If you're planning a wedding, corporate event, or party in Los Angeles or Orange County, one of the first questions is also one of the hardest to get a straight answer to: what does coffee catering actually cost?
Most caterers won't list a price. We will. At 58 Hester, full-service mobile espresso bar catering starts at $550, and in this guide we'll break down exactly what that includes, what makes the price go up, and how to budget for a coffee cart at your event — based on hundreds of events we've served across Southern California.
Looking for more info about wedding catering? Check it out here →
Looking for more info about corporate catering? Check it out here →
A two-hour, full-service mobile espresso bar for around 50 guests starts at $550. That's an all-inclusive starting point — a professional barista, a commercial espresso machine, specialty beans, milks, syrups, cups, and full setup and cleanup.
From there, the price depends on a few things: how many guests, how long you need service, your menu, and whether you want custom branding. We'll walk through each so you can estimate where your event lands before you ever request a quote.
When you book a mobile espresso bar with us, the starting price already covers everything needed to serve great coffee at your event:
There are no hidden rental fees buried underneath — the starting price is the real starting price.
A few factors move your quote above the $550 starting point. Here's what to think about when budgeting:
More guests means more drinks, and at higher counts, more baristas and carts to keep the line moving. A 50-guest cocktail hour is very different from a 300-person corporate all-hands. We scale staff and equipment to your headcount so no one waits.
The starting price is built around a focused service window. Longer events — a full wedding reception, an all-day conference, a multi-day festival — need extended hours, which adds to the total.
A classic espresso menu is included. Specialty additions — signature drinks, cold brew on tap, seasonal builds, a matcha or chai focus — can be added depending on your vision.
For weddings and brand activations, we offer custom menus, monogrammed or branded cups, signature drink names, and full cart styling. This is some of our favorite work, and it's quoted on top of the base service. Interested in a brand activation? Check out more info here →
We serve all of LA and Orange County. Events farther out — Riverside County, San Diego, North County — may include travel, which we'll always quote transparently up front. You can view our full pricing guidelines here →
You'll see two models out there. A bare "coffee cart rental" sometimes means just the cart, leaving you to source the rest. What we offer is full-service catering — the cart, the equipment, the beans, and a trained barista who actually makes the drinks. For nearly every event, full service is what you want: it's the difference between a prop and an experience your guests rave about.
For most hosts in LA and OC, yes — and here's the honest reasoning. A mobile espresso bar does double duty: it's a genuine guest amenity (especially the alcohol-free, late-night, and morning crowds an open bar doesn't serve) and it's one of the most photographed, talked-about elements of an event. Starting at $550, it's often one of the higher-impact, lower-cost line items on an event budget.
Every event is a little different, so the most accurate way to budget is a custom quote — and we usually turn them around the same day. Just tell us your date, location, guest count, and event type.
Our full-service mobile espresso bar starts at $550, which covers a barista, equipment, specialty coffee, a full drink menu, cups, and setup and cleanup for a focused service window.
Yes — we cater events across all of LA and Orange County, plus San Diego, the Inland Empire, and the Coachella Valley.
For weekend weddings and peak corporate season, 4–8 weeks ahead is ideal. Reach out anytime — we'll check your date.
Yes. We offer custom menus, branded cups, signature drink names, and full cart styling for weddings, corporate events, and brand activations.