Take your coffee with you: business plan for opening a retail outlet. Coffee to go business: business plan calculation reviews How to find a place for coffee to go

Takeaway coffee - description of the business + advantages and disadvantages + working as a franchise + step-by-step process on how to open a business.

Capital investments: depending on the chosen business format - from RUB 390,000.
Payback period: from 6 months
Return on sales: 50-60%

The fast and busy rhythm of life leaves its mark on all areas of life, including business.

And a striking example of this is the format, which is relatively new for post-Soviet countries - coffee to go.

Local entrepreneurs quickly picked up the Western idea, and many were already able to convince themselves of its profitability and profitability.

Takeaway coffee, or coffee to go as it is called, is a popular business in large and developed cities where the population leads an active lifestyle.

Therefore, for coffee lovers, this is a great opportunity to enjoy an aromatic and invigorating drink on the go, thereby saving their time and money that they could spend in.

So, today we will talk about all the nuances and features of opening such a promising and interesting business.

Description of takeaway coffee business

What is “coffee to go”?

This business is aimed at satisfying the needs of city residents related to the desire to drink a drink not while sitting in some establishment, but on the run.

In turn, the process associated with the sale of coffee looks like this:

1. At a special counter, the barista brews the coffee ordered by the client.
2. After payment, the client receives a drink in a disposable paper or plastic cup covered with a lid.
   This is necessary so that the coffee does not spill during movement.
   It comes with sugar in a paper sachet, a wooden stick and napkins.
3. Then the client can drink coffee in any desired place.

There are currently three formats for running such a business on the market:

• mobile coffee shops in the form of a van on wheels;
• equipped stationary kiosks;

In terms of running such a business, it is important to pay attention to two points that are decisive:

• favorable location;
• the quality of the coffee offered and the variety of assortment.

There is a direct relationship between the chosen location, the quality of the brewed coffee and the profit margin.

The more people pass by your mini-establishment, and the tastier the drink that people want to return for, the more revenue you will earn.

I would also like to say that many consider the coffee business to be one of those that does not require huge investments.

In part, there is some truth here, because you don’t need to spend a lot of money on the interior and renovation of the premises, equipment, utensils and personnel.

But the size of the initial investment will depend on the chosen format of the establishment.

Advantages, Disadvantages and Risks of a Takeaway Coffee Business

If you are seriously thinking about starting a takeaway coffee business, you should be aware of the advantages, disadvantages and risks that may accompany you.

The main risks are related to:

choosing a favorable location

It is important to find a place that will ensure high traffic flow, but at the same time, so that competitors are not located nearby.

recruitment

Although there will be two people on staff, it is important that they do their job efficiently and provide excellent service to the buyer.

established target policy

Despite the fact that the cost of coffee in this business format is small, it is important to set an adequate price for the drink in order to stay in the black.

Franchising in the coffee to go business

1. own efforts;
2. purchase .

This is not to say that opening and running a business on your own is something difficult, but many beginners want to play it safe, so they choose franchising.

Franchising is a type of cooperation in which one party, under certain conditions, buys the right to use a brand from the second.

Thus, the main company provides the individual with the use of its brand, concept and assistance in running the business.

As for franchising in the coffee-to-go business, there are now many franchises, whose representative offices can be found in almost all regions of the Russian Federation, as well as in the CIS countries.

Each company provides its own franchise package, so there is no single and correct version of the conditions.

But any franchisor should be interested in developing his network, because this is his name and reputation, so the more accompanying services he is ready to provide to his “wards”, the better.

In the table you can see five popular franchises.

As you can see, each of them works on its own terms.

Some companies provide basic and full packages.

Not only the initial investment, but also further support of the franchisee depends on them.

How to open a takeaway coffee business?

Let's go through each of these stages in more detail.

Market analysis

Interesting fact:
Coffee ranks second in the world ranking of the most sold goods. In the first position is oil.

Without market analysis, you risk opening an extremely unprofitable business.

Therefore, it is important not only to be ready to invest money and expect rapidly growing profits, but also to think through every organizational step.

Market analysis includes:

Competition assessment

The following situation has developed here: the takeaway coffee niche is quickly filling up, as it is famous for its prospects.

There are many franchises operating successfully throughout the country, which have already won part of the clientele.

But given that the number of coffee lovers is growing every year, and the consumer is becoming more spoiled, therefore he is in search of the ideal taste.

Determining the target audience

Takeaway coffee customers are people who are in a hurry to work and study: students and office workers.

Also, the target audience includes all those who pass by the mini-coffee shop.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee has a beneficial effect on the sense of smell of passersby, who certainly will not be able to resist the opportunity to enjoy a cup of a delicious drink.

