Pre Fab Drive Thru Or Contractor?

[jatkinson]

I'm still in the process of negotiating a land lease and I'm now beginning to look into what type of building to use for a small drive thru. Anyone have any experience dealing with pre-fabs? Any recommended pre-fab companies? They are cheap but I'm concerned about them meeting county building codes. The other option is to have a contractor build from scratch. Anyone willing to share how much they paid to have a small drive thru constructed?

Thanks,

James

 

[Jug-A-Joe]

I got an email the other day from Cuppys and they have a link on there for a vendor that does their buildings. That is the best looking pre-fab I've seen out there. I hope this helps. I don't know what the cost is though.

 

[cafemakers]

FYI -

They are the vendor that produces their own buildings. Same owners, different company name - they've got a number of different companies that operate in this manner to supply them. Nothing wrong with that, just pointing it out to those that may not be aware.

 

[roast_n_brew]

Pre-fab

A good friend of mine invest in a Fox Hollow franchise. He had difficulties with the pre-fab company so he built the unit. It cost him over 300K! Discuss, take plans, etc of the pre-fab to the local inspectors. Get their approval prior to doing so. Take them a cup of coffee. Talk with anyone else in that county that may have pre-fabed a unit as well. Building one will seriously cut into your bottom line, especially the first year when you are struggling anyway. Good luck with what ever your choice is.

 

[raymondw]

I think Cuppy's is asking about 150K for their building. Does that seem expensive for such a small structure? I can buy a whole house for that. But then...how much should a drive-thru building cost? Maybe I am naive and they are not far off.

Ray

 

[roast_n_brew]

Expensive

I believe they all cash in to some extent. It's the basic principle of economics - supply and demand. If there were a million companies out there selling their pre-fabs, you wouldn't be paying 150K.

After my friend paid the 300K+ to have the building built, he had to shell out another 100K for the equipment. Then he had to put up with contractors coming when they bloody well felt like it. Then the county inspectors doing their thing or lack of it. He would've been happy paying your 150K.

 

[raymondw]

contractor

Has anyone else had a better experience with a contractor when building a drive thru? I am hoping that the 300K your friend spent was an anomoly. What mistakes did he make that we can all learn from?

I want to open a drive-thru. But I am not too keen on paying 150K for a building. What are some better ways?

Ray

 

[Jug-A-Joe]

I found out that its more like $170,000 for the Cuppy building and it includes all the equipment and inventory. I haven't decided if it's better to get a price up front then to risk going over budget trying to do it yourself like the guy that spent 300k+. If anyone comes across something better, I'd like to know.

 

[Jug-A-Joe]

Did you friend like the Fox Hollow franchise?

 

[edhagan]

Cost of drive-thru building

I own a drive-thru coffee and smoothie business in San Antonio. I had my building constructed for about $60K plus $20k for signage. It looks like a national franchise. It was built off site and trucked to the site - about 30 miles. If someone is interested in purchasing the building and or the equipment, it is for sale. See www.businessesforsale.com click on Texas and San Antonio

 

[celement]

Search "Oregon Coffee Kiosk"

I think that is the search that will lead you to an outfit in Oregon that can build a pretty nice drive thru including one with a restroom if desired. The prices vary but I'm quite certain all the bells and whistles included will still come in under a $100k.

 

[Jackson]

I don't know what the reserve is on this prefab, but I bet it is under $30,000, with equipment. You could buy the building, hook to sewer/electric, do the site work, buy signage and inventory for around $80,000.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Espresso-Kiosk-...oryZ1271QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Not bad in my opinion!

 

[cynheat]

Drive thru coffee shop

Hi there, is there anyone whose had success with a drive-thru coffee establishment, and if so, what advice could you share?

 

[rockstar]

Coffee Drive Thru Building - Prefab

I work for that outfit in Oregon that does the nice looking prefab buildings with all the bells and whistles for under $100k. If you want you can check out our website (www.stccoffee.com) or you can just email and I can send you an info packet.

Just FYI... the reason that a lot of entrepreneurs use our prefabs is because 1) They are considered an asset instead of a liability, which helps when getting a start up loan. You actually own it instead of having to leave it behind if you go out of business and banks like that collateral. 2)Landlords like it too. They aren't stuck with a building on their property that only has one use if things don't work out. 3) You don't have to deal with contractors as much. Charging over what they quoted, getting them to get the work done, and then having to babysit them to get what you really want. 4) If you do multiples (which is smart), you have a manufacturer that can pound out buildings in 60 days, or can deliver multiple units at the same time. 5) You work with a company that has a lot of knowledge in the industry. With pre-designed floorplans that are designed for efficiency and prewired and plumbed specifically for all the equipment that needs to go in a coffee unit.

To be fair and balanced I'll let you know the downside... Shipping. Depending on where you are, it can be a factor. But we've found that when you weigh the cost and hassle for a site built compared to a prefab unit, it still makes more sense to go prefab. Check out my blog (www.coffeedrivethru.blogspot.com) for more info on how to start an espresso drive thru business.