Profitability of Drive-Thru Coffee Stands??

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Hi, all! Like so many of us on here, I'm considering starting a drive-thru coffee stand, but I'm concerned about the profitability. I've run the numbers and it looks good, though I don't have the experience to know if what I've done is reasonable and I've been told that the coffee business is tight. So, my question is, are drive-thru coffee stands generally profitable or is it a struggle to make ends meet, even with 100+ customers per day? I'm willing to risk the investment for a business that will be profitable assuming everything is executed well, but I'm not willing if it's a stuggle, even with my best efforts, best location, etc.

Thanks for your feedback!!

-- Sarah Toney (sntoney@sbcglobal.net), July 27, 2004

Answers

Actually location is what matters for a drive-thru. I would suggest near schools or office buildings that produce traffic. You can email me directly if you would like, I've done mobile(still do), have a shop on a very busy road and had another shop in a small town....they all have perks:-)

-- Kyla Goff (kyla@dailyaddiction.com), August 04, 2004.

We have found that as with advertising, people need to see you a few times before they stop. That is why we went from mobile to "semiperminent and have been in the same location for eight years. Our rent is a fraction of what a regular coffee house would be and we only have to be open until 2 pm, which keeps our labor costs down. We found that we do 75% of our biz before noon. We have another building with equipment for sale [$15,000]. With new all season blds starting at $45,000, this is a great opportunity to get into the biz.

-- Michael Jurayj (elanmike@yahoo.com), November 14, 2004.

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