The main age of consumers is 17-35 years old, but we don’t discount older people either, because the love for coffee does not depend on the number of years lived.

Description of competitive advantages


All such establishments compete with each other, so you need to differ from others in these parameters:

• Price.

  It should be adequate, that is, you shouldn’t overestimate it and set it at the level of full-fledged coffee shops, but you shouldn’t underestimate it either.

  This is due to the fact that all people compare prices, and if yours does not differ much from the price for which you can buy coffee from a regular machine, then customers will choose the second option.

  Good location.

  Takeaway coffee should be located in a convenient, visible, and most importantly, crowded place.

  Quality and range of drinks.

  Of course, takeaway coffee is not a full-fledged coffee shop where you can enjoy many types of coffee, but the choice of 3-4 items is very small.

  It is also worth paying attention to the quality of coffee beans and other ingredients.

  Even in this business format, you can carry out various promotions to increase revenue through volumes.

  For example, when you buy 4 glasses of coffee, the fifth one is free, or the second one gets a 10% discount.

Registration

At this stage, a familiar situation arises - registering a business with the tax service as an individual entrepreneur or LLC.

Depending on your capabilities and personal ambitions, choose the form that will be relevant for you.

Then you need to decide on the form of taxation.

The takeaway coffee business is not subject to licensing, but requires the collection of certain documents:

• permission to conduct activities in the sanitary and epidemiological service;
• conclusion from the fire inspection;
• permission from territorial authorities.

Choosing a location: half the battle

Half the success of a future takeaway coffee depends on a well-chosen location.

This should be a crowded area with good traffic.

• To organize a stall, it is better to choose business areas of the city: near business centers, universities, gymnasiums.
  Also pay attention to train stations; almost all people can become potential clients.
• To organize an “island” in a shopping center, choose a visible place so that people leaving the stores can notice you.
• If you want to open a mobile mini-coffee shop, you have a chance to try your hand at different places.
  Choose the same places as for the first case, but also pay attention to bus stops, metro stations, and city parks.

Purchasing the necessary equipment for takeaway coffee

Despite the fact that takeaway coffee assumes the format of a mini-establishment, it is necessary to purchase special equipment that is used in regular cafes and restaurants.

The equipment must be professional, therefore it will not be cheap.

It is also worth taking care of the bar counter, advertising sign and other aspects.

Equipment for a mini-coffee shop	Cost, rub.
Total:	70,500 rub.
Bar counter	50 000
Pavement sign	3000
Design with menu	2500
Cash machine	10 000
Lighting	5 000

As for organizing a business related to a mobile coffee shop, in addition to the equipment, the following work needs to be done:

1. Buy a new or used car.
   Most often, Citroen Berlingo, Peugeut Partner or FIAT Doblo are used for these purposes.
2. Convert the van into a coffee shop.
   This includes installation of a bar counter, equipment installation and car branding.

Recruitment

The second success factor for takeaway coffee is qualified and polite staff.

He must not only brew delicious coffee, but also advise visitors and serve them properly.

You can hire people who already have experience in a similar field, or find those who are willing to learn the basics of making coffee.

In total, you will need to hire two people who will work in shifts.

Takeaway coffee advertisement

As for advertising takeaway coffee, it does not require any expensive marketing tools, but you still need to think about the name of your brand and give it some specific concept.

The stall or car itself should attract attention, so you still need to make it stylish and attractive.

• a bright sign and pointed out on the sidewalk;
• creating pages on social networks: VKontakte and Instagram;
• ordering placement of banners around the city;
• distribution of leaflets.

How to open a coffee shop and quickly break even, you will learn from the video:

Financial indicators: initial investment and monthly expenses

As for investing in a business, the amount of starting capital will depend on the chosen format.

Thus, to open a stationary outlet, you do not need to spend money on purchasing premises and refurbishing it; it is enough to pay monthly rent.

But the investment in a coffee shop on wheels can be quite large.

Here, too, there is the option of renting a converted car, but it is not always possible to find a suitable option.

Therefore, many people prefer to buy a new or used car and refurbish it to their liking.

As for monthly expenses, they also depend on the chosen format:

With an average cost of a glass of coffee of 80 rubles, and with daily revenue of 8,000 rubles, you can recoup your investment for:

• 5-6 months when opening a stationary outlet;
• 9-10 months when opening a coffee shop.

With proper business organization, the average profitability of takeaway coffee is 50-60%.

With an increase in sales, this figure can be increased to 80%.

Coffee to go is a promising small business that, if properly organized, can bring quite a lot of profit.

