Business on coffee machines - how profitable is it? Coffee machines as a type of business: installation, maintenance, reviews.

Vending trade is a very popular type of income for owners and a great way to save time and gain a number of significant conveniences for the buyer. After all, you just need to press the desired button and insert a certain amount into the bill acceptor, and you can get what you want.

The most popular type of vending machines are coffee machines with coffee beans (or instant), but there are many other vending machines for many types of goods, from chewing gum to souvenirs. Let's look at the most popular vending machines that can bring significant profits to their owner. In this article we will look at other profitable vending machines.

Coffee machine

Naturally, the most famous type, which we will talk about in a little more detail. This device will be appropriate in the office, store, and wherever you place it. This unit is installed even on the street, and there it is able to provide high profits to its owner.

Another advantage of this machine is that it allows you to try more than a dozen different types of drinks without the intervention of a bartender or barista. Self-service is a very convenient thing, whatever one may say. And yes, the price in Moscow for such coffee is very low.

You can install a coffee machine in the following places:

1. Shopping mall. In fact, it’s easiest to see coffee machines there.
2. Waiting rooms. For example, airports, train stations and other places. The most profitable vending machines are installed there.
3. Financial institutions. Here you can drink coffee while you stand in line to pay your rent. Very comfortably.
4. Schools. Of course, coffee machines are rarely installed in places where children study. The fact is that this drink is harmful for a small organism. But no one bothers.
5. Mail. The benefits here are the same as in financial institutions. You just need to buy the device.
6. Cinemas and other entertainment centers.

The coffee machine itself is priced between $1,500 and $5,000. The price depends on the functionality of the model, as well as the ability to buy a used coffee machine. Additionally, you need to spend from 150 to 200 dollars on coffee refills and about the same cost on chocolate and other drinks. The total cost will be $1,800, which in principle is not that expensive.

As for payback, the machine will begin to bring you profit only after 1-2 years, which is, in principle, normal. Although it all also depends on how many people are passing nearby. In principle, many people love coffee, and therefore a direct relationship can be established between the number of people passing by and potential profit. Selling hot aromatic drinks is a very profitable idea.

Snack machine

Business with snack machines in our territory is a relatively new phenomenon. These machines are equipped with refrigerators and their main purpose is to sell packaged products. In addition, such machines can sell sweet water, chips and other small products.

Snack machines are divided into the following types:

1. Conveyor. Such devices got their name due to the principle of supplying goods. A huge advantage is that you can load any small-packaged products into them.
2. Spiral. Their essence lies in the fact that first the purchased products are placed in a special tray, and from there they reach the buyer. If the goods are fragile (may break), then a special elevator is designed for this purpose.
3. Cellular. Everything is simple here - a person takes out all the products he needs from a special cell. Using this method, you can sell a huge number of goods, from fruits to cakes.
4. Mini snacks. This type of snack machine is characterized, first of all, by its small size. Therefore, it is intended for dispensing tiny products that usually go well with coffee. Therefore, it is recommended to place such vending machines near coffee machines; people like to eat cookies with tea or another warm aromatic drink.

It is impossible to provide exact figures on payback, because everything depends on many factors: the location of the machine, the product sold (each has a different price and demand), the economic period (for example, in times of crisis, people are more inclined to save and not buy small things like chips).

Lensomat

Many people have vision problems, and contact lenses are one of the possible solutions to this problem. Therefore, installing lens mats (that’s what these devices are called) is quite a promising activity. The cost of such devices is about 150-200 thousand rubles. It all depends on the brand. The lens machine pays for itself within 5-8 months if you place the device in the right place. And where can you install the device?

1. Shopping and entertainment centers.
2. Clinics.
3. Schools, universities.
4. Gyms.

In general, lenses are an expensive product. Therefore, a special infrared sensor determines whether the product has been issued. If this does not happen, then the money is not debited from the client’s card. If it is not possible to sell lenses, the device can always be converted into another type of vending machine.

Soda vending machine

The business of selling sparkling water, despite the fact that Soviet times are long gone, is still considered a very profitable business with a high return on investment. The cost of a vending machine will be from 75 to 200 thousand rubles.

The price for one glass usually does not exceed 10 rubles. At this price, you will receive 15 thousand per month from one machine if you buy 50 cups. The math is simple. But if you sell sparkling water with syrup at a price of 20 rubles, then your monthly income can be 90,000 rubles, since it sells better with syrup. Well, of course, net income. That is, you need to subtract taxes, electricity and other expenses from this amount.

Ice cream machines

Another popular type of vending machines are ice cream devices. Their advantages are novelty, and hence low competition. Such devices have an interesting way of serving ice cream. The product is dispensed using a pump arm, a process that is usually very popular with children.

There are many interesting vending machines. It's better to buy them from us. Why? Because we install devices and teach you how to use them for free.

We looked at different vending machines that make a profit. But the choice is not limited to them. We have only listed the most profitable vending machines.

