Focus on franchise advantages & the Coffee-Bike model for franchisees

What is a franchise business?

If you have decided to set up your own business but want to minimise the risk of start-up mistakes, a partnership in a franchise system may be just the right path for you. As a franchisee, you utilise the concept, brand and experience of a company (franchisor) that is already successfully established on the market. You run your own business, make entrepreneurial decisions, but are closely guided and supported by the franchisor. In return, you (as a franchisee) pay a fee for the use of the brand and services. You represent the relevant products and messages, but at the same time you add your own personal touch with your own strengths. The partnership is based on clear rules and a common goal: entrepreneurial success.

Would you like to open your own mobile coffee bar with Coffee-Bike? Then find out here what makes our franchise partnership so special.

Good business relationship - franchisor and franchisee

A good franchise system thrives on partnership-based cooperation. At Coffee-Bike, we see ourselves not just as a licensor, but as a partner at eye level. We accompany you right from the start: With Coffee-Bike, you can fulfil your dream of owning your own café, no matter what industry you come from or what previous experience you have. From training in our Coffee-Bike Academy to finding a location and arranging catering orders. We offer you technical support with the maintenance and operation of your Coffee-Bike, operate a central warehouse for the availability of goods and are constantly working on our brand awareness, from which you will benefit in your region. In addition, our business consultants are on hand to provide you with help and advice on the daily challenges.

Want to know what other benefits the Coffee-Bike franchise has in store for you? We'll show you all of them at a glance in under two minutes!

Franchise network, expertise & experience - self-employment with support

With Coffee-Bike you are self-employed, but not alone. Our Coffee-Bike family includes hundreds of franchise partners, from Germany to Romania to England. You benefit from a wealth of experience, our internal knowledge exchange and continuous support from our head office. We have been active on the market for almost 15 years. We also have our own Coffee-Bikes, which we use to gain practical experience, test market-relevant innovations and experience the challenges of our franchise partners in action.

Brand awareness & established processes

The Coffee-Bike brand is strong, established and highly recognisable. As a Coffee-Biker, you present yourself professionally thanks to standardised marketing materials, high-quality equipment and a well thought-out system. You can be sure that what you offer your customers is tried and tested and of high quality.

Find out how we support our franchise partners on our Coffee-Bike Instagram account. We value a large community and thus ensure a brand that inspires many coffee fans both online and offline.

Business idea - getting started without a long lead time

Thanks to our clearly structured onboarding programme, you can get started quickly. Just eight to ten weeks after your STARTup Call, you can get started with your Coffee-Bike and sell your first speciality coffees. You don't need a large property, a long construction phase or complicated licences, as with a stationary catering business. Your mobile coffee bar is flexible, self-sufficient and ready to go as soon as you are. If you want to be the barista behind the coffee bike yourself, there's even no need to recruit staff. This means you are the face behind your own coffee business right from the start and become the number one address for all coffee lovers in your region.

Coffee-Bike as a franchisor

The best way to explain what's behind the Coffee-Bike concept is to look at how it came about. In the following video, you can find out how our idea developed into a successful franchise system - explained briefly and clearly. Take a look and find out what a holiday in Denmark has to do with our successful Coffee-Bike concept.

What is the advantage of an existing brand?

One of the many franchise advantages: A well-known brand opens doors. Customers have confidence in the professional range of services, event organisers know Coffee-Bike and you benefit from the positive image that we have built up together. You are not starting from scratch, but with a clear competitive advantage. In addition to the opportunities available to you as a regional partner, we pursue a system-wide marketing strategy, which we implement with our own team at the Coffee-Bike headquarters. Branding, social media marketing and the acquisition of new major customers for catering orders are just three examples of the areas of responsibility of our marketing crew.

The path to self-employment with Coffee-Bike

Getting started with Coffee-Bike is very easy and begins with our free and non-binding Franchise Discovery Days or Online webinars. Here we give you a first insight into our franchise concept, share practical examples from the everyday lives of our partners and answer frequently asked questions - without obligation and free of charge for you.

This is followed by a personal STARTup Call, a one-to-one meeting with one of our experts. This is all about you, your life situation and your vision. Together we will find out whether Coffee-Bike is right for you and how you can get started. Every case is individual. We also take time beyond this appointment to answer all your questions, overcome hurdles together and thus avoid serious start-up mistakes.

Once both sides are convinced, the contract is signed. Welcome to the Coffee-Bike family! Then it's off to the Coffee-Bike Academy in Osnabrück. There you will learn all the important basics: from technical training to logistical processes and perfect coffee preparation. We will give you helpful tips on how you can best utilise your Coffee-Bike, what obligations there are within the system and you will get to know our team personally.

From now on, you can get started and serve your first coffee. We will provide you with particularly close support in the first year, but our team will also be on hand to advise you at any time after that.

