What to Consider Before Booking a Coffee Cart

Booking vendors is stressful, especially when there is a lot on the line for you or your company. Whether it is a big promotional event, a wedding or a unique family gathering, you are hiring someone to help make the day special and take a responsibility off your plate. Before you book, you want to know they are reputable, professional and capable at the level you need. After all, if they do not do the job well, it is usually you who gets the blame for hiring them.

Here are six things to work through before hiring a coffee cart for your next event.

1. Are they reputable?

What do their reviews look like on Google, Yelp, or wherever else they show up? How long have they been in business? What level of professionalism do they bring to their events? You do not want a sketchy vendor showing up and taking the shine off your event with a less-than-stellar appearance and vibe. Photos from real events tell you more than a stock gallery does.

2. Are they reliable?

How fast did they respond to your inquiry, and do they answer the phone? Response speed before you have paid anything is the best available predictor of response speed after. You want a vendor who knows everything about your event and has the details ironed out well before the day itself -- not one who is asking about power access the morning of.

3. Are they a good value?

Instead of focusing only on the cheapest price, look at what you get for it. Some coffee carts serve fewer drinks per hour, which is part of why they cost less. Others have a bigger menu and more robust options, which costs more. Not every cart brings the same caliber of service, either. Some owners run a coffee cart as a side hustle, which means they cannot always be attentive to clients; others have made it their full-time work and respond immediately.

4. What is their menu like?

Do they include multiple flavors? Are there non-coffee options for guests who do not drink coffee? Are alternative milks included in the overall price or billed as an extra? These are worth asking directly, because the answers vary a lot between vendors and they affect how many of your guests can actually order something.

5. Do they offer customizations?

For brand launches, store openings and high-end weddings, customization is often the point. It is not just about coffee -- it is about branding and PR. Some coffee carts can wrap the cart in your logo, add custom stickers to the cups, and print artwork directly onto lattes with a latte art printer. Ask what is possible and, just as importantly, what lead time each option requires.

6. Can they handle your size in your timeframe?

This is the one that catches the most people. One coffee cart cannot serve 200 drinks an hour, and not every coffee cart business has multiple carts to deploy. Think about your guest count honestly, then either book the cart for long enough to serve everyone, or accept that not every guest will want coffee. New Life Coffee Company has had requests for one or two-hour events with 800 people -- far too many guests for too little time, even with multiple carts. A vendor who tells you that up front is doing you a favor.

We are happy to answer all six

New Life Coffee Company would love to tell you more about our service. We have experience in professional settings, a long record of five-star Google reviews detailing that experience, and quick responses to every inquiry. Whether it is a corporate gathering to bless your staff, a wedding, or anything else, specialty coffee catered to you and served with a smile is a treat for everyone. Send us your event details and we will tell you straight whether we are the right fit.