Coffee has long been one of the most favorite drinks for many. With a morning cup of aromatic drink it is easier to wake up and get into the normal rhythm of life; during a break from work, meeting with friends, discussing important issues, we drink coffee. And when you can’t enjoy your favorite taste in a cafe or at home, the already familiar coffee vending machines come to the rescue - on the street, in the office, in the shopping center. And there are many who want to stop, take a break in a busy day and drink their favorite drink, and therefore these products are always in demand. Thus, a coffee machine business can be very profitable, if, of course, everything is calculated and organized correctly.

Vending: advantages and disadvantages

Vending is a business that is built on the sale of a wide variety of goods using vending machines. And it has its undeniable advantages.

A very small retail area: 1 sq. m is enough to install a coffee machine. meters. Some of them, quite large, may require an area of ​​1.5–2 square meters. meters, but this is quite a bit. Of course, the machine needs free space nearby: people should be able to easily approach it, and 2-3 people should be able to fit near the machine without any problems.

Low rent: This naturally follows from point one. You can rent a square meter of space even for little money (500–1000 rubles is a very realistic price). However, the price depends on the location, it can be much higher.

There is no need to hire staff, register employees for work, or pay them salaries. Of course, the machines need to be serviced, but human presence is required no more than once every 2-3 days.

It is coffee machines that are considered the most profitable among all others. They require less maintenance (one machine can “charge” up to 300 servings of coffee with the necessary ingredients), and the markups on coffee are very high. With a cost of 7–15 rubles, a serving of coffee can cost 25–35 at the end. That’s why coffee machines, according to experts, make up about 70% of the total vending business.

If we talk about the disadvantages of this business, the main one is high competition. Finding a good, profitable place for a slot machine is now quite difficult, but possible.

In addition, there are also certain risks, for example, a coffee machine can be damaged by vandals. To avoid this, machines should be installed only in secure areas. If you decide to place it on the street, you should choose a place next to CCTV cameras.

Where is the best place to install a coffee machine?

The best way to start a new business is to choose a location. There is hardly anything more important. If you manage to find a good place where coffee is in great demand, in the future you will only be able to load the ingredients on time and get money.

The following are traditionally considered good places to place coffee machines:

• train stations, bus stations and bus stations;
• airports;
• clinics
• government institutions and any other organizations where people spend a long time waiting: social services, tax office, city administration departments;
• banks;
• educational institutions;
• cinemas, parks and other places of entertainment;
• shopping centers, markets and shops;
• office and business centers.

Of course, most of these places may already have coffee machines. But this is no reason to despair. You can try to find another place that is no worse, or you can not be afraid of competition with existing devices. Here you can experiment: if after installing the machine you do not get the profit you expected, it is never too late to change its location: you can hardly expect that the situation will change on its own.

When drawing up a business plan, you should not lose sight of the fact that the cost of renting a space for a coffee machine can vary. The most expensive places are considered to be airports, train stations, large shopping and business centers, and banks. In markets, shops, educational institutions and clinics, prices can be significantly lower.

In some cases, it may be more profitable to pay a certain percentage of sales rather than a fixed rental price. This is relevant for those who have just installed a machine and cannot yet know exactly what income they can expect. If the owner of the premises is ready to meet halfway, you can negotiate this with him.

Choosing a coffee machine

Today, the coffee machine market is vast and varied: there is plenty to choose from. You can purchase a modest, reliable and inexpensive model of imported or domestic production. “Advanced” expensive machines are no less popular: more massive, with a bright design and an expanded menu, which includes a variety of types of coffee and tea.

If we add to this the abundance of brands and manufacturers, it becomes clear: choosing a coffee machine is not an easy task. But doable.

You can study reviews on the Internet, but you need to treat them with caution: if somewhere they only praise or only scold a certain model or manufacturer, you should assume that this is part of an advertising or anti-advertising campaign. You can conduct your own monitoring: go to places with coffee machines, personally see how the machines work, ask regulars (if the machine is located in the building of a university or institution, this is possible) whether it often breaks down.

What you need to pay attention to when choosing:

• Do you have a service center in your city for the manufacturer you like?
• What is the equipment of the machine: do you need a vandal-proof model for the street, or will the device be installed in an office building where there is security.
• Warranty: conditions, terms, and cost of post-warranty service.
• The cost of the machine itself is also an important factor. However, what is more important here is not the cost itself, but the payback: very often the more expensive option turns out to be more profitable.
• How long has the model been on the market? New models can be attractive in price and features, but how proven they are is also important.
• Maximum load of the machine: how many servings of drink it can dispense without “refilling”.

Machine maintenance

You can do the maintenance yourself, or you can hire an employee for this - it depends on the availability of free time and the number of machines themselves: one person can cope with servicing 10 coffee machines during the day. Ingredients need to be added once every 3 days, so it is easy to calculate that one worker can cope with maintaining 30 machines.

The unit must not only be “refueled” on time, but also kept clean so that it looks attractive to customers and lasts as long as possible.

Malfunctions and breakdowns, unfortunately, also happen. And this is fraught not only with lost profits, but also with expenses for repairs. As a rule, repairs are carried out by specialists from the supplier company. That is why it is better to give preference to a new machine: they have a warranty (usually 3 years), and they break down much less often.

What do coffee machines run?

