Coffee cart vs coffee van: which is right for your event?

Both make good coffee. The difference is where they can go. Here's the quick version: if the action is indoors or up a flight of stairs, you want a cart; if it's a big outdoor pitch with parking, a van can work.

The coffee cart

A cart is small, self-contained and goes where people are. Ours is under 80cm wide, runs on a battery, and brings its own water, so it slips through a doorway and sets up in a meeting room, a marquee, a gallery or a hotel ballroom. No fumes, no generator drone, no parking to negotiate.

• Best for: parties, offices, conferences, indoor events, tight venues.
• Setup: 15 minutes, no hookups.
• Footprint: roughly 3 × 2 metres.

The coffee van

A van (or a converted horsebox/Piaggio) is a fixed pitch on wheels. It's a strong look outdoors, can hold a lot of stock, and a dual-boiler machine can push higher volumes for a big rush, but it needs somewhere to park, level ground, and usually a generator. It can't come inside, and it can't get round the back of a venue or up to the third floor.

• Best for: festivals, markets, big outdoor sites, roadside trade.
• Setup: longer, and you're committed to the parking spot.
• Footprint: a parking bay, plus access.

How to choose

Ask three questions: Is it indoors? If yes, cart. Is there easy parking on the spot? If no, cart. Do guests need to come to one fixed window, or should the coffee come to them? If you want it in the room, cart.

Our take

We run a cart on purpose. For the events most people book, parties, work mornings, club days, launches, getting into the room beats looking good in the car park. If you're weighing it up, the best events for a coffee cart piece is a good next read, or just start with the basics.