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C Story / Kym Middleton
Free
to Roam
W ith freedom to move and low
overheads, cafe owners are put-
ting their businesses on wheels
and taking them on the road.
Huge music and cultural events, private
parties, and community hot spots are just some
of the locations mobile cafe operators are cashing
in on. At each new place they meet a fresh cus-
tomer base who are eager to be delighted by cre-
ative concepts and a great cup of coffee.
With so many advantages over bricks-and-
mortar shop fronts, is it all easy breezy for mobile
cafes? We spoke with three operators to find out.
The Custom Van
“[O]ne can achieve big things even when
starting from very little or in our case, next to
nothing.” Mandana and Stephen Baker’s cafe on
wheels was born when they hit a financial rough
patch. “To be completely blunt about it: We were
broke … yet our loan for the caravan was already
approved.” They invested it in an adorable, cus-
tom designed, eight-foot-long mobile cafe that
fits three people, counting their baby son. Its
curving shape, clean white body, and timber
finishes radiate a slick surf shack style.
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