To make coffee tasty, and therefore in demand, you need to purchase high-quality ingredients, this is obvious. Before concluding contracts with suppliers, it makes sense to test it personally. Those who have been working in this field for a long time recommend giving preference not to experimental samples and new products, but to those that are already in operation.

To fill coffee machines use:

• coffee (beans or ground) in various mixtures;
• tea (black, green, fruit - there can be many options);
• hot chocolate, cocoa;
• filtered water;
• powdered or granulated milk (can be used as an additive to coffee and cocoa, and the menu of some models includes hot milk as a separate drink);
• dry or granulated cream;
• disposable cups and stirrers.

Fillers for machines differ significantly from the ingredients from which regular coffee is prepared. They are designed specifically for automatic cooking: they can be stored for a long time without sticking or caking; do not accumulate foreign odors; do not absorb moisture; dissolve quickly. To achieve this, coffee is roasted in a certain way.

It is better to purchase ingredients from trusted manufacturers and follow the recommended dosages when preparing - then the coffee in your machines will be really tasty.

Enterprise registration

To start a coffee vending business, all you need is . When choosing a taxation system for this activity, you should give preference to or.

You don’t need a license, nor do you need permission from any authorities. You just have to take care of quality certificates for fillers: you will need to get them from the supplier.

Another document that will need to be prepared is a lease agreement with the owner of the premises in which you will install the machine.

Expenses and income

The first question a future entrepreneur asks is how much does a coffee machine cost? The variety of offers on the market suggests that the price range is quite wide: from 80 to 350 thousand rubles, however, a used machine can be bought for 50–60 thousand, but, as already mentioned, in this case, in this case, unforeseen repair costs are possible in the future.

On average, a high-quality device with a large selection of drinks that will work properly without creating problems for its owner costs about 140–160 thousand.

Such a machine pays for itself in about six months. This means that in 6 months it can bring a profit of about 150 thousand. However, this figure can be either significantly higher or lower.

Let's calculate expenses and profits

• the cost of a serving of coffee is 7–15 rubles;
• the cost of a portion for the buyer is 25–35 rubles;
• income from the sale of one serving averages 15–20 rubles;
• number of servings per day – 50–100.

Thus, income can range from 750 to 2,000 rubles. Per month - from 22 to 60 thousand rubles.

Now let's move on to expenses:

• rent can cost from one to 15 thousand rubles;
• payment for electricity – 2.5–6 thousand;
• maintenance – from 1000 rubles monthly.

As you can see, the profit from the enterprise can be 20–50 thousand rubles per month. Moreover, the upper limit is achieved provided that the machine is conveniently located and the rental cost is not too high. Receiving 20 thousand monthly is not at all necessary: ​​under unfavorable circumstances, the profit may be zero.

Another important question is how many coffee machines you need to purchase. The main factors here are your financial capabilities and the availability of good places to install the devices. Experts recommend starting with one or two in order to first understand how it works, assess the ratio of income and expenses, and then, if necessary, expand the business.

Evgeny Smirnov

# Business ideas

Realities of the vending business in Russia

Coffee and food vending machines will soon appear on commuter trains. This suggests that the market is developing and demand is growing.

Article navigation

• Features of the coffee vending business
• Place for a coffee machine: choosing the right one
• Coffee machines for business: choosing equipment so you don’t regret it later
• Registration and business management
• What do coffee machines run?
• Staff
• Maintenance
• Business plan for making money on coffee machines
• Monthly expenses
• Profit per month on coffee machines
• Payback of a coffee machine
• Business development for installing coffee machines
• How many machines do you need?

Among all the vending machines, coffee machines stand apart. It is believed that they are the most profitable, and many people primarily associate the word “vending” with coffee. Such a business seems very simple, but this is not entirely true. Yes, there are not very high risks here, under certain conditions you don’t need a lot of starting capital, but, as they say, the dog is in the details. And the coffee machine business has more than enough such nuances.

Features of the coffee vending business

The most important features include:

• Possibility of easy and quick start.
• Possibility to get by with a small investment.
• Very large selection of equipment and ingredients.
• Even in large cities you can find places without competition (although we note that among all areas of vending, coffee has the greatest competition).
• There is no need to look for highly qualified and experienced personnel.
• Low rent for space. Coffee machines occupy a small area.

These are the features that can be considered positive. But there are also negative (or at best neutral):

• There is a very strong dependence on a good location; this is what determines the profitability of each individual coffee machine.
• In large cities there are large companies that do business aggressively, pushing out small competitors. They are capturing more or less promising areas for sales.
• Possible damage to equipment. Sometimes even intentional, on the part of competitors. This also happens, although rarely.

Also, at the very beginning of the article, we will immediately tell you the most important things. We will talk about choosing a location and other nuances below, but all this will not matter if you are offering a product of poor quality. And this depends not only on the machine itself, but also on the ingredients you buy.

The thing is that often the majority of sales are repeat sales. And if a person really didn’t like your coffee, he will never make a second purchase. Yes, there is a category of places where there can be new clients every day, but the number of such places is very limited. And coffee machines are often located where there are regular visitors (for example, office premises). This is why for a successful coffee vending machine business the product must be of very good quality. It may not be like in a cafe (where the cost is several times higher), but it’s definitely better than regular instant coffee from a can.

