How to Start a Coffee Van Business (and Power It With One Generator)
Around 6am the street's still quiet, the grinder's loaded and your first regular is already walking over. Getting to that point takes a bit of paperwork, a sensible fit-out and one good generator.
Before the first flat white
- ✓An ABN. Free from the Australian Business Register.
- ✓A chat with your council (in the ACT and NT, the health department) about approval and fit-out, before you buy or build the van.
- ✓Food safety sorted. Selling only coffee and other drinks? Standard 3.2.2A may not apply to you. Add food that has to be kept hot or cold and you'll likely need a certified Food Safety Supervisor. Your council or health department can confirm.
- ✓A hand basin with warm running water. The national Food Standards Code asks for one.
- ✓Somewhere to park and pour. Council permission for public land, the owner's for private land, and public liability insurance for many markets and events.
- ✓Your own power. Many markets, sports grounds and roadside spots don't supply it.
Rules vary by state and council, so check with yours before you buy or fit out a van.
The one generator you need
One- or two-group, this runs most single phase machines. Check your rating plate first.
Many two-group machines need their own 20A or larger supply, more than a 15A outlet can give. If your machine is hardwired, have a licensed electrician fit a 32A inlet to your van. A 32A lead then runs from the generator's 32A outlet to the van.
The sums behind the cup
A typical two-group van (machine, two grinders and a milk fridge) draws about 6,830W with everything on. The HY10000iSE is rated at 9,000W, so that's 76 per cent, under the 80 per cent Queensland's Electrical Safety Office recommends for continuous running. It leaves about 370W for lights, the pump and EFTPOS, which is why we say keep water heating on gas.
Safety, the short version
Park the generator outside, on dry ground and out of reach of the public, with a metre of clear space around it and the exhaust facing away from your window, your customers and any doors or vents. Never run it inside the van or anywhere enclosed: the exhaust carries carbon monoxide. Refuel only when it's off and cool. Your electrician should fit RCD (safety switch) protection on the van's switchboard that suits the generator, and every lead should be rated for the outlet it plugs into. Get leads and appliances tested and tagged.
Optional extra: the 5am whisper
Fancy setting up without the engine running? Add a power station.
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How long the milk stays cold
A milk fridge cycles on and off, so its energy label tells the real story: about 3kWh a day, or 126W on average. Take 80 per cent of the HYPS1500's 1,152Wh to cover conversion losses, about 920Wh, divide by 126W, and the milk stays cold for about 7 hours. Grinders, lights and EFTPOS share the battery, so allow for them.
Why charge at clean-down and not mid-rush? Charging draws up to 550W. On top of the van's 6,830W that's 7,380W, 82 per cent of the generator, so wait until the machine's off.
Pouring from a cart instead? See how to power a coffee cart.
Send us a photo of your machine's rating plate and we'll confirm the generator suits it. We deliver Australia-wide, and checkout shows the delivery options and price for your address.
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