Facts & figures: Is a Coffee-Bike franchise worth it?

Now it's getting concrete: What does the Coffee-Bike franchise cost and what do you get out of it in the end? Here you will find the most important facts and figures about the coffee bike business.

Coffee-Bike franchise: Costs at a glance

The initial investment starts at around 15,000 euros in Germany, including your bike, training at the Coffee-Bike Academy and extensive initial equipment and ordering. If you opt for an E-Coffee-Bike, the conditions are adjusted accordingly. This way, you can be sure that you can get started straight away with the initial investment after your training. We recommend an equity capital of at least 5,000 euros. Especially fair: Our franchise fee is only charged on speciality coffees. There is no charge for hot chocolate, tea or by-products, for example.

Low entrepreneurial risk - tried and tested concept

With a strong partner behind you and a tried-and-tested system, you significantly reduce your start-up risk. You benefit from established processes and products, functioning logistics and tried-and-tested marketing strategies. And if things don't go as planned, our contacts are always on hand to advise you.

Coffee-Bike franchise experience: What our partners say

Our franchise partners report a varied daily routine, direct customer contact and the joy of being their own boss. Every day brings new encounters, exciting challenges and above all: good coffee.

How does Coffee-Bike differ from other coffee franchises?

There are several franchise concepts in the coffee market. But what makes Coffee-Bike special? Above all: our mobility, flexibility and low initial investment.

Independent of location - mobility and flexibility

The mobile coffee bar gives you the freedom to test different locations flexibly and be present wherever there is a need. As an entrepreneur, the Coffee-Bike offers you exclusive flexibility thanks to its mobility. An absolutely unique selling point that gives you a competitive advantage over stationary cafés.

Thanks to its self-sufficient mode of operation, the Coffee-Bike is independent of fixed power or water connections and can be operated almost anywhere, both indoors and outdoors. This opens up a wide range of possible applications:

• Mobile coffee bar for events & functions: Whether city festivals, food festivals or sporting events - here you can reach a lot of people in a short space of time.
• Catering orders: Weddings, multi-day trade fair events or private parties: more and more people are turning to creative, mobile catering. Your coffee bike is not only a culinary highlight here, but also a real eye-catcher.
• Fixed sales locations: Hospitals, railway stations or universities - many of our partners are located in highly frequented places with a daily demand for high-quality coffee. Fixed stands are particularly lucrative here, especially at peak times and regardless of the weather.

We recommend a clever combination of these options so that you can remain flexible, overcome seasonal challenges and serve different target groups at the same time. The various options offer you the opportunity to customise our successful concept to your individual situation and find the path to self-employment that suits you best.

Comparison with stationary franchise concepts

A stationary franchise business usually requires a long-term rental commitment, high initial investment for remodelling and furnishing as well as additional staff. All of this means not only high fixed costs, but also more responsibility on a day-to-day basis.

In comparison, it is worth taking a look at Coffee-Bike:

• Lower initial investment: includes the coffee bike, 4-day training & extensive initial equipment as well as the initial order of your first products.
• No staff required: You can operate the Coffee-Bike completely on your own.
• Fast market entry: No long authorisation phases or shop conversions.
• High flexibility: The bike can be placed indoors and outdoors all year round. Various applications can be combined.
• Attractive product: Coffee as a product offers a very low cost of goods and high sales price potential at the same time. 

Franchising in the catering industry: advantages and disadvantages

Franchising can be an attractive way to enter the catering industry, especially if you want to rely on a proven concept and a strong brand behind you. At the same time, this model also comes with clear framework conditions. Here is an overview of the advantages of franchising and the potential challenges.

Franchising advantages in the catering industry:

You benefit from a tried-and-tested system: products, processes, procedures - much has already been worked out and works in day-to-day operations.

1. The brand opens doors: Trust is particularly important in the catering industry. A well-known name like Coffee-Bike makes it easier for you to enter the market.
2. Less planning effort: From equipment to pricing, you get support so that you can get started faster.
3. Swarm intelligence and procurement: In addition to the expertise from the head office, you also benefit from the partner network and financial advantages in the franchise system, such as collective orders for product procurement.
4. Training & support: You won't be thrown in at the deep end. In the Coffee-Bike Academy you will be comprehensively prepared and trained.

You should know this:

1. Responsibility stays with you: As a franchise partner, you are independent - you take care of your location, customers, accounting and your turnover.
2. Ongoing costs and fees: Even if they are fairly structured, you must also calculate with the franchise fees right from the start.
3. Initiative is required: The franchisor gives you a stable foundation, but you are the one who builds the business and keeps it running. Your personality and your vision make the difference.

Conclusion - Is franchising with Coffee-Bike right for me?