Place for a coffee machine: choosing the right one

The list of places where coffee machines can bring good profits is long. The important thing is that the best places are not those with very high traffic, but those where people stay for some time, albeit short:

• transport hubs (stations, airports);
• hospitals;
• Gas stations and car washes;
• educational establishments;
• shopping and entertainment centers (this includes cinemas);
• business and office buildings;
• canteens of industrial enterprises;
• government agencies.

These are traditional places, but it is always possible to find other options. The main thing is the crowd of people. Sometimes you can find completely unobvious places that turn out to be very profitable. For example, you placed a coffee machine next to a small office building where only fifty people work. But your coffee is so delicious that almost all of these people drink it every day. And the income from one glass is from 20 rubles, so do the math yourself.

If you decide to start a business with coffee machines, then be prepared to experiment. You can do without them, but this way you risk not finding the best places. You can always try to install the machine for a short period of time and look at the level of sales.

The following requirements apply to the space for the coffee machine:

• possibility of connecting to the electrical network;
• Free access;
• It is highly desirable to install it in a safe place (protects it from vandals).

The required area is about one square meter. Most property owners are not against additional income and easily agree to install machines, but there are exceptions. They may charge very high prices or refuse to rent out a place for other reasons. You should also be prepared for this.

It is advisable to carry out space for coffee machines, as well as negotiations with the owners of the premises before purchasing machines. Otherwise, it will be like starting to build a house without a plot of land.

How to test a location with minimal cost and maximum accuracy?

It is always better to check the point, and only then enter into a long-term lease agreement. This is easy to do, but only if the owner of the premises meets you halfway. Agree with him on a trial period, which can be paid even double (in case of failure). It will be much cheaper than signing a lease for a few months and ending up with a bad place.

Calculating and testing a location is very simple. Any machine has the ability to collect statistics. The minimum period for testing is a week. Sometimes on some days sales can be very high, and on other days, on the contrary, low. Therefore, seven days is the minimum reasonable period that will allow objective testing. It makes no sense to install the machine for more than 14 days. If there are no sales, then there won’t be any.

After the test, it is necessary to analyze sales statistics and compare them with the specifics of the location. It’s easier to explain with specific examples; for this we will make a table.

Now let’s decipher the received data. The drop in sales over the weekend in an office building is completely logical, but we should be wary of something else: a sharp drop in sales on Thursday and Friday. What could this mean? Most likely, people tried the coffee but didn’t like it, which is why we can see a drop in sales. It is also possible that the price was too high. In this case, it is advisable to conduct a survey and identify the real reason.

Everything is more even at the car wash, with the exception of a completely logical drop in sales on Saturday. There can be no questions here: the place is suitable and successful. But even here you can talk to the staff and find out what kind of feedback customers left.

Coffee machines for business: choosing equipment so you don’t regret it later

The cost of coffee machines ranges from 40 to 500 thousand rubles. The average price for a new and good coffee machine is 200–240 thousand rubles. It is often recommended to buy used or cheap equipment made in China, but this is a bad idea for obvious reasons. However, here you need to make a decision yourself; if you only have enough money for used coffee machines, then you can buy them too.

The difference in the cost of devices is caused by the following reasons:

• machine quality;
• assortment of drinks;
• menu type, presence of screen;
• Payment Methods.

Also, modern coffee machines can be equipped with additional useful functions. For example, the ability to remove all data from it (remaining ingredients, etc.) remotely via the Internet.

It is difficult to give specific advice on choosing equipment; here, focus on your own financial capabilities, as well as what you want to get as a result. However, there are three points to pay attention to:

• Possibility of service, as well as the presence of a service center near you. If a coffee machine breaks down, it will be very expensive to transport it thousands of kilometers. This question needs to be clarified before purchasing, especially if we are talking about new models.
• Warranty period, possibility of on-site warranty service.
• The maximum ingredient load size may be important if you don't plan on serving them very often.

If you want to buy an old model, we recommend looking for reviews on the Internet (of course, not on the websites of companies that sell coffee machines). Sometimes you can find very useful information that will make you decide not to buy one model in favor of another.

Registration and business management

The optimal form of registering a business on coffee machines is individual entrepreneur. Taxation system - simplified tax system or UTII, or patent system. OKVED code: 47.99.2 (this is a new code that appeared in 2016).

No other permits or licenses are required, but please note that according to the rules, people who service machines are required to have a health certificate. You may also need permission from the SES and fulfill a number of conditions if the equipment is connected to a water supply system, but such models are practically never found in Russia.

What do coffee machines run?

The coffee machine uses the following ingredients and consumables:

• Coffee. Usually ground or in grains. Soluble is practically never found.
• Different types of tea (by the way, buying a coffee machine that does not have the ability to make tea is very unwise).
• Cocoa and hot chocolate.
• Sugar.
• Milk and cream (dry or granulated).
• Water.
• Cups and spoons for stirring.

