Food & BeverageNationwide
Mobile Tea & Coffee Business
One of the cheapest businesses to start — a movable cart selling tea and coffee to commuters, with margins that can reach up to 100%.
01
Business structure
Mobile cart or movable mini-stall selling tea and coffee to commuters and pedestrians in high-traffic areas.
02
Capital requirements
Breakdown in KES.
Figures below are estimates based on typical ranges, not guaranteed costs. Get quotes from local suppliers before committing capital.
Movable cart or mini-stall15,000 - 25,000
Initial tea, coffee, and milk stock3,000 - 8,000
Cups and packaging2,000 - 5,000
Licensing and registration5,000 - 10,000
Total initial investment25,000 - 48,000
03
Licensing & permits
Official steps, pulled live from Kenya's eProcedures portal.
Action plan
- Register business (sole prop or ltd company)
- Obtain a Single Business Permit from the county
- Get a food handling/hygiene certificate
- Choose a high-foot-traffic location and set an operating schedule
Live official procedure — Kenya Investment Authority (eProcedures)
Government sites don't allow direct embedding, so we link straight to the official page below.
Open full procedure on eProcedures04
Target market
- Daily commuters waiting for transport
- Business people and office workers on the move
- People new to town passing time
05
Risk assessment
01Weather-dependent demand
02Local hawker competition
03Consistent quality control on the move
06
Marketing strategies
Action plan
- Operate during peak commuter hours (morning and evening) at bus stops and town centers
- Invest in better cups/packaging to stand out from typical hawkers
- Build a regular route so repeat customers know where to find you
- Word of mouth among commuters at your regular spot
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