The main criteria for success are a favorable location, attractive design, high-quality and tasty coffee and excellent service.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, offer your customers something new and interesting, hold promotions, expand the range, and then people will want to buy coffee from your coffee shop on the way to work, school or a meeting.

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90% of people are sure that opening coffee to go is easy. On the one hand, they are right. The only clarification is that you can simply and easily open coffee to go only if you know how to do it correctly. Despite the fact that at first glance the format of coffee to go seems simple, like any other business, ignorance of the subtleties and nuances can turn a profitable and promising business idea into an unprofitable enterprise that operates at zero and sucks out the last pennies.

To avoid such a situation, you need to know where to start and which stages of the business you should pay utmost attention to.

For example, you need to start by identifying the target audience for coffee to go. By asking yourself who will buy your coffee, you can adjust the design, strategy, and concept of your small enterprise to the needs and requests, interests and desires of specific people - your future customers.

The target audience for coffee to go is mainly young people aged 18 to 24 years. In 70% of cases these are girls.

Students, young professionals, low-level managers - these are your potential clients. They value low prices, friendly service, efficiency and social activity. Of course, older people shouldn’t be discounted either; there are also fans of takeaway coffee among people over 50. But if you face the truth, answer yourself the question: how many of these fans will pass by your takeaway coffee outlet every day and how many of them will think about purchasing?

But it is the number of people passing by, coupled with their “quality” (belonging to the target audience) that is the key to the success of a coffee to-go outlet. Finding a place like this is half the battle for coffee to go.

However, we should not forget about another important fact for the coffee to go business. This is the taste and quality of the coffee itself. If you prepare delicious invigorating drinks, people will come back to you and recommend you to friends and acquaintances. This way, you can ensure that spontaneous purchases are reduced and the number of regular customers increases.

We will talk about all these subtleties and other important details further.

Investment size

Opening a takeaway coffee shop can be considered a business with small investments. According to the experience of entrepreneurs who have opened their own takeaway coffee points, you can spend 200 thousand rubles, and the upper limit of starting capital is unlikely to exceed 400 thousand rubles.

This difference in initial capital is explained by ample opportunities to save.

Of course, the amount of funds required to start will largely depend on several large expenses, without which it is simply impossible to open a takeaway coffee shop. Firstly, this is rent, which we will talk about a little later. Secondly - equipment.

Coffee machines for coffee to go

If the flow of customers depends on the choice of rental location, then the ability of the point to quickly and efficiently service this flow will depend on the equipment on which you will prepare coffee.

A professional coffee machine and coffee grinder are the main means of preparing and selling coffee to go.

There is no point in bringing a home coffee machine or even a super-automatic coffee machine to your coffee spot. Firstly, such equipment will not be able to provide the required quality of the product, and secondly, it is not designed for constant and uninterrupted operation. And if the coffee machine breaks down, you won’t sell a single cup of coffee anymore. Remember, the miser pays twice: time wasted, money wasted.

That is why many entrepreneurs try to purchase high-quality, foreign equipment, the cost of which can be 150, 250 thousand rubles, or more. If you don’t have that kind of money, but working with professional equipment is still a priority for you, renting equipment or buying used coffee machines can come to your rescue.

Typically, coffee equipment is provided for rent (even free of charge) by coffee bean suppliers, subject to the purchase of a certain volume of coffee from them. At the same time, they also advise on the selection of the necessary list of equipment depending on the expected amount of work (for example, single- or double-chamber coffee machines) and provide maintenance and repair of equipment. However, even in the case of free rent, many companies require a security deposit - from 20 to 50 thousand rubles.

As for used equipment, its purchase will cost no more than 100 thousand rubles.

What else will you have to spend money on?

You will also have to spend money on a sales counter or the design of a rented kiosk. Naturally, when developing the appearance of a coffee to-go outlet, you need to pay attention to ensuring that it attracts attention and attracts glances. The appearance should evoke a reflexive desire to drink coffee or tea. The name on the sign should not subtly hint that an invigorating drink is being poured here, but shout about it, so that a person understands at first glance that you are offering coffee, and not selling donuts or SIM cards...

Returning to the investments required to open a coffee-to-go business, it is also worth mentioning all sorts of little things that are nevertheless important for comfortable work without failures or hiccups.

Purchase of consumables for preparing a variety of coffee drinks - milk, toppings and syrups; additional assortment - snacks, sweets and snacks; purchase of disposable cups, lids, spoons; purchase of bar equipment.

By the way, there is an option to save on the purchase of consumables - for example, disposable tableware, if you can cooperate with other takeaway coffee owners who purchase unbranded cups.