You don’t need to invent anything: all the ingredients are sold specifically for coffee machines, you just need to buy them. They are not exactly the same as those sold in regular stores. In particular, they dissolve faster and absorb moisture less well. Ideally, find a permanent supplier and work only with him.

You determine the dosage yourself, but usually it is about seven grams of coffee per glass. With each machine you should be given detailed setup instructions and dosage recommendations.

Water is collected from springs or tap water is used, but it must be filtered. Don't forget that bad water can negatively affect the taste. It must be clean and without the slightest content of foreign impurities.

Staff

High qualifications from the personnel are not required, although the person must be able to carry out simple repairs right on the spot. But this can be solved by training. Each machine comes with all the necessary instructions, which tell you how to troubleshoot the most common problems. Most often these are problems with software or minor breakdowns (the hose has come off, etc.), which are easy to fix yourself.

If you have a small number of coffee machines, you may not need to hire staff at all, but you must be prepared to work for your business seven days a week. A rather controversial option, but with 2-3 machines, hiring staff will be really unnecessary. Set your salary based on the realities of your city.

Maintenance

One person a day can service from 10 to 15 coffee machines, it all depends on how far they are from each other. The frequency of service depends on the number of ingredients that can be loaded and the number of sales. On average, this is three days, but sometimes you have to do maintenance every day.

Since you have to carry not only consumables, but also water, you will need a car. By the way, when drawing up a business plan and planning expenses, this is very often forgotten, and they don’t mention it on other sites, but a car is really required. At least a passenger car. The issue can be resolved in two ways:

• Hire employees only with their own car (and reimburse them for gas).
• Buy a used and inexpensive car, which will be comparable in cost (or even cheaper) to one coffee machine.

We have already written about breakdowns above. It is also necessary to periodically wash coffee machines and carry out preventive maintenance (all this is in the technical documentation). Money is withdrawn once a week. You can do it yourself, or you can trust your employees. We have one comment regarding this.

On the one hand, modern coffee machines have the ability to collect all the statistics on money, which makes theft problematic. No, of course they can steal (if they get the money themselves), but it will be difficult to go unpunished. On the other hand, you always need to leave coins in the machines for change, which makes petty theft possible, which cannot be immediately detected. Therefore, a complete inventory is carried out once a month.

Business plan for making money on coffee machines

A vending business with coffee machines does not require complex and fundamental research, but some planning is necessary. At a minimum, you need to determine a list of promising places, study competitors, find suppliers of ingredients, and determine optimal prices.

Monthly expenses

Monthly expenses include:

• rent;
• consumables and ingredients;
• staff salaries.

This is what money will have to be spent on. Additional expenses may also arise, for example related to repairs, but they cannot be planned.

Also, at the cost planning stage in your business plan for coffee vending, you need to determine the cost of each item in the machine. This is very easy to do if you know the consumption and prices of ingredients.

Profit per month on coffee machines

It is impossible to predict monthly profit, but at a minimum, you can calculate the break-even point for each machine separately and for the entire business as a whole. Let’s say the cost of one item is on average 5 rubles, and the average price is 30 rubles. You have five coffee machines, monthly expenses:

• salary for one employee: 20 thousand rubles;
• rent: 15 thousand rubles.

Now we divide 35,000 (20,000+15,000) by 25 (30 rubles – 5 rubles) and get 1,400. Thus, 1,400 sales is the break-even point, and everything above is profit. By simple calculations, you can find out that each coffee machine should have 9.3 sales daily.

Payback of a coffee machine

Here the calculations are exactly the same, but you need to add the cost of the equipment, after which you will get the necessary numbers. In general, the payback in this business is usually about a year, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less, but you need to focus on 12 months. Let's look at our example.

Your devices cost 600 thousand rubles. For them to break even in one year, you need to sell 24,000 more glasses of coffee or tea. And this is another 13.1 glasses per day for each machine. Thus, we get 13.1 + 9.3 = 22.4 glasses that need to be sold daily, which will allow us to return our initial investment within 12 months and start making a profit.

Business development for installing coffee machines

The good thing about business is that it is easy to scale. Do you have some free funds and have you found another promising place? You can buy a machine in one day, install it and it will start making a profit. In this sense, it is difficult to find another business like this.

However, the market still has a certain capacity. The difficulty is that it is difficult to determine the potential number of consumers. It's not even possible. In one city with a population of 100 thousand people, 50 coffee machines may operate successfully, while in another, with the same population, 25 may not be profitable. This happens even within the same city (in one area everything is good, in another everything is bad, while the flow of people is approximately the same).

If you see that some coffee machines are not profitable, then you should start looking for other places for them. In such cases there is no need to wait; the situation in practice never changes. Or you can try to reduce prices. Business development in coffee machines means constantly searching for new locations, optimizing prices or expanding the range.

How many machines do you need?

And here it is very difficult to give specific recommendations. Simply because no market research has been conducted in Russia, so there is no data for analysis. You should start from the ratio of the number of promising places for installing coffee machines and financial capabilities. If you have money, you can try to capture all suitable places before competitors appear.

It all depends on what monthly income you plan to achieve. If it is more than 100 thousand rubles, then even in a very good place it is impossible to get that amount from one machine. From two it is still possible, but only if the places are really very good.

