Coffee Trailers — 2-Year Business Plan
Entity: Operates under SnS Hospitality Group LLC
Concept: Mobile drive-through coffee trailers in high-traffic parking lots
Target: 10 locations across NW Indiana and Southern Michigan
Manager: Kiowa Scott (finding spots, keeping them legal, keeping them profitable)
Investment Per Trailer
| Item |
Cost |
| Used enclosed trailer (8' × 14-16') |
$6,000-9,000 |
| Buildout (window, plumbing, electric, counters, flooring) |
$10,000 |
| Espresso machine (Nuova Simonelli Appia Life 2-group) |
$9,000 |
| Grinder (Eureka Atom 75) |
$2,000 |
| Blender, fridge, ice machine |
$2,500 |
| POS + tablet |
$800 |
| Signage + branding wrap |
$2,500 |
| Permits, insurance, health dept |
$2,000 |
| Subtotal (trailer + equipment) |
~$35,000 |
| 3 months operating reserve (marketing + ramp-up) |
$15,000 |
| Total per trailer (first unit) |
~$50,000 |
Subsequent trailers (no ramp-up reserve needed if cash-flowing): ~$35,000 each
Revenue Model
| Metric |
Target |
| Customers/day |
100 (target), 120 (above average) |
| Average ticket |
$8 |
| Operating days/yr |
312 (6 days/wk, 52 weeks — coffee is winter-proof) |
| Daily revenue |
$800-960 |
| Monthly revenue (26 days) |
$20,800-24,960 |
| Annual revenue per trailer |
$249,600-299,520 |
Costs Per Trailer (Monthly)
| Item |
Cost |
| Labor (1 FT barista $16/hr + 1 PT $12/hr, loaded) |
$3,616 |
| Trailer payment (if financed) |
$626 |
| Workers' Comp |
$80 |
| GL insurance |
$42 |
| Commercial Auto |
$120 |
| Lot lease (parking spot agreement) |
$750 |
| Water/commissary |
$200 |
| POS/software |
$80 |
| Fuel/propane |
$150 |
| Misc/repairs |
$300 |
| Total fixed |
$5,964/mo |
| Supply cost (coffee, milk, cups — 15% of revenue) |
~$3,120-3,744 |
| Total monthly cost |
$9,084-9,708 |
Profit Per Trailer
| Performance |
Monthly Profit |
Annual Profit |
| Average (100/day) |
$11,716 |
$140,592 |
| Above average (120/day) |
$15,252 |
$183,024 |
| Strong (150/day) |
$20,556 |
$246,672 |
2-Year Rollout Plan
| Timeline |
Trailers Open |
Monthly Combined Profit |
Notes |
| Month 1-3 |
1 |
$11,716 (ramp-up, may be lower) |
Marketing heavy, building regulars |
| Month 4-6 |
2 |
$23,432 |
Trailer #2 funded by #1's profit |
| Month 7-9 |
3 |
$35,148 |
|
| Month 10-12 |
4 |
$46,864 |
|
| Month 13-15 |
5-6 |
$58,580-70,296 |
|
| Month 16-18 |
7-8 |
$82,012-93,728 |
|
| Month 19-24 |
9-10 |
$105,444-117,160 |
|
End of Year 2 (10 trailers, all at average)
|
Annual |
| Combined revenue |
$2,496,000 |
| Combined profit |
$1,405,920 |
| Sam's 85% after tax (35%) |
$777,021 |
| Kiowa's 15% after tax |
$137,077 |
Location Strategy
Target spots (NW Indiana + Southern Michigan):
- Walmart / Meijer parking lots
- Near Chick-fil-A, McDonald's (capture their traffic, no coffee competition)
- Gas station lots on US-31, US-20, I-94 corridor
- Notre Dame campus perimeter (game days = 80,000+ people)
- Hospital/medical center parking areas (staff need coffee at 5am)
- Industrial parks (factory shift changes)
- Church parking lots (Mon-Sat)
How to secure spots:
- Approach property managers (not tenants) with a lease proposal: $500-1,000/mo
- Walmart has a formal vendor/lease program in some locations
- Start with 1 great spot, prove the concept, use that track record to pitch the next
Why Coffee Trailers Win in Winter
- Hot drinks = HIGHER demand in cold weather
- Drive-through window = customers stay in their car
- Commercial lots (Walmart, etc.) are plowed/salted first
- No food spoilage, no grease, no complex health dept issues
- Only true shutdown: blizzard days where nobody leaves home (5-10 days/yr max)
- Compare to food trucks: dead 4-6 weeks in Midwest winter
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