Coffee vending machine route

Employees, visitors, patients, students and gym members who buy a cup of coffee. The venue usually pays nothing but may ask for a small commission.

You earn the gap between the price per cup and your cost of coffee, cups, milk powder and sugar, minus machine costs and any location commission. More machines on a tight route means more income per hour of driving.

• Negotiating with property and office managers
• Basic machine cleaning and troubleshooting
• Route planning and stock tracking

• Check your state and county for vending or food operator licenses and any health department permit for serving hot drinks
• Check whether you need to register with your state for sales tax on vended items
• General liability insurance, and check whether venues require you to name them on your policy
• Some locations will not earn enough: ask about foot traffic and signed agreements before placing a machine
• Machine breakdowns and stolen cash: use machines with card readers and keep a repair plan

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on whether you buy or lease machines and how many you place. These are estimates, so ask about foot traffic and signed agreements before placing each machine.

Monthly revenue is typically around $300 to $1,500, depending on the number of machines and how busy each location is. Some locations will not earn enough, so check foot traffic before you place a machine.

Check your state and county for vending or food operator licenses, and any health department permit for serving hot drinks. Also check state sales tax registration on vended items and general liability insurance, including any venue requirements.