Step-by-step instruction

Having calculated the required amount of investment in the coffee-to-go business, it’s time to start taking action.

To begin with, register your business legally. It would be best to register yourself as an individual entrepreneur and submit an application to the tax office to choose the UTII taxation system. This tax will allow you to pay less due to the lack of employees and the small rented area on which the activity is carried out. Taking into account the minimum required area of ​​a coffee to-go outlet of several square meters, you will pay an average tax of about 3,000 rubles. In addition, for individual entrepreneurs on UTII, a cash register is not required, which means you can issue a check only upon request using a regular CPM (check printing machine).

The OKVED code for the coffee-to-go business is 55.30 “Activities of restaurants and cafes.”

Despite this OKVED, there is no need to obtain any permits, since there is no full-fledged kitchen, which means there is nothing for the supervisory authorities to check. All that is required of you is to notify Rospotrebnadzor about the start of activity. You should wait for inspections from the SES only if there are complaints. If you are lucky, you will have your first meeting with inspections only in three years.

Attention to the workplace

It’s worth taking care of ordering a sales stand in advance. It will take at least two weeks to design and manufacture. Provided that you already have a chosen rental location.

The process of installing a counter, bar or kiosk equipment can also cause difficulties and problems that will lead to a postponement of the planned opening date.

For example, you need to take care of proper energy supply in advance. If it is not there, you will have to call an electrician and install an additional line, which will need to be agreed upon with the landlord. Therefore, all issues related to electricity, heating or water supply must be resolved at the stage of signing the lease agreement. At the same time, the contract itself should not be concluded for a long period: your expectations about traffic may be erroneous and in practice the pedestrian flow will not be converted into buyers and clients...

From coffee to cookies: how to choose a supplier?

Naturally, in parallel you need to look for suppliers of consumables and raw materials.

And first of all, you need to decide on a supplier of coffee beans. If your customers don't like your coffee, everything is lost. Delicious coffee is one of the main components of the success of a coffee to go business. There are a huge number of coffee varieties that suppliers can offer. Your own taste, advice from the suppliers themselves, and analysis of competitors will help you navigate your choice.

If you purchase your own coffee equipment, you will not depend on a specific coffee supplier and the range of varieties offered may be much wider.

Find out whether the variety you choose is suitable for classic coffee drinks, since it is the usual espresso, latte, cappuccino, Americano and mochaccino that you will specialize in. The volume of the initial purchase will depend on the conditions under which you sign an agreement with the supplier, whether you will rent equipment, etc. There is no need to be afraid of numbers of 10 kg or more.

A small 200 ml glass of coffee requires 9 g of coffee, and 18 g for a 400 ml glass.

Thus, the purchased 10 kg of coffee will cost just over 1,100 small glasses of coffee. At the same time, an operating coffee to-go outlet in a passable place sells much more per month.

In addition to the coffee list, it is necessary to create a menu and a list of additional assortments. Will you sell a variety of chocolates and sweets, or maybe ready-made sandwiches or even baked goods?

If the answer to this question is affirmative, you should look for profitable suppliers or partners who could provide you with the required amount of products, usually not too large. You can buy chocolates or oatmeal cookies at wholesale markets and stores, as well as in stores such as Metro, Lenta and Auchan.

Of course, the main component for a coffee to-go outlet will remain coffee as a drink, and various sweets and “snacks” are necessary rather only to increase the average bill and the convenience of the client. You are unlikely to be able to make money from chocolates or pastries. Still, the margin on resale of other people's products is small.

In general, the volume of additional assortment does not exceed 5-7% of turnover.

The assortment of snacks and coffee accompaniments will change - some items will disappear, others will be added. It is definitely necessary to experiment with the assortment, but only when the operation of the outlet stabilizes and the changes do not entail a sharp decline in revenue.

Barista for coffee to go

An important factor in the success of a coffee to-go outlet is the professionalism and competence of the barista. This person must not only prepare delicious coffee, but also serve customers correctly, communicate with them, and be able to upsell, thereby increasing the average bill. Finding and hiring such a person may pose certain difficulties both at the launch stage and during the first time of working with coffee to go.

When opening their first to-go coffee shop, entrepreneurs often personally stand at the counter and serve their first customers, working 12 hours a day without days off or lunch. But such work on two fronts quickly becomes exhausting. In any case, an entrepreneur will need a replacement or a full-time employee. At the same time, hiring a professional barista is not always possible. Mostly young people who don’t have the slightest idea about how to prepare coffee correctly apply for the vacancy of a barista at a coffee shop to go. She is attracted by the flexible schedule, hourly pay, etc.

