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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is this a dumb idea?

37 replies

MummyDrinksWine · 01/09/2022 15:28

An ice cream van came up for sale in my area and I joked with my sister that we could buy it and serve together and actually go to the places people want, not just a usual set of stops.. serve by demand! We decided it probably wouldn’t last long because winter.

Then I thought. Why not a coffee van.. the ice cream equivalent but with nice hot drinks, not just a quick Nescafé you get from a burger van.. but nice coffee, herbal teas, iced coffees ect. It would suit all seasons.. and I’ve not seen anything like it that drive around.

With more people working from home than ever before, I feel like it could work! What’s better than not having to make your own latte? Having one served to you practically on your doorstep, no?!

please tell me I’m onto something 😂 AIBU to want to do this?!

OP posts:
emmathedilemma · 01/09/2022 16:06

We used to have that came to the office but he came so early that he never sold any coffee because no one was in yet so he stopped coming. There's some that go to farmer's markets etc round here.

Bobshhh · 01/09/2022 16:07

Location location location!

It wouldn't work in my part of London because I have 5 coffee shops within a 10 minute walk. However in my parents rural area they have small coffee vans which park themselves in carparks in popular dog walking spots, near parks and near rugby /football pitches.

buttons123456 · 01/09/2022 16:09

Someone does that near me .. well he used to . Not sure he does now tbh . I imagine it wasn't lucrative !

NerrSnerr · 01/09/2022 16:14

A coffee van comes to our work. I don't see the point as we have free coffee but there's always a queue. Growing up in the 90s we had a chip van which had huge queues and a fishmonger in a van which was also popular.

CardinalCopia · 01/09/2022 16:16

We have these kind of things already locally. They are also VERY territorial. If you rocked up in a van and started doing that in these parts you'd quickly find your tyres slashed at best and your van burnt out at worst.

crowsfeet57 · 01/09/2022 16:25

These normally go to events. At the local council where I used to work we were always very keen to book The Mocha Man for our concerts, firework displays markets etc. He charges premium prices. You could probably make a bit of money at a Christmas Market if there are any near you. Otherwise start mapping out events to get booked in for next year.

RestedDevelopment · 01/09/2022 16:31

Local pub did similar during lockdown, serving freshly pulled Guiness on people’s doorstep Grin

Like PP tho I recommend a business plan - is there an enterprise scheme is offering business training advice near you?

They can take you through research, business plan, marketing, accounts etc.

I have to say there does seem an explosion of wee trailers offering food/drinks in the regional area I live in, at events like shows, fairs etc and also just parked in lay-bys.

The most important things are a) is there a market for it where you are (eg little or no competition but large ‘footfall’ - ie potential customers) and b) costing it all out accurately so you are realistic re outgoings & pricing.

And look it, if you use the last of your maternity researching business start-up, that’s not wasted effort, many skills are transferable, either to another business idea, or to employers.

I started with one idea, pivoted to another when I saw a gap in the market, and had many, many happy years of work.

Not ‘next year millionaire’ work but dammit it, it rarely even felt like work because I enjoyed it so much and was my own boss.

Give it some thought OP, even if you do nothing further, it is interesting and educational to think about these things and may leave you more open to seeing future opportunities.

(oh and quick disclaimer - I worked well with one of my DSis, but may well have fought like hell with another - family and business can mix but not always!)

Whataretheodds · 01/09/2022 16:32

There are coffee vans all over the place in London. Some of them must make a killing. You'd want to find the right pitch, not sure how easy it is to try them out.
Good idea to offset hot drinks and cakes and snacks with ice cream/cold drinks in the summer.

Vonniee7 · 01/09/2022 16:34

You'd need a schedule, leaflet an area and say you'd be there for example 10-12 each Friday. That's what happened here and it got big queues, because people knew in advance. It was doing it during lockdown and stopped once things opened again as it was mainly for events/festivals etc

C152 · 01/09/2022 16:42

I've seen a lot of mobile coffee vans out and about in various places in London - often they catch the commuters outside stations that are in 'trendy' area but not actually that pleasant to walk through. Some companies will offer free barrista training for specific coffee machines, so I'd look into that. I'd work up the costs in more detail before investing in the van and products. It's also important to look into any potential licensing issues - some councils may require some form of licence to park and sell food/drinks in particular areas.

Bubblebubblebah · 01/09/2022 16:47

You can't just stop and drive willy nilly, you need licence or consent from them. Councils have approved routes and stops, streets etc.

TempName01 · 01/09/2022 17:26

I was thinking this recently about ice cream vans, surely there could be some sort of app where you can click that you are interested in buying ice creams in a time period (couple of hour window maybe) and the ice cream van could plot a route based on the data, they could choose which locations they visit but you can track where they are on a map

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