We launched in 2020. Given that there were so many parallel cases within the hospitality sector, it might come as no surprise that The Coffee Can’s first mobile coffee van was built from the unfortunate circumstance of owner Amy losing her hospitality management job amid COVID-19. For Amy, there was an already existing yearning to build a business of her own; it had been on her mind for years that she wanted to express her creativity and utilise her coffee skills, but without the budget for a traditional café at a time where all indoor cafes remained closed.
Over the last few years, there has been a surge in businesses taking the decision, for one reason or another, to move towards mobile coffee. Today, we’re going to look a bit further into our own experience being a part of the rise of mobile coffee. For customers, convenience is critical. There is no denying that the trend of mobile coffee has been building for longer than we’ve been in business, but recently we’ve seen that coffee carts at events such as car meets, corporate business events, festivals and national trust sites have been more prominent than ever. What has fuelled this rise in mobile coffee?
Convenience in every cup
Consumers in today’s society seek out convenience. Traditional coffee shops have always been a fantastic staple for convenience of local regulars – a quick Flat White before the working day commences, a stroll into town during lunch hour for a pastry and Americano. But what about those times that coffee shops aren’t conveniently placed next door to where an event is taking place? Mobile vendors bring the coffee to you.
We’ve experienced it with many enquiries we get and events we attend; take for instance the Farnham Fireworks which take place in Farnham Park every year. Although there is a fantastic assortment of coffee shops in town, the firework display is just out of reach for those poised by the bonfire awaiting the first fireworks to appear as the sun sets. So, each year we set up our mobile coffee van to bring the Hot Chocolates to the people of Farnham Park. Our local neighbours no longer need to play rock-paper-scissors to decide who is going to run back into town and carefully balance six drinks back up to the park, speciality coffee and hot chocolates are just a few steps away.
Post-pandemic adaptability
As we mentioned earlier, Amy set up The Coffee Can as a mobile coffee business whilst shops remained shut in 2020/21, but the pandemic dramatically shifted how the businesses which had existed long before 2020 operated too. Initially, customers were understandably cautious about high-footfall visiting indoor spaces. Mobile coffee vans therefore offered a safer and more flexible option for people getting coffee. However, this newfound appreciation for open-air set ups and getting out in the great outdoors has transcended into the post-pandemic world.
Whilst we personally don’t currently have regular pitches with our coffee vans, for mobile coffee businesses who do operate on a regular pitch basis, the adaptability that comes with being a coffee-shop-on-wheels just cannot be matched by brick-and-mortar coffee shops.
Customisation
We’re seeing more and more businesses decide to add a more bespoke offering to corporate catering. Mobile coffee provides the opportunity for businesses to collaborate with suppliers to produce truly personal offerings, even down to the serving ware.
Last summer, we took our trusted mobile coffee van Candice up to the British Motor Museum to help Mustang celebrate national Mustang day. We collaborated with the event organisers to order personalised mustang takeaway cups for the coffees we served, worked with our wonderful baker Ellie to produce logo-topped cupcakes, and even went as far as to have Mustang-shaped cookies baked for visitors to enjoy whilst they walked around the museum.
Creating Community
We never expected it when we first launched The Coffee Can, but running a mobile coffee business has built the strongest community we’ve ever been a part of. Maybe it stems down to those early days when some of our original regulars would happily wrap up in 10 layers over winter to come and queue whilst having a catch up at our pop-up coffee table, but there does seem to be a more intimate and personal nature to ordering coffee from a small truck rather than from a fast-paced chain.
The community we began to build led us to our first permanent indoor space at the Bourne Green, and since then our relationship with the people of the Bourne has only grown, what with the spectacle that is the Bourne Show taking place yearly just outside our doors. We’ve built personal friendships (and even found a few staff members!) by being a chatty, local community coffee point, and it really does go to show that mobile coffee fosters a community we never expected to find.
