Coffee shop equipment list: what you need besides the espresso machine
The day we got the keys to our café, I walked through the space with a camera rolling. The windows had ugly curtains and a dark tint. The lighting was dim. The place was a mess.
But it had good bones. Almost everything you need to run a coffee shop was already in there, except three things: the espresso machine, the coffee brewer and the grinders.
That sounds backwards. How do you start a coffee shop without the coffee equipment? The answer is that the coffee gear is the part people think about first, and it's the smallest part of the list. Here's everything else, based on what came with our space and what came up with our health department.
Why we went looking for a second-generation space
A second-generation space is one where a coffee shop or food business already operated. That was our goal from the start.
I've talked to a lot of successful café owners. When I ask what makes them successful, the answer I hear most is a food program. A food program needs cooking equipment, a hood, floor sinks and the plumbing the health department requires. Building all of that from scratch costs a lot of money and time. A second-generation space can hand most of it to you on day one.
That's what we found: a space that already had nearly everything we needed to open.
What came with the space: front of house
Here's what was already behind the counter:
A refrigerated pastry case and a second pastry case
A true stand-up, sliding-door refrigerator
Built-in trash cans
A prep-top refrigerator
An under-counter reach-in refrigerator for all the milks
Tables. We didn't keep the tabletops, but we kept the bases and repurposed them.
If you're walking a space, look hard at the refrigeration. Milk storage within reach of the bar matters every single shift.
The food side: ovens and prep
This is where the space really paid off.
A turbo oven. It's the kind of high-speed oven the big chains like Starbucks use to heat sandwiches, burritos and the rest of their food items quickly. If you can get one with your space, that's a huge deal.
A toaster oven.
A double convection oven. This is the powerhouse of the location. We plan to do all of our pastries out of it.
I'll be honest: I had no idea how to bake when we got the keys. Luckily, foodservice distributors like Sysco and US Foods carry frozen croissants, so you can start there while you learn.
In the back prep area we inherited:
A Hobart mixer
A six-foot butcher block
All the shelving you'd need
Two freezers and two refrigerators
What the health department looked for
Every county has its own rules. What follows is what came up for us in Ventura County. Before you plan around any of it, confirm the requirements with your own county's environmental health department.
A three-compartment sink sized to your biggest utensil
You're going to need a three-compartment (three-tub) sink. In Ventura County, we were told it has to be at least big enough to fit your largest utensil. For us that's probably a sheet pan or one of our big mixing bowls.
This is one of the questions people ask most: how big does my three-compartment sink or prep sink have to be? Your county sets the answer, so ask them, and have a list of the biggest things you plan to wash ready when you do.
The rest of the plumbing
A prep sink, separate from the three-compartment sink
A water heater. Ours is 75 gallons. That's just what came with our space. The right size for yours depends on your fixtures and what your plan reviewer asks for.
A mop sink, separated from the prep area. Ours is behind a wall.
A quick story about inherited plumbing. When we pulled one of the drain pipes under the sink, it was full of old espresso. The smell was terrible. If you're taking over a second-generation space, run water through every sink and look at every drain before you count on it.
Employee lockers and shelving
We have lockers for employees. That came up for us in Ventura County. There was also a minimum amount of shelving we needed. Ask your county what it requires for both, so they're in your plan from the start.
The part that's left: espresso machine, brewer and grinders
Once the rest of the list is covered, you're left with the three pieces that decide what your coffee tastes like and how fast your line moves.
The espresso machine. This is the centerpiece of the bar. It also has real power, water and drain needs, so it has to fit the space as well as the menu. At SOS we carry Slayer, Eversys and La Marzocco. La Marzocco is available by quote only. See our espresso machines.
Grinders. You'll want grinders for espresso, and possibly separate ones for brewed coffee or decaf. We carry Mahlkönig and Mazzer. See our grinders.
The coffee brewer. Batch brew carries a lot of volume in most cafés. We carry FETCO and Curtis. See our coffee brewers.
My advice: don't pick these three until you know what the space can support, meaning the electrical panel, where the floor sinks are, and where the water comes in. A second-generation space solves a lot, but it doesn't guarantee the power and drains are where your espresso machine needs them.
A short checklist for walking a space
Before you sign, walk through with this list:
Refrigeration: pastry case, reach-ins, under-counter units for milk, freezers
Cooking: ovens, and whether there's a hood if your menu needs one
Sinks: three-compartment, prep, hand sinks and mop sink, all working and draining
Water heater: present and working
Floor sinks: where they are relative to where your bar will go
Storage: shelving and employee lockers
Coffee equipment: what you still need to bring in
Also take note of what you don't need. We inherited equipment we won't use, and we plan to clean it out and sell it rather than let it eat floor space.
Planning a café in LA, Ventura or Santa Barbara County?
If you've found a space and you're trying to figure out which espresso machine, grinders and brewer fit it, reach out. Tell us what's already in the space and what you plan to serve, and we'll help you work out the coffee side of the list.
Comments