FAQ

Pricing depends on guest count, service duration, event type, and any add-ons like custom branding or additional baristas. For additional details on pricing, check out the pricing page. Weekend events, luxury brand activations, and multi-day engagements are priced accordingly. We’ll send a fully itemized quote within 24 hours of your inquiry, no hidden fees.

We believe in transparent, no-surprise pricing — everything that applies to your event will be in your quote before you sign. The base service fee covers standard setup within our Southern California service area. Things that may appear as separate line items include: travel fees for venues outside our standard range, generator rental if your venue can’t provide adequate power, overtime if your event runs long, and any premium add-ons like custom branded cups, latte art printer, or additional staffing. We flag anything relevant upfront.

No — our packages do not include gratuity. All quotes add gratuity as a separate line item, and may be given at your discretion before or after the event. Always appreciated but never expected, gratuity goes directly to the barista team, and your quote will be explicit about any amount before you commit.

When you review coffee catering quotes, pay close attention to what’s included in the service window. Our quotes specify whether setup and breakdown time are included in your contracted hours or billed separately. We typically require 60-90 minutes before your event for equipment setup, machine warming, and quality checks, plus one hour after service ends for breakdown and cleanup. We’ll clarify exactly what your coffee catering service window covers so you can coordinate timing with your venue and other vendors.

Events within 50 miles one-way of our Pasadena headquarters include transportation in the package price. Beyond that, we’ll factor any applicable travel fee into your itemized quote so there’s no ambiguity.

No problem — we’re happy to stay up to one extra hour beyond the contracted end time. Beyond that, we’ll hard-stop at the contracted end. Because overtime usually isn’t known until the day of, we invoice for the additional time separately at our hourly rate after the event wraps.

Yes. A 30% non-refundable deposit is required at booking to secure your date and lock in staffing. The remaining 70% is due on the day of the event, or you can pay the full invoice upfront if you prefer. Booking early is the most reliable way to secure dates in high-demand months — particularly May and September, when we regularly hit capacity across Southern California.

All invoice payments are processed online — we don’t accept cash or checks for invoice payments. For bookings made more than 72 hours before the event, you can pay the 30% deposit upfront and the remaining 70% on the event day, or pay in full any time before. For last-minute bookings made within 72 hours of the event, 100% of the quoted service plus the $100 rush fee is due upfront, and no refunds are provided for cancellation.

One standard 110V wall outlet and approximately 10×10 feet of floor space — that’s it. We bring everything else: the cart, the commercial espresso machine, our own water supply, all consumables, and the barista. No water hookup, no kitchen access, no special infrastructure needed from your venue. Our setup works equally well in hotel ballrooms, corporate office lobbies, school courtyards, vineyard patios, rooftops, and private residential properties throughout Southern California. If reaching the nearest outlet requires an extension cord, just let us know during planning. On hot days without shade or on rainy days when we’re setup outside, we politely ask for a canopy or other type of shade to serve under.

It’s a solvable problem we’ve handled plenty of times — outdoor garden venues, historic SoCal estates, residential properties, and locations with limited electrical capacity. Our standard setup runs from a 110V outlet, but for guest counts of 100 or more we recommend a minimum of 30 amps available. If the venue can’t provide that, we can arrange a generator rental (which may add to the total cost), work with your venue to identify alternative sources, or discuss lower-draw brewing options if needed. We sort this out during planning, never on your event day.

Our standard footprint is approximately 10×10 feet, including the cart and working space for our barista. Outdoor events may need additional clearance for our 10×10 ft canopy. One thing we’ve learned from serving hundreds of SoCal events: placement matters as much as size. A coffee station in the main flow of guest traffic sees dramatically more engagement than one tucked in a side room or away from the action — we’ll help you identify the best spot during the planning conversation.

No. Our mobile coffee setup is fully self-contained — we bring food-grade water tanks, so your venue doesn’t need to provide any plumbing access. This is exactly why our cart works at outdoor venues, private homes, historic buildings, and locations without commercial kitchen infrastructure. Access to a ware-washing sink near our setup is a nice-to-have but never required.

