, plus whoever loses their morning collecting the order. By the time it's handed out, most of it is lukewarm, and nobody got what they actually wanted.
• Drop-off coffee. $240 for up to 75 people. We brew our coffee, deliver it in airpots and set it up. Good for a meeting or a morning where people want a cup, not a latte.
• The cart. $695 for 2 hours, up to 75 guests. Lattes, cortados and cold brew made to order by a barista. It's the one people remember, and the line it draws is half the point at a wedding or an activation.

If the coffee is fuel, drop-off is the better buy. If the coffee is part of the event, book the cart.

What to ask any coffee caterer

Whoever you book, these are the questions that turn two quotes that look alike into two very different days.

• Who roasted the coffee, and when? Plenty of carts pour whatever wholesale blend is cheapest. Ask for the roast date. Ours is roasted by us, close to your event.
• Is the barista included, and is it one barista or two? A cart without enough hands is a long line, and a long line at a wedding is a long line in every photo.
• What's on the menu? Espresso drinks, cold brew, tea, non-dairy milk? Ask what's included and what costs extra, so the quote you compare is the quote you'll pay.
• How is travel charged? A flat zone fee is easy to plan around. A per-mile charge worked out afterwards isn't.
• What happens if we run long? Find out the hourly rate for running over before the day, not during it.
• Is the price before or after tax? Ours is before Texas sales tax, and we say so.

Questions

How much does a coffee cart cost per person in Austin?

About $6 to $9 a guest with us when the cart is serving its full headcount: $695 covers up to 75 guests for 2 hours, and $1,095 covers up to 175 for 4. Smaller groups pay the package price, so the per-guest number rises as the crowd gets smaller.

What's the minimum booking?

2 hours of cart service, at $695. For something smaller, drop-off coffee starts at $175 for up to 50 people.

Is sales tax included?

No. Our prices are before Texas sales tax, which is added when we invoice.

Do you take a deposit?

Larger events may need a deposit of up to 50% to hold the date. We'll confirm whether one applies, and how to pay it, on our call. No payment is taken here.

Do you travel outside Austin?

Yes. Travel is free within 20 miles of Austin, a flat fee out to 50 miles, and past that we still come with the travel worked out in your quote.

How quickly do I get a quote?

Send your date, headcount, hours and location through our booking form and you'll see an itemized ballpark straight away. A firm quote follows within 24 to 48 hours.