The situation is different in different regions of Russia, but it is believed that a profit of 25 thousand per month from one machine is already a very good result. You can focus on this figure, but we repeat, it is impossible to predict the profitability of a particular place in practice. This can only be determined experimentally.

Most modern people cannot imagine life without coffee. They drink coffee in the morning to cheer up before work, in the middle of the day to have a little rest and distraction, in the evening to move from work to relaxation with a good mood and the same well-being. It's not always possible to drink coffee at home or in a coffee shop. Sometimes you have to do this literally on the run, in between some activities. In this case, coffee vending machines installed in offices, shopping centers, and sometimes right on the streets come to the rescue. Their products are in constant demand, because there are always many people who want to drink a cup of coffee and relax for a couple of minutes. Therefore, let’s look at how to organize a business using coffee machines.

Pros and cons of vending

Vending is a business that organizes the sale of food and non-food products using vending machines. This way of doing business has many advantages. Let's try to list them:

• Small, one might even say scanty, retail space. To install a regular coffee machine, you need an area of ​​1 sq.m. For some, more bulky models with an expanded range, the area can increase to 1.5 - 2 m. But even in this case it remains small. True, you need to take into account that there should be free space near the machine to accommodate 2-3 people, but this is not a problem, because such machines are not placed in corners or under stairs, they should be in open spaces.
• Small rent. This is a consequence of the previous point. The rent for one square meter of space can start from 500 rubles per month, which is quite a bit for a retail outlet. Of course, the size of the fee can be much larger, it depends on the location.
• Lack of salespeople and permanent service personnel. This means there will be no need to deal with the registration of employees and pay them wages. Of course, the machine needs maintenance, but it needs human presence no more than once every 1-3 days.

The main disadvantage of vending is high competition. Those who started this business at the beginning of the two thousandth occupied almost all the commercially profitable places, so finding a good profitable place for a coffee or any other vending machine can be difficult.

In addition to the disadvantages, there are also risks, for example, the risk of damage to the coffee machine by vandals. To protect against this, you need to place the machines in secured premises, and if the machine is still placed on the street or at a bus stop, then it must be in the field of view of CCTV cameras.

Place for a coffee machine

After studying the pros and cons of vending and deciding to work in this area, you need to draw up a business plan. Coffee machines will only be profitable if you carefully think through all aspects of running a business.

And you need to start by choosing a place to place the machine. This is perhaps the most important part. If you find a good place where there is a high demand for the products of your coffee machine, all you have to do is add ingredients on time and extract the proceeds.

Good places to place a coffee machine:

• Stations.
• Airports.
• Bus stations and bus terminals.
• Clinics.
• Government institutions where people have to spend time waiting: tax office, social services, city administration departments.
• Universities, colleges, schools and other educational institutions.
• Banks.
• Shopping centers.
• Markets.
• The shops.
• Office and business centers.
• Cinemas and other places of entertainment.

Most of the listed places may already have coffee machines. You will either have to compete with them or look elsewhere. All that remains is to act experimentally. If you installed a coffee vending machine and within a month you have not received the expected profit, look for another place. It is hardly worth hoping for a spontaneous change in the situation.

It should be noted that the cost of renting space in different places can vary significantly. The most expensive accommodation locations are airports, large shopping centers, banks, and train stations. Renting in educational institutions, markets, shops or clinics may be cheaper.

Sometimes it is more profitable to pay a certain percentage of sales rather than a fixed rent. Especially in the first month after installing a coffee machine, when you don’t know whether this place will generate the expected income. If possible, negotiate with the owners of the premises on a percentage payment of rent at the first stage.

Selecting a model and manufacturer

There are many options for coffee machines. For example, classic, familiar, time-tested foreign-made machines. Another option is domestic ones, which appeared on the market relatively recently, but have already gained some popularity. There are expensive coffee machines with new advanced models. They usually have a larger size, an original, eye-catching design, an interesting menu with additional items like green tea, mate, etc. and relatively high cost.

How to choose from all the variety of options? Learn models in theory and practice. Research this issue on the Internet, find real reviews about specific models posted not on the manufacturer’s website, but on thematic forums. If possible, visit the installation sites of different machines, test them in operation, and interview consumers.

What to look for when choosing a machine:

• Who inspires more confidence in you: domestic manufacturers or foreign companies.
• Availability of service centers of this manufacturer in your city or region.
• Machine format: do you need a durable vandal-proof outdoor version, or will your machine be installed in a secure area and a regular office model will do?
• Warranty periods and cost of post-warranty service.
• Cost of a coffee machine.
• Presence of this model on the market. The longer this model is produced, the better tested it is. New models may be attractive in price, design and other stated characteristics, but it is unknown how effective the model will be and how well the description corresponds to reality.
• What kind of coffee is used in this model, beans or ground. Choose depending on which one you think is better, tastier and more profitable.
• Quantitative loading of the machine: how many servings of coffee it can prepare without “refueling”.
• Technical characteristics: power, amount of electricity consumed, speed of preparing a portion of coffee.