Careless young baristas bring their friends to work with them for coffee so they don’t get bored. And instead of working, they organize a booth.

A special feature of working with the staff of a coffee shop to-go is a high staff turnover - which will stop only when you hire the right person - friendly, honest, hardworking and responsible, who will also quickly master the art of making delicious and high-quality coffee. Agree, such people, especially young ones, are rare today...

Therefore, the future owner of a take-away coffee will initially be faced with the task of finding and training a reliable person who can replace you at the counter. Subsequently, if you do not stop at opening one coffee shop to go, the need for employees will increase. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately determine the stages of selection and training of employees, as well as develop a shift schedule, a system of motivation and control.

One of the options for motivating baristas is bonuses or premiums for exceeding the sales plan and the absence of comments (a percentage of total revenue or a percentage of each coffee sold above the plan).

But even the motivation system does not insure against unscrupulous workers who do not show up for their shifts, create a booth at the point, or simply treat work superficially. The owner of a takeaway coffee is faced with the acute issue of monitoring an employee or shift worker.

Alternatively, you can install a surveillance camera at the coffee to-go point and thus monitor the employee online.

Regardless of which option for working with staff you choose - carrot or stick - when opening a coffee shop with you, be prepared that at any moment you will be forced to personally stand behind the counter and work as a barista.

If you are planning to open a takeaway coffee shop, know that all your profit will depend primarily on the location. At the same time, choosing a suitable location for a coffee to-go outlet can be one big problem.

A couple of years ago, when no one had heard of takeaway coffee, landlords, especially large shopping and business centers, did not understand how you could make coffee in three square meters and refused to rent. Today, almost all the tasty places in more or less large shopping centers and business centers have long been occupied.

However, the rental market is quite competitive and involves a change of tenants. It's just a matter of price. If you find a sweet spot, but it's occupied, it's worth starting negotiations with the owner or rental department, find out the rental rate and offer to pay more, or convince that your coffee to-go spot can generate additional traffic and attract a certain audience.

By the way, you can open a takeaway coffee shop not only in big cities, where the lifestyle encourages people to do everything on the run, including drinking coffee, but also in small towns. Moreover, it’s even easier to find a good place for coffee to go in a small town - there are fewer points with high pedestrian traffic in small towns, which means the likelihood of choosing a bad place is reduced.

However, it is still quite easy to make a mistake when choosing a place to rent for a coffee to go outlet. It often happens that a location seems to have high traffic, but it is only possible to evaluate its quality once you start working. For example, it may turn out that there is simply no target audience among the traffic passing by. Or the point itself is not located in the flow of people, as it should, but “around the corner.”

When considering locations for coffee to go, you don’t need to limit yourself to rental options in shopping or business centers.

In our previous publication, we told you in detail about how to create a detailed one. Let's continue this topic and discuss the next no less profitable idea for making money - takeaway coffee.

Coffee is a popular drink in many countries of the world, the demand for which not only does not fade, but even increases every year. Surely everyone has tried this invigorating drink, and many have already decided on their favorite varieties and recipes for making coffee.

Coffee to go as a business cannot be called a new idea for making money, because it has been successfully existing for a long time. For the first time, the famous fast food chain McDonalds offered takeaway coffee service. Today, this idea of ​​​​earning money is considered quite promising, thanks to the great demand for coffee. Mobile coffee shops exist and operate successfully both in big cities and small towns.

Takeaway coffee: advantages and disadvantages of business

• Mobility. The takeaway coffee service is most often offered by mobile kiosks. The huge advantage of your kiosk is that you are not tied to one place; if necessary, you can always move to another area or even city.
• High demand. As noted above, coffee is very popular among people of different nationalities, ages, and social status. Therefore, almost every second person passing by will be your client.
• Minimum investment. Opening a takeaway coffee business does not require large financial investments or special skills, so this idea of ​​​​earning money is suitable even for a novice entrepreneur.

As for the minuses, of course, they are also present.

• Competition. The popularity of coffee is obvious, so it is no secret that competition in this area is quite serious. It is not recommended to open a coffee shop near competitors (the same tents offering coffee to go). As for stationary coffee shops, they are unlikely to compete with you. Firstly, not every person has time to visit a catering establishment; most prefer to take coffee with them and go on business. Secondly, there are often no empty seats in coffee shops, because, as a rule, such establishments can accommodate no more than 30 visitors. Thus, even competition is not a reason to change your mind about opening a mobile coffee shop.

The most popular types of coffee

Takeaway coffee business plan

A coffee to go business plan should include a few important points to keep in mind.