We typically need 60 to 90 minutes before service starts — unloading, assembling the station, warming the espresso machine to operating temperature, calibrating the grinder, and running quality checks on the first test drinks. For early-morning events like breakfast meetings or brunch ceremonies, this means arriving quite early. We coordinate timing directly with you and your venue so there are no surprises on the day. Setup and breakdown are included in your contracted service time, along with restoring the event space to how we found it. That’s one big thing we learned from working in luxury retail: “leave things better than you found it.”

Yes — our setup is built for indoor and outdoor use equally, which matters a lot in Southern California where so many events take advantage of year-round weather. We’ve served garden ceremonies, rooftop corporate events, school courtyards, beach-adjacent venues, and private estate patios. If your outdoor venue has specific concerns about surface, shade, or shelter, mention it during planning and we’ll come prepared.

We dress to match the formality of your event. Black-tie galas, evening brand activations, upscale weddings and private estate dinners get a crisp, collared button-down. Corporate business-casual events get a polo. Casual office and school events get a short-sleeve tee. All uniforms are fitted black with an embroidered CCB logo. If your event has a specific theme or dress code, just tell us — we’ll match it.

On a standard specialty coffee menu, one barista serves 50 to 75 guests per hour. For events with 150 or more guests, or events with a concentrated rush — like immediately after a wedding ceremony when most guests arrive at once — we’ll typically recommend a second barista or station so lines stay short. We’ll work through the right staffing configuration for your event timeline and guest flow during planning.

It’s highly unlikely, but if we ever run short on something like milk, sweeteners, or cups, an on-site team member may need to run to a nearby store to restock. You won’t be charged for our oversight.

Our standard menu covers the full espresso lineup — lattes, cappuccinos, cortados, flat whites, Americanos, macchiatos, and espresso shots — plus specialty hot drip coffee, cold brew coffee, classic teas, matcha drinks, hot cocoa, fresh juices, and gourmet pastries. Oat milk, almond milk, dairy, decaf drip, and a range of flavored syrups are included in every package as standard. Check out our menu for a closer look at our sample offerings. We also offer customized menus per event for a more unique, personalized touch.

No. Oat milk and almond milk are included in every package as standard — not as upgrades. With the dietary range of most Southern California event guest lists, non-dairy options are the baseline, not an add-on.

Absolutely — and this is one of our favorite things to do. Tell us about your event, your flavor preferences, your brand, or your couple, and we’ll design a custom drink to match. We name it after you, your company, your occasion, or whatever you’d like, and feature it on our menu. It always gets photographed, and it always gets talked about. We’ve done this for weddings, corporate brand activations, anniversary events, and school celebrations alike.

Yes. We can tailor the menu to your dietary needs or specific preferences, and even your event’s theme to match your event’s aesthetic or branding. One thing we’ve learned from serving hundreds of events: a focused menu consistently delivers a better guest experience than an overwhelming one — too many options slow service and create longer lines. We’ll help you find the right balance between variety and speed.

Yes, and this comes up at every event. Our non-coffee menu includes classic teas like Earl Grey, English Breakfast, green tea, hot cocoa, matcha drinks, fresh juices and more. Between the non-coffee options and decaf drip, there’s something on the menu for every guest, including those who avoid caffeine entirely.

Yes. For larger events or those with guests who prefer simple coffee quickly — morning corporate events, all-day conferences, breakfast meetings — drip coffee adds throughput without sacrificing quality. We’ll factor it into your package discussion if it makes sense for your guest count and event format.

Yes — our packages include unlimited drinks per guest during your contracted service window, with no tracking or limits. Per-person pricing structures, when used, assume one drink per guest with additional drinks available; if that applies to your event, your quote will spell it out so there’s no confusion during service.