Coffee machine maintenance

Perhaps you will do this yourself, or maybe you will decide to hire an employee. One person can operate about 10 coffee machines per day. On average, ingredients need to be replenished once every three days. That is, if you have 30 coffee machines, you only need one employee to fully service them.

But at first, when you have just installed the machine, it is better to ensure more frequent maintenance presence. After all, it is in the first days that the reputation of a new place for selling coffee is formed. You must exclude the possibility of any malfunctions in the operation of the machine. And don’t forget that, in addition to replenishing ingredients and extracting revenue, the machine needs maintenance. It needs to be kept clean so as not to scare away potential customers.

Sometimes breakdowns or some malfunctions occur. For repairs, they use the services of a vending machine supplier. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase a new rather than a used machine, especially for a businessman new to this field. In this case, your machine will have a warranty and for about three years all maintenance and repairs will be at the expense of the supplier.

The only communications you will need are electricity. Water is not supplied to the machine; it is simply poured inside into a special container.

Ingredients for making coffee

The ingredients must be of high quality, and the coffee from your machine must be delicious. Otherwise, your customers will go to competitors or drink coffee at home. Before purchasing beverage components and entering into agreements with suppliers, test all options. Experienced businessmen working in this area advise testing not the prototypes offered to you by companies, but those that are in operation. Sometimes they may differ in taste and quality.

The ingredients of the coffee machine are as follows:

• Coffee – ground and grain, depending on the machine model, in different mixtures and compositions
• Cocoa or hot chocolate are also usually included in the assortment
• Milk (powdered or granulated) – sometimes the menu has a separate “Hot milk” item
• Cream – dry or granulated
• Water – filtered or mineral
• Disposable tableware – cups, stirrers

How do fillers for coffee machines differ from the usual ingredients from which we make coffee at home? They are designed and manufactured specifically for automatic coffee preparation, using technologies that allow them to be stored for a long time without caking or sticking, they do not absorb moisture and do not accumulate foreign odors and dissolve quickly and efficiently. Coffee for vending machines is roasted in a special way and has a specified strength, taste and smell.

Buy ingredients only from specialized companies that supply vending machines. Follow the indicated dosages. And then your coffee will be tasty and attractive to customers.

Enterprise registration

In order to make the business of coffee machines legal, it is enough to register with the tax office as. The tax chosen is the single tax on imputed income (UTI) or the simplified taxation system (STS).

Licensing for this type of business is not provided. You don’t need any permissions from authorities either. The only thing you will need is quality certificates for fillers for vending machines. The supplier must provide you with these certificates.

In addition, you will need to enter into a space rental agreement with the owner of the premises in which your coffee machine will be installed. If you want to install a coffee machine in a government office, you will most likely need to bid and win a tender.

Business cost and profitability

Now the main question: how much does a coffee machine cost? The price range for proven and recently developed latest models from foreign and domestic manufacturers is quite large. The cost of a new coffee machine can range from 80 to 300 thousand rubles. You can buy a used machine gun for 50 thousand.

The average cost of a high-quality device with a good selection and decent taste of drinks that will work properly and will not create problems in operation is from 120 to 150 thousand.

On average, a coffee vending machine pays for itself in six months. That is, in six months you will earn about 120-150 thousand. This figure may be significantly higher, or it may be lower than planned.

Calculation of expenses and profit of one coffee machine:

• The cost of one serving of coffee is from 4 to 10 rubles.
• The cost of a serving at the exit is from 20 to 35 rubles.
• Income from one serving is on average 15 rubles.
• The number of servings per day is from 50 to 100.
• Thus, the income from a coffee machine per day can range from 750 to 1,500 rubles.
• Monthly income – from 22,000 to 45,000 rubles.

Monthly expenses:

• Rent - from 500 to 10,000 rubles.
• Payment for electricity – 2,000 – 5,000.
• The cost of service is from 500 rubles per month.

From this we can conclude that the net monthly profit from one coffee machine can be from 20 thousand rubles or more. The upper limit is about 50 thousand under very favorable circumstances, the main thing of which is a good location of the machine, as well as the low cost of renting space. The lower limit, under unfavorable circumstances, unfortunately, can be zero.

In this business, much depends on the entrepreneur’s ability to understand and feel the needs of potential clients, as well as on his ingenuity, efficiency and energy.

The next question is: how many coffee machines should I buy? It all depends on your capabilities and the prevalence of such a service in your city or area. In any case, it is better to start with one or two machines in order to understand the business, understand the principles of operation, and evaluate income and expenses.

It is clear that the more machines you have, the higher your income will be, but this is only true if you find enough profitable and convenient places to locate them. If you purchase 10 coffee machines, then in a year, when the initial investment pays off, you will have a very good profit. Then it will be possible to think about expanding the enterprise and making the vending business the main source of income.

The coffee vending business is a vending business and is the most profitable in this area. It involves making money from selling coffee and tea. To start a business, it is enough to purchase a special machine, the ingredients for it and find a place to install the machine. According to experts, the profitability of a business with proper organization reaches 140-150%.

Registration and documents

To start a business, it is enough to open an individual entrepreneur. No additional permissions are required to install machines.