1. The profitability of the idea. First of all, you must determine the demand, competition and calculate the profitability of the coffee to-go business;
2. Collection of all documents. Naturally, no one will allow you to start work without registration, so you should take care of collecting all the documents and permits;
3. Decide on the location of the coffee shop;
4. Purchase of equipment and conclusion of contracts for the supply of raw materials;
5. Calculation of all financial costs and determination of the payback period for the business.

In general, a takeaway coffee business plan is a document with which you can evaluate the profitability of an idea and draw conclusions about the profitability of the project as a whole.

Business registration

Your primary task is to collect and prepare all necessary documents and permits for activities.

In this case, as a material and legal form of activity, it is worth choosing individual entrepreneurship; this will save you money and time.

After registration, you must contact the relevant authorities to obtain permission to trade in public places and allocate a special place for the location of the coffee shop. You will also need to obtain permits from the sanitary-epidemiological and fire services.

Coffee shop location

Choosing a place to open a mobile coffee shop should be taken responsibly. Your profit depends on the correct placement. Offering a coffee to go service is best in crowded parts of the city. It is very advantageous to place such a tent in the center, near the market or educational institution. In general, in places with high traffic and no competitors nearby.

It is worth noting that open mobile retail outlets do not require special communications. All you need to work is electricity. There is no need for sewerage or running water, because bottled, filtered water is used to make coffee.

Equipment for a coffee shop on wheels

The quality of a coffee drink directly depends on the preparation technique and the type of coffee. Therefore, you should be very responsible when choosing a coffee machine. Give preference to high-quality foreign models of coffee machines intended for use for production purposes.

You will also need a coffee grinder and special utensils for making coffee. You will also need paper cups for coffee, sugar, and napkins. Be sure to pour the drink into convenient thermal glasses from which you can drink on the go.

In addition to this equipment, you also need to purchase a refrigerator for storing dairy products (milk, cream) and desserts.

Hired employees

If you are opening a small coffee shop on wheels, you will need one or two employees to serve customers. If you open a full-fledged coffee shop, you will already need to hire waiters, a bartender, and a cleaner.

Regardless of the format of the establishment, make sure that your employees are attentive to customers, cultured in communication, and also understand their work and can advise and tell about all the types of coffee offered in the establishment. Remember that the attendance of the establishment, and therefore the income, depends on the work of the team.

Costs and profits

Equipment for a coffee shop on wheels:

• Professional machine for preparing different types of coffee;
• Coffee grinder;
• Bottled water;
• Refrigeration equipment.

In addition to the equipment, you will need to pay rent for the premises or purchase a coffee shop on wheels (equipped vehicle), but its cost is quite high, so for beginners it is better to rent a mobile tent.

Also, the purchase of raw materials, that is, coffee, will be a constant waste. Give preference to well-known manufacturers who guarantee high taste qualities of the drink. You shouldn’t skimp on raw materials, otherwise you won’t have any customers left.

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Advertising and customer acquisition

Opening a mobile coffee shop is not difficult, but making it popular is not so easy. Naturally, a lot depends on the location, the selection criteria for which we discussed above, but we must not forget about the quality of service. Modern customers are very demanding and if you do not satisfy their needs, they will go to your competitors.

Ways to attract clients

Profit

Your income will depend solely on your work. Don’t expect a quick payback; you can get a net profit no earlier than in a year.

Today, people know exactly the difference in taste between instant coffee from vending machines and freshly brewed coffee. But many continue to torment themselves with an affordable drink because it is quick and does not tie them to a specific place. Give them an alternative, offer a fragrant and tasty invigorating drink to take with them!

To do this, it is not necessary to organize a full-fledged coffee establishment with tables. It is enough to open a small counter with a coffee machine, where the barista will prepare any coffee drink from the offered range. A satisfied customer will be able to take his favorite drink with him in a special glass.

Preparing start-up capital

To open a takeaway coffee outlet you will need very little money. The business plan must include such expense items as rent of several square meters, barista’s salary, purchase or rental of a coffee grinder and professional coffee machine, coffee itself and related products, electricity.

To rent, you need to choose a place with the maximum flow of people. These could be shopping centers, higher education institutions, business centers, and recreational facilities. You need to choose a place closer to the entrance to the establishment, where the main flow of people is concentrated.

Focus on the fact that only three people out of 100 who pass will become your customers. To install a takeaway coffee point, an area of ​​two square meters is enough.

Please note that this type of business is aimed more at young people and middle-aged people with average incomes. People with low incomes will still prefer instant coffee for the sake of saving money, while wealthy people prefer to drink it in representative establishments. Therefore, office buildings are not the best choice for setting up a takeaway coffee outlet.

