What Actually Happens When You Book a Coffee Cart for Your Event
Most people have never booked coffee catering before. They've seen it at a wedding or a company event, thought "that was awesome," and now they're planning something of their own and wondering how it all works.
So here's the full picture — from the moment you reach out to the moment we roll out. No mystery, no surprises.
It Starts With Your Inquiry
When a lead comes in, the first thing we do is check availability. If we already have something on the books for that day, we'll look at the timelines to see if we can serve both events. Sometimes we can flip the cart and make it work. Sometimes we can't, and we would rather be upfront about that than string you along.
If we're available, we then dig into the details. Guest count, hours of service, what you're looking for on the menu. Most people are looking for the full espresso bar — lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, hot or iced. But some events call for add-ons like decaf, matcha, or cold brew, and we want to make sure we're prepared for whatever you need.
Once we have reviewed everything, we send over a quote by email with a full breakdown of what you asked for. But we like to leave the door open because a lot of people don't realize everything we can do. For example, if it's a corporate event, you might not know we can put your company logo on the front of the cart or on the cups. So we try to mention options like that — not to upsell, just to make sure you're aware of what's possible.
Testing out an event setup in our driveway just to make sure everything is right
After the Quote
Once the quote is sent, there's a book now button right there in the email. If everything looks good, you can lock in your date and take care of payment in one step.
We also shoot a text after sending the quote. We want you to know who we are, that your quote is ready, and that you can call or text us if you have any questions. Some people want to talk things through. Some people just want to book and move on. Either way works for us.
Once booked, you're officially on our calendar. That date is yours.
Leading Up to the Event
The week of your event, we reach out again. Just a quick text or email to make sure everything is still good on your end. Has anything changed? Different guest count? Different timeline? We want to know now rather than find out when we show up.
Day of, we’re in communication with your point of contact — whoever is running the event or managing the venue. We let them know when we're on the way, what our ETA looks like, where we need to park, and where you'd like us set up. Clear communication is a big deal to us. Nobody wants to be wondering where their coffee cart is an hour before guests arrive.
Setup and Service
We show up about an hour before service starts. That gives us time to unload, get the cart in position, set up all the supplies, let the espresso machine heat up, and dial in the espresso so the first drink we pull is just as good as the last.
You don't need to help with any of this. We take care of everything so you can focus on the rest of your event. That's the whole point.
Once we're ready, we let the point of contact know, and guests can start coming up whenever they'd like.
Guests beginning to line up for service at a staff appreicaiton day
From there, it's just good coffee and good conversation. Guests order what they want, we make it, and the cart becomes its own little gathering spot — which is one of the best parts of what we do.
Wrapping Up
When service time is coming to an end, we do a last call so anyone who wants one more drink can grab it. Then we break everything down, unplug, and clean up. If espresso grounds spilled, we clean them. If liquids dripped, we wipe them. We want to leave the space better than we found it so the venue or whoever is hosting doesn't have to worry about any of it.
We pack everything back up and head out. On our end, there's still work to do — restocking supplies, cleaning equipment, flipping the cart for the next event — but that's not anything you need to think about.
After the Event
Once everything is wrapped up, we like to reach back out to say thank you. We always ask for a Google review if you had a great experience, and we like to see if you grabbed any photos or videos you'd be willing to share. Those go a long way for us on social media, and they help other people see what a Nine Tenths event actually looks like.
That's it. That's the whole process.
No confusion, no chaos, no scrambling. Just good coffee, good communication, and one less thing on your plate.
If you're planning an event and want to see what it looks like to have Nine Tenths Coffee there, reach out. We'll walk through the details together.