You may also need:

• Space rental agreement.
• Quality certificates from coffee and consumables manufacturers.
• Permission from the SES if you are installing a machine in a hospital or educational institution.

Equipment selection

Your income will come exclusively from the coffee machine. Your profit largely depends on how correctly it is chosen. If it breaks frequently or is designed for a small number of servings, then you will lose your money, as well as customers.

To begin with, it is advisable to purchase one new good coffee machine; a little later, when you learn how to service it yourself and eliminate minor breakdowns, you can purchase several more used ones.

Before purchasing a device, it is advisable to read the instructions for its maintenance and clarify all points of interest to you from the seller.

When buying a car, pay attention to the following points:

1. Is there a service center nearby that services machines from this manufacturer?
2. Is the equipment of the machine suitable for installation outdoors or only for a protected area?
3. Warranty terms and conditions. It is advisable that the warranty period be at least 3 years. Also check the cost of servicing the device after the warranty period has expired.
4. The maximum load of the machine - how many servings it is designed for. It is desirable that from refueling to refueling the machine can dispense at least 300 servings. In this case, it will be enough for you to check it once every two to three days.

Selecting a location

It’s worth starting a business by choosing a suitable place to install the device. This should not just be a building in which there are more people, but a place where people have to spend a lot of time. In addition, it is advisable that there are no canteens, buffets or other coffee machines nearby.

As practice shows, the most successful options are:

• shopping and entertainment centers;
• universities, colleges, schools, where there are always a lot of students and pupils;
• beauty salons, gyms;
• clinics and hospitals;
• car dealerships;
• airports and train stations;
• libraries and information centers;
• markets and stops, metro;
• a cultural center where clubs and activities for children are held.

Please note that profit depends on the choice of location. If the machine does not make a profit for several months, it needs to be moved to another location.

An area of ​​1 square meter is sufficient to install the device. In some cases, a little more space may be required - up to 2 square meters, depending on the size of the machine. There should also be some free space around the machine so that several people can stand near it.

Please note that it is advisable to install a waste basket near the machine. Otherwise, a person may refuse to purchase only because he has nowhere to throw away the used glass.

Ingredients for the coffee machine

The selection of ingredients must be approached carefully, since the number of buyers will depend on the quality of the product. This is due to the fact that most buyers are regular visitors to the building where the coffee machine is located.

Please note that the products must match your brand of machine, otherwise the taste of the resulting drink may differ significantly.

To begin with, it is advisable to use the specified recommendations for preparing coffee, indicated in the instructions for the machine. In the future, you can improve the recipes somewhat.

To operate the machine you need to purchase:

• coffee – both instant and natural;
• tea – one or two varieties are enough;
• sugar;
• cream – dry or granulated;
• drinking water;
• powdered milk;
• cocoa or chocolate;
• drinkware - cups and stirrers.

Please note that water is poured into the reservoir in the device.

When choosing a supplier, you need to purchase a batch of the product and try drinks made from it. It is not recommended to take samples, as the taste of coffee prepared from a sample may differ significantly from that prepared from purchased ingredients.

Estimated expenses and income

Let's consider a sample business plan for installing one coffee machine.

Expenses:

1. Buying a machine gun. The cost of the car depends on the manufacturer and ranges from 130,000 to 330,000 rubles.
2. Rent of premises – 500-1,000 rubles per month.
3. Payment for electricity per month is 3,000-5,000 rubles.
4. Ingredients for a month – 16,000 rubles.
5. Cups – 700 rubles.
6. Maintenance – 2,000 rubles.

Total costs for one car: 354,700 rubles.

Income:

1. On average, the cost of one drink is 3 rubles.
2. The markup on drinks in this business segment starts at 250%.
3. The average price of a check is 11 rubles.
4. On average, with high traffic, 70 cups of drink can be purchased per day.
5. Thus, the income per day will be 770 rubles. Per month – 23,100 rubles.

The average payback of a machine is from 1 year to 1.5 years.

Secrets

How can you achieve more income when running a business?

1. Within a month or two, you should evaluate the profitability of the business and purchase several more machines for installation in other locations. It is advisable to install at least 5 machines.
2. Install coffee machines in different places. For example, if one is installed at a university, then it is better to install the second in a clinic or entertainment center. Please note that in the summer the demand for coffee is much lower, and in educational institutions it tends to zero, since the main buyers are students and are at home.
3. Pay attention to the appearance of the machine. Clean it periodically. Few people will approach a dirty, stained car.
4. If you have the means, install a snack machine nearby. This way you will not only increase the demand for coffee, but you will also be able to earn additional money from your new machine.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

• A small retail space for installing the device.
• Low rental costs.
• Machines of this type are less likely to break down.

Minuses:

• Looters and vandalism.
• High risk of incorrectly chosen location.
• High competition.

Video: Business review of coffee machines

How much can you earn from a coffee machine? How to build a business in this segment? What should you pay attention to? You can get answers to these and many other questions from this short video:

The coffee machine business is considered one of the most profitable. With the right approach to starting a business, its profitability can be up to 140-150%, and the machine will begin to generate income within 4-6 months after installation.