Two baristas should work at the counter in shifts. You can save money on unqualified personnel. But then you can’t skimp on a professional coffee machine. It is advisable to purchase a unit with a built-in refrigerator. This is where the baristas will cool the milk. This will help expand the range of drinks you can take with you. In any case, before purchasing equipment, be sure to consult with a specialist, or better yet, several.

This business is attractive because consumable products can be stored for a long time and not spoil, except for milk. You will need coffee, sugar, toppings, milk, cups, napkins, spoons and other necessary little things.

Speaking in numbers, a takeaway coffee business at the opening stage in a shopping center will cost approximately $2.5 thousand, excluding products. It will require a monthly expense of a thousand dollars.

Expense items that must be included in the business plan:

• $400 – rent;
• $600 – salary of two baristas;
• $2 thousand – purchase of a coffee machine;
• $300 – purchase of a coffee grinder;
• $100 – utilities.

Costs are average and can vary greatly depending on the region, city, location and rental conditions. The same can be said about consumables for making drinks to go. On average, a kilogram of grains, which is enough for 120 cups, costs $40. If the traffic of the place per day is about 15 thousand people, then 4.5 thousand cups can be sold per day. Consider the costs of water, milk, sugar, spoons, cups, napkins. Just one cup costs approximately $0.4.

Registration and other business features

To sell coffee to go, you just need to register as an individual entrepreneur. The registration process is simple, but if you don’t want to understand it, you can hire a lawyer. You will continue to need his advice in the future, so include in your business plan payment for the services of a lawyer, accountant, or person who can combine these two positions.

After registration, your next plan is to find a suitable premises. Having found it, you need to sign a lease agreement and register the area with the tax office.

There are no special requirements for employees of the point to prepare drinks with them, but each of them must have a health certificate. For each batch of grains from which a take-away drink is prepared, you must have a hygienic certificate. This is usually provided by suppliers. Some entrepreneurs, wanting to optimize their business, immediately organize a sale of baked goods. Please note that this will not only significantly increase your costs for purchasing products, but will also require you to obtain appropriate permits and install special display cases. In this case, the business plan will have to be significantly adjusted.

Selecting equipment for the point

For a business to generate high income, it must be popular. Advertising, leaflets, a branded stand are what help open a point, but customers will come for the drink. In order for them to want to return, it is important to maintain a high level of quality. Therefore, you should not save on a coffee machine. It should be of suitable power, about 5 kW, and the tank volume should be at least 8 liters. To open a point, you don’t have to rely on sophisticated equipment. The more features it has, the more difficult it is to configure. It is better to take a simpler machine, but hire an experienced barista to operate it. Your business will only benefit from this.

Sometimes a takeaway drinks outlet does not allow the installation of a professional machine. In this case, you can do it automatically. If you carry out its maintenance on time and prepare takeaway drinks using good water, then their quality will be decent. Such a machine costs significantly less than a professional one and does not require the work of a professional barista.

Please note that takeaway drinks are often taken in a tall 400ml cup, so the coffee machine must accommodate a container of this size. It is also not recommended to use equipment for making tea - it is too expensive. As for brands, the most popular are Saeco, ARTIC, CMA, Nuova Simonelli, SETTANTA.

According to marketing research, the level of coffee consumption in Russia is growing every year. According to the forecast of Euromonitor International, in 2018 Russians will drink 45% fresh coffee, 55% instant coffee, and the market volume will be 131,000 tons of coffee. A culture of coffee consumption has emerged; many people prefer to drink coffee outside the home.

However, most people do not have enough time to stop by specialized coffee shops, and the cost of a cup of coffee will not be affordable for everyone. In such market conditions, the “coffee to go” business has emerged, allowing people to enjoy their favorite drink in a short time and for little money.

2. Description of the business, product or service

The coffee-to-go business is actually a retail outlet whose main service is the preparation of natural coffee in a plastic cup. Thanks to this serving, the client gets the opportunity to drink coffee on the go, on the way to school/work/home.

Today this type of business is very popular and is presented in several formats:

• Coffee stalls. They are located near bus stops, metro stations, and universities.
• A counter in a shopping center or business center. Due to the high traffic volume, one shopping center can even house several similar retail outlets.

The assortment of the outlet should be quite diverse: from simple espresso to specialty drinks with syrups and toppings. As a rule, the product line includes several coffee hits - these are the first choice of the buyer, as well as seasonal drinks - coffee with additives, tea, non-alcoholic cocktails. The experience of some retail outlets shows that 90% of revenue comes from “classic” drinks: espresso, Americano, cappuccino, latte.

