Coffee Cart Pricing: How to Price Your Packages (With Real Numbers)

The pricing framework I use for my own cart — three tiers, the per-guest math that sets your floor, and the deposit policy that protects your calendar.

Joan Merrill On

Runs a mobile coffee cart in Los Angeles and built MorningStorm to run it.

2026-09-24

Pricing is where most coffee cart owners guess. I did too, at first. Here’s the framework I use now, with my actual numbers — steal the structure, adjust for your market.

My actual pricing tiers

Essential — $895: up to 75 guests, 2 hours of service
Signature — $1,295: up to 125 guests, 2–3 hours
Premium — $1,695: up to 200 guests, 3 hours
Add-ons: $200 per extra hour, $150 for a second barista, $150–$250 for branded cups
Deposit: 50% to book, balance due before the event

These are LA prices. Adjust 10–20% down for smaller markets, and don’t apologize for it either way.

The per-guest math that sets your floor

Work backwards from cost per guest:

Product cost per guest: $1.50–$3.00 (espresso, milk, alt-milks, cups, syrups). Call it $2.
Labor: if you’re solo, pay yourself at least $50/hour all-in. A 2-hour event is really 5 hours with setup, travel, and breakdown — that’s $250.
Fixed costs per event: fuel, ice, commissary allocation, insurance slice — roughly $75–$150.

For a 75-guest event: $150 product + $250 labor + $100 fixed = $500 cost. At $895, you’re at ~44% margin. That’s healthy. If your price gives you under 30% margin, you’re too cheap.

Three pricing structures (pick one)

Tiered packages (what I do). Three options, middle one highlighted. Most clients pick the middle. Simple to quote, simple to sell.

Per-guest pricing. $12–$18/guest with a minimum. Transparent, but punishes you on small events unless the minimum is real — set it at your 50-guest equivalent at minimum.

Hourly + per-guest hybrid. Base rate for showing up plus per-guest beyond a threshold. Accurate, but harder to sell — clients like one number.

Tiered wins for most carts. It’s the easiest to put on a website and the easiest to say out loud.

Corporate vs. weddings vs. pop-ups

Not all revenue is equal:

Weddings pay the best and book 6–12 months out. Premium pricing holds.
Corporate pays well and rebooks. They expect professional quotes and invoices — looking legit matters more than being cheap.
Pop-ups and markets are cash flow, not margin. Price per-drink ($5–$8) and treat it as marketing that pays you.

The deposit policy (non-negotiable)

50% deposit to hold the date. Balance due 7 days before the event. No deposit, no hold — I don’t care how nice they seem.

This one policy will save you more money than any pricing tweak. Undeposited holds evaporate. Deposits commit.

When to raise prices

You’re booking more than 6 weeks out consistently → raise 10%.
Corporate clients stop negotiating → you’re too cheap.
You’re exhausted and not saving money → you’re definitely too cheap.

Raise on new inquiries, not existing bookings. Nobody gets a surprise.

Once the price is right, the next problem is filling the calendar — that’s nine tactics that actually work.