REGIONAL coffee roaster Yahava Koffee Works has launched several purpose-built mobile espresso bars for sale to Perth-based operators, providing the company with an innovative way to gain brand recognition and retail sales in the Perth market.
Yahava Koffee Works will sell six of its mobile espresso bars – vans fitted with coffee grinding and coffee making machines – to operators in the Perth metro and regional WA markets, before embarking on an expansion across Australia.
Unlike a franchise operation, the mobile espresso vans are sold as a business agreement arrangement, which covers the continuous supply of Yahava Koffee Works coffee.
According to Yahava Koffee Works master roaster Alex Kok, the company is currently in discussions for the sale and ongoing coffee supply for its first metro-based van.
“We have one very interested party for the North Perth boundary,” Mr Kok said.
There are six boundaries that Yahava Koffee Works has outlined for the Perth market and Mr Kok said he hoped to sign business agreements for the six vans within two years.
While Mr Kok said the company was not interested in attacking Perth’s commercial coffee roasters, he said domestic sales were very much on the agenda.
“The domestic market is wide open and we will be targeting that,” he said.
“At the moment we take orders via the web; 80 per cent of our Perth orders are made that way.
“There is a commercial grinder in the van and people can buy our coffee beans and have it ground to what they want it.”
Mr Kok said the brightly painted vans were a good advertising tool that would create brand awareness and he hoped they would be seen at most major public events across the State.
“It is an extension to the business and it is also a very big billboard. This will get our products out and hopefully we will make a bit of money out of it,” he said.
Mr Kok said the vans would predominantly be used at large public events.
“The espresso bars will be at public events, concerts, and other activities that involve 1,000 or more people,” he told WA Business News.
“You can park the van anywhere and you can make up to 1800 cups of coffee in one day. It does 150 cups an hour.”
Mr Kok said the vehicles were for sale for between $99,000 and $129,000 depending on the boundary it operated within.
One vehicle is already in operation in the Busselton/ Margaret River region and there is the potential to more regions.
“Next we would like to have one operating in Albany, one in Kalgoorlie, one in York, and then Geraldton and above,” Mr Kok said.
The mobile espresso vans come with an easy-to-erect awning and tables and chairs. According to Mr Kok they are the first all-in-one coffee supply vehicles on the market.
“There are caravans and trailers but this is the first real purpose-build espresso bar,” he said.