In addition, many kiosks additionally offer the client some snacks. Sandwiches, donuts, muffins, cookies - all this is ordered separately, since the outlet does not have permission to prepare food.

There are two ways to open this type of business: by franchise or independently. On average, the cost of a franchise ranges from 150,000 to 500,000, depending on the chosen franchisor company.

The cost of a franchise usually includes a ready-made design layout of the stand, a brand book, established business promotion schemes, uninterrupted supplies of basic ingredients, consultations on organizing a business and maintaining a customer accounting system, technological maps and unique drink recipes, professional training at existing retail outlets. Of course, the list of services provided may vary depending on the company and the chosen franchise package. In addition to these investments, the franchisee will have to spend money on business registration, commercial equipment, repairs, operating costs for the first month of operation and working capital.

However, you can reduce the cost of purchasing a franchise if you take the time to find the necessary information for each stage of starting a business. This approach will take more time and effort, but will save a decent amount of money.

3. Description of the sales market

The target audience of the “coffee to go” project are students and working people who are in a hurry and do not want to waste time waiting for an order in a standard coffee shop. The age category ranges from 17 to 35 years. Moreover, the largest share of revenue comes from purchases by students (17–25 years old).

The company's competitors for selling coffee to go are the same retail outlets. Moreover, there are cases when coffee kiosks open too close to each other and operate at a loss until one of the competitors closes. Therefore, it is important that there are no other coffee stalls along the intended route of the target customer. The fact is that those who want to buy “coffee to go”, as a rule, do not constantly come to a certain retail outlet. The purchase of a glass of coffee is often impulse, caused by the basic convenience of the kiosk location.

Kiosks compete with each other on the following parameters, each of which can be an advantage for your own business:

• Price. As a rule, the price of standard drinks differs by a maximum of 10-15 rubles. For a working client, this amount is not significant. However, students try to save on everything. Therefore, regular monitoring of the market and maintaining the price “a little lower” will allow you to attract a significant part of the student audience.
• Coffee quality. The modern consumer is very selective about the taste of coffee. Therefore, you should not skimp on the quality of coffee beans. After all, if you fail to meet the consumer’s expectations just once, he won’t come back again.
• Convenient location. This is the main criterion by which the client chooses where exactly to buy coffee. The retail outlet should be located in a crowded area, focusing on the site’s traffic indicators.
• Service. Every person wants to return again to where he was well served. The barista must be friendly and friendly, and also be able to fulfill the wishes of even the most demanding client.
• Assortment of drinks. By adding seasonal drinks to your range, you get additional customers. For example, clients who are passionate about maintaining their figure prefer coffee with skim milk. You can also “dilute” the assortment by offering hot and cold cocktails, several types of regular and fruit tea.
• Assortment of snacks. If you don’t have anything to snack on, some customers will go to a competitor so as not to waste time buying snacks elsewhere.
• Current promotions. Carry out promotions that will “stick” the client to your point. For example, when you buy 5 glasses of coffee, the sixth is given as a gift.

4. Sales and marketing

5. Production plan

6. Organizational structure

At the first stage, to service one point, you will only need to hire two baristas. One barista works per shift. His responsibilities include preparing the order, serving and paying the customer.

An applicant for a barista position undergoes training that lasts 3 full days. The training consists of sections:

• How to prepare classic coffee drinks;
• How to prepare signature drinks, combine ingredients;
• How to work with a CRM system;
• Sales script training.

After completing the training, an exam is taken. To pass it, you need to work at a retail outlet for one day under the supervision of a manager. The order fulfillment time, customer reviews about the taste of the drink, strict adherence to the sales script, correct calculation and work with the cash register are taken into account.

A barista must not only be polite. His task is to serve the client in the minimum amount of time. At the same time, it is important to be able to hear what exactly the client wants and accurately fulfill his wishes.

Since this work is often considered temporary, in order to avoid staff turnover, you need to think through a competent system of employee motivation. Typically, baristas are paid hourly. The average cost is 100 rubles/hour. The shift lasts 12 hours. If a retail outlet is opened in a shopping/business center, the opening hours coincide with the opening hours of the center: from 10.00 to 22.00.

To control the work of the barista, you should draw up a checklist that includes the basic requirements for the work: readiness of the workplace and equipment, compliance with the standards for preparing and serving the drink, as well as customer service. For each of these items, the manager draws up a list of precise criteria and arranges checks once a month with the help of a secret shopper.

If the barista receives a positive rating for each criterion, then he is entitled to a bonus of 5% of revenue.

A detailed calculation of the premium part of the payroll and insurance premiums is presented in the financial model.