The Back Office - guides
How much does it cost to open a coffee shop?
Everyone asks this and everyone gets a useless answer, because the honest answer is a range wider than most people's savings. Here is the honest structure instead - from an anonymous multi-unit operator. Figures are modeled industry ranges, labeled as such.
The three real paths
1. The kiosk or cart: $60-90k all-in
| Line item | Estimate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | ~$18k | Compact machine, grinders, fridge, water filtration - do not skip filtration |
| Buildout | ~$12k | Counter, plumbing tie-ins, electrical, health-dept finishes |
| Permits | ~$4k | Health, business license, signage |
| Deposits | ~$6k | First/last/security |
| Opening inventory | ~$4k | |
| Professional fees | ~$3k | CPA setup, lease review |
| Runway (4-6 months) | ~$18k | The line everyone skips |
This is the prove-it path. Limited menu, limited hours, real customers, real data. If the concept doesn't work here, you lost a semester of money, not a house.
2. The standard shop in a second-generation space: $120-200k
| Line item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Equipment | ~$32k |
| Light buildout | ~$45k |
| Permits/design | ~$8k |
| Deposits | ~$14k |
| Inventory | ~$7k |
| Professional fees | ~$5k |
| Runway | ~$45k |
Second-gen means a food space existed there before - the plumbing, the hood path, the health-department relationship all exist. This single decision moves six figures.
3. The raw buildout: $250k+
Full construction runs ~$120k and everything scales with it. If you're reading a free guide to decide, this is not your path yet.
The line everyone skips: runway
Your shop will not cover itself for 4-6 months. Rent, labor, COGS, and overhead burn every one of those months whether a single customer walks in or not. First-timers budget to opening day. Operators budget to break-even. The difference is the whole game.
Run your own numbers
The startup cost calculator forces every line item, including the ones first-timers forget: filtration, smallwares, the alarm company, the first pest control visit. Add 20% contingency to the buildout line - buildouts overrun; inventory doesn't.
The full version - lease negotiation, staffing math, the first 90 days, and the mistakes chapter - is in the playbook. Get on the letter below and it goes to you first.