Bubble tea pop-up stand

Event and market visitors, students, families, and organizers or companies who book you for private events.

Price per drink, plus flat fees or minimum guarantees for catered events. Weekend events can bring strong sales, but income depends on the event calendar and weather.

• Making drinks quickly under pressure
• Event booking and scheduling
• Customer service
• Basic logistics and packing

• Temporary event permits or mobile food permits, which vary by county and city and may be needed for each event
• Cooking tapioca and storing milk and fruit safely, since health inspectors check temperatures and handwashing
• General liability insurance, which many events require as proof before you can vend
• Vendor fees, weather and slow events can eat into profit, so track results per event
• Rules about where you can park or set up a cart, check with your city

Startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on whether you use a booth, cart or trailer and how much equipment you buy. These are estimates, and your costs will vary with your setup and menu.

Monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how many events you book, vendor fees and weather. Slow events can eat into profit, so it helps to track your results for each event.

Check whether you need temporary event permits or mobile food permits, which vary by county and city and may be required for each event. Also check event insurance requirements, health inspection rules and where you can park or set up.