We work across virtually every event category where great coffee makes the experience better — corporate offsites, multi-day conference events, all-hands meetings, employee and teacher appreciation events, weddings and receptions, private parties, birthday celebrations, brand activations, sports and nonprofit events, open houses, and recurring office residencies throughout Southern California. Our highest-volume category is corporate, but weddings and private events are some of our most memorable work. If you’re planning something that doesn’t fit neatly into a category, reach out — we’ve probably done it.

Yes — wedding coffee bar service is one of our most requested setups, and it’s consistently one of the details guests actually remember. We work with couples and their planners to build service around the rhythm of the day: cocktail hour, dessert service alongside the cake, late-night send-off, or all three. We can design custom signature drinks named after the couple, add monogram foam art (printed using a state-of-the-art food-grade latte art printer), brand the cups and menu board to match the wedding’s visual identity, and are happy to collaborate with your bar service for an espresso martini station if the venue allows it. Our setup is fully self-contained, works at every Southern California venue type — vineyard, ballroom, garden, rooftop, private estate — and we handle everything from arrival to cleanup.

Yes — corporate events are our highest-volume service, and we’ve worked with clients across the LA corporate landscape, from tech companies like Intuit and financial firms like Cushman & Wakefield to brand activations for Hyundai and luxury car brands like Aston Martin. We bring a mobile espresso bar and professional barista to all-hands meetings, client receptions, product launches, conference sessions, and team offsites. A real barista pulling drinks on-site does something a Keurig, a catered coffee urn, or to-go boxed coffee genuinely cannot — it creates a reason to take a real break, and the energy in the room holds where you need it.

We do, and it’s one of our most popular arrangements for LA-area offices and coworking spaces. A residency is a recurring pop-up coffee bar — we come on a set schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly), run full specialty coffee service for your team, and leave the space exactly as we found it. You get a real café experience with no equipment to buy, no supplies to manage, and no one to schedule. Once the schedule is set, it runs on autopilot.

Yes, and a specialty coffee bar consistently lands better than a gift card or a catered lunch tray. Every employee gets their drink made to order by a real barista, in the place they work, and the reaction is immediate. We scale to any team size across Southern California, and the whole setup is zero-hassle for whoever’s organizing it — we handle setup, service, and cleanup. All we need is one wall outlet and about 10×10 feet of space.

Yes — teacher events are some of the most personally meaningful work we do, given our founder’s own story with educators and community institutions. We set up in the cafeteria, courtyard, staff lounge, or wherever your event is happening and pour specialty drinks for the whole staff. We’ve served schools across Los Angeles, Glendale, Long Beach, the Inland Empire, and the wider SoCal region. Teacher Appreciation Week falls in early May, which is one of our most capacity-constrained months — reach out at least a month in advance to secure your date.

We do — bridal showers, engagement parties, and rehearsal dinners are among our most booked private events outside of the wedding day itself. Same setup, same quality, scaled to the size of the gathering. If you’ve already booked us for the wedding, we’ll often build in a discount on the lead-up event.

Yes. The coffee cart becomes a natural gathering point at private parties — guests cluster around it, the barista becomes part of the experience, and the drinks are genuinely unlike anything from a catering urn or a pod machine. We’ve served private estate gatherings in Malibu, backyard birthday celebrations, milestone parties, and graduation events across the region. Same self-contained setup, same standard of quality.

If your venue permits it, yes — we can collaborate with your bar service to set up an espresso martini station. We pull fresh espresso shots from the cart; your bar handles the spirits. The result is a cocktail that actually tastes like espresso, not a pre-mixed bottle. Mention it during planning so we can coordinate with your venue and bartending team.

For weddings, we recommend reaching out at least three to four months before your date — and earlier if you’re planning a spring or fall event, which are our busiest windows in Southern California. For corporate events, employee appreciation days, and most private parties, a few weeks of lead time usually works, though the earlier you’re in touch the better your date selection. May and September are our most capacity-constrained months, so if your event lands in either of those windows, don’t wait. If your event is coming up sooner than that, reach out anyway — we can secure bookings with as little as 48 hours’ notice when our calendar and staffing allow, and we’ll always give you a straight answer about what’s available.

