Brady · October 5, 2026
Coffee Cart, Coffee Truck or Drip Coffee: How They Compare
[New draft, written from your facts. Brady: read it before it goes live. It names clients, so check each one is fine with it.]
If you're adding coffee to an event, there are three common ways to do it: a coffee cart, a coffee truck, or drip coffee set out for people to pour themselves. They are different things, and each one fits a different kind of event. Here is how they compare.
| Coffee cart | Coffee truck | Drip coffee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it sets up | Indoors or outdoors, in a 6 by 6 foot spot | Outdoors, where a vehicle can park | On a table, anywhere |
| What it serves | Espresso drinks made to order, hot or iced | Depends on the truck | Brewed coffee |
| Who serves it | A barista | The truck's crew | Guests pour their own |
| Power | One dedicated outlet from the venue | Depends on the truck | Depends on the setup |
| Pace | 30 to 40 drinks an hour per cart | Depends on the truck | As fast as people can pour |
When a cart fits
A cart gets rolled in, so it goes where a vehicle can't: a lobby, a breakroom, a courtyard, a patio. Crate & Barrel booked ours for the opening day of a new Denver-area store. Zoom has a cart in two mornings a week.
When a truck fits
A truck brings its own space with it. If the event is outside and there is room to park, like a street fair, a festival or a big parking lot event, a truck makes sense.
When drip fits
If people need a cup in hand fast and nobody needs a latte, drip is the simple answer. Think an early meeting, a volunteer morning, or a crowd that all arrives at once.
Using two of them
Some events use a cart for the espresso drinks and drip on the side for the people who want a cup and go. We offer drip coffee as an add-on to the cart for that.
What a cart costs with us
Our cart is $375 an hour with a two-hour minimum, and weekend events add 10%. Weddings are $500 an hour per cart with a two-hour minimum, plus 20% gratuity. Trucks and drip services set their own prices, so ask each one.