If you want to be your own boss but don't want to start out completely on your own, then Coffee-Bike offers you exactly the right model. You get a tried-and-tested system, a strong brand and a partner who supports you while giving you the freedom to organise your business yourself. With the mobile coffee bar on wheels, you can rely on a successful concept with low entry costs and fair franchise fees, which offers absolutely unique selling points on the market for coffee catering and classic coffee shops.

Checklist for decision-making

Before you decide on your own Coffee-Bike franchise, it's worth answering a few important questions honestly. This checklist of five questions will help you reflect on your personal suitability and motivation. This will help you find out whether the Coffee-Bike concept is right for you.

1. Am I ready to take on a proven business concept and actively implement it?

→ As a franchise partner, you benefit from a tried-and-tested system - however, your own commitment is crucial for success and there are guidelines that all franchise partners must adhere to.

2. Do I enjoy working with people and offering high-quality products?

→ Customer contact is a key component - enthusiasm for coffee and service quality are also important.

3. Can I imagine working in different locations or at a fixed location?

→ The coffee bike is mobile, but can also be operated permanently, e.g. at tourism hot spots or on a company site.

4. Do I want to run the coffee bike full-time or as a sideline and does it fit into my current lifestyle?

→ The model is flexible and can be adapted to your time constraints.

5. Am I prepared to invest in my self-employment, both financially and with time and energy?

→ In addition to start-up capital, you also need personal commitment and motivation, especially at the beginning of the start-up phase.

FAQ - Advantages and disadvantages of franchising

Finally, we summarise the most frequently asked questions we receive about franchising and the Coffee-Bike.

How much does a Coffee-Bike franchise cost?

The initial investment is around €15,000 in Germany and includes your Coffee-Bike, participation in the Coffee-Bike Academy as well as the comprehensive initial equipment and initial order. For the start, we recommend equity of at least 5,000 euros. A franchise fee is charged on speciality coffees sold.

What is the largest coffee franchise?

Globally, Starbucks is the largest coffee franchise with thousands of locations in over 80 countries. Coffee-Bike deliberately favours a mobile, more flexible model. Without a stationary location, but with individual entrepreneurship and a lower barrier to entry. With around 250 branches across Germany, Coffee-Bike is one of the largest mobile coffee franchise systems.

How much turnover does a Coffee-Bike generate?

Turnover with a Coffee-Bike varies greatly, as it mainly depends on how you organise your business. If you work full-time, combine different locations (e.g. events, catering, fixed sales location) and make targeted use of the high-turnover times of day, you can generate attractive income.

Another advantage: In the Coffee-Bike franchise system, you only pay a small fee on the speciality coffees you sell. Drinks such as tea, hot chocolate or cold drinks remain tax-free, which improves your margin and gives you room for manoeuvre when setting prices. We can show you real sales figures and application examples in one of our online webinars, for example.

When is a franchise worthwhile?

A franchise partnership is particularly worthwhile if you want to start with a proven system but don't want to develop an entire business model on your own. You benefit from the brand, experience and support, which is particularly valuable for founders with no previous experience. A Coffee-Bike franchise partnership is also the first port of call if you want to open your own café but only have a small amount of equity. We recommend 5,000 euros in equity.

Coffee-Bike franchise: What are the advantages?

You get a tried-and-tested concept with clear structures that make it easier for you to get started. For example, you benefit from centralised purchasing, the swarm intelligence of a strong network and system-wide brand strategies for supra-regional branding. At the same time, you are independent and take responsibility for organising your day-to-day work. At Coffee-Bike in particular, you have a high degree of flexibility, both in terms of where you work and how you plan your day. Everyone brings their personal strengths to our partnership. Are you a restaurateur? Then we'll support you with marketing expertise and product procurement. Are you a business economist? Then we'll train you in the barista trade.

Are there any possible disadvantages for business founders?

The step into self-employment, even as part of a franchise, is associated with responsibility. As a founder, you are responsible for your own success and need a high degree of initiative, motivation and entrepreneurial thinking. You will make many decisions independently and your personal commitment will play a key role in determining your development.

What may sound challenging at first is also a great advantage: you work independently, organise your everyday life flexibly and build something of your own. What should not be forgotten is that in order for the benefits of a franchise system to apply to the entire network and grow sustainably, it is essential that certain rules are adhered to within the system. For example, our guests will find the same core product portfolio on every Coffee-Bike, every Coffee-Bike looks the same and your own coffee beans on your Coffee-Bike are taboo.

Super exciting! What happens now?

If, while reading this, you had the feeling: ‘This could be just right for me’, then the next step is very simple. Get our free Coffee-Bike information package sent to you by email or register directly for our free, no-obligation webinar. There you'll get exclusive insights into the Coffee-Bike franchise concept, learn about real success stories and get rid of all your initial questions. Perhaps this is exactly the moment when you take a big step towards your decision to become a Coffee-Bike franchise partner. We look forward to getting to know you!