Bookings made within 72 hours of the event date are considered last-minute and carry a $100 rush fee, with the full invoice due upfront. Last-minute bookings are non-refundable.

It starts with an inquiry through our website — we respond the same day, usually within a few hours. We’ll ask about your event date, venue, guest count, and what you’re envisioning, and we’ll go over a few logistics questions about power access, indoor vs. outdoor setup, loading and parking, and any special requests. We’ll recommend a service and send an itemized quote within 24 hours. A 30% deposit locks in your date; the remaining 70% is due on the day of the event (you’re welcome to pay in full upfront if you prefer). We’re always an email or phone call away after you’ve paid your deposit or balance in full leading up to your event. Then, on the day-of, we’ll be in touch with you or your chosen point of contact to coordinate unloading/loading.

We’re based in Pasadena and serve events throughout greater Los Angeles — including Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Downtown LA, Malibu, Culver City, the San Fernando Valley, Woodland Hills, and the surrounding area. We also serve Orange County, the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties), Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Ventura County. For destination events and multi-day activations — like a brand event in Monterey or Arizona — we’ve traveled for the right project. If you’re unsure whether your venue falls within our standard range, just ask; we’ll be upfront about any travel fee that applies.

All deposits are non-refundable. If your event is affected by severe weather, a venue issue, or a comparable emergency, we’ll work with you to reschedule based on our availability rather than refund. Cancellation timelines, force-majeure terms, and rescheduling options are spelled out in detail in your service contract so you know exactly where you stand if plans change.

We typically ask for a confirmed guest count one to two weeks before your event so we can finalize the right quantity of supplies and confirm staffing. We build flexibility into the planning and can usually accommodate modest increases with a few days’ notice. You can update your guest count or service hours any time by email, text, or phone — once numbers are finalized, we’ll send out an updated quote.

Yes. We carry full commercial general liability insurance and can provide a Certificate of Insurance to your venue — with whatever specific language, additional insured requirements, or coverage limits they need — well in advance of your event. Our baristas are ServSafe trained, we hold all required health department certifications, and all necessary permits are included. If your venue needs vendor compliance paperwork, rider language, or a specific COI format, we’ve got it handled and we’ll send it without you having to chase us down.

We maintain a team of trained baristas — not a solo operation — specifically so this never becomes your problem. If someone on our team gets sick or faces an emergency, a qualified backup steps in and your event proceeds exactly as planned, same quality, same energy. We’ve never had to cancel an event due to staffing.

We use commercial-grade espresso machines and professional burr grinders — the same caliber of equipment you’d find in a serious specialty coffee shop, not consumer appliances. Our machines are built to maintain consistent temperature and extraction quality throughout multi-hour events under continuous output. The difference between commercial and consumer equipment is audible, visible, and present in the cup from the first guest to the last.

A few things stand out consistently. Our coffee is ethically sourced through one primary direct trade partnership and roasted locally by the same person in LA County — not from a big-brand commercial distributor. Every drink is made to order by a trained barista, not pre-pulled and held in a carafe. We’ve served events across the full range of Southern California venues and formats — from commercial office building lobbies in LA to multi-day software engineering events in Woodland Hills to a luxury car brand activation at Monterey Car Week — and we bring the same commercial equipment, the same craft, and the same energy to a 50-person office event as to a 400-person wedding reception. The experience at the cart itself — the latte art, the custom drinks, the barista energy — is something clients consistently say they didn’t expect and can’t imagine their next event without.

Coffee Cart Boys was founded by Emilio Daniel Vasquez, and it’s a Black and minority-owned business with community at its core. Our founder’s own story — shaped by educators and mentors who showed up for him during a difficult life chapter — directly influenced what this company became. We partner with nonprofits like Learning Works, source our coffee through direct trade relationships, and give back to the Los Angeles communities we serve. For us, showing up at your event has always been about more than beverages.