November 19, 2024 • 22 mins
Ever thought about adding a splash of flavor and flair to your wedding or event with the perfect cup of coffee? Tune in as I, Marco Buenrostro, sit down with Noah from Reunion Coffee to spill the beans on the latest must-have: coffee carts that are shaking up weddings and corporate gatherings! Noah’s business, launching August 2024, goes way beyond your typical cup of joe. We’re talking signature drinks crafted just for the happy couple and even a cozy hot chocolate bar for those chilly nights.
Booking a coffee cart? It’s easier than picking out your wedding playlist and adds a delightful twist that guests will rave about. With seamless setup and service, it’s the perfect way to elevate any event.
But let’s be real—this is more than just serving up great coffee. It’s about creating unforgettable moments. We chat about ethical sourcing and fair trade practices (because what’s better than feeling good about your brew?), plus tales from Noah’s coffee adventures in exotic spots like Bali and Colombia. Whether you’re dreaming of custom-branded lattes or simply serving the smoothest black coffee that makes Aunt Linda sigh with joy, we’ve got you covered.
We wrap up with some pro tips on flexible service packages that ensure every guest leaves with a smile and a happy palate. So grab your favorite mug and join us for a conversation that’s brimming with ideas to make your event an aromatic, heartwarming hit!
If you enjoyed this episode, hit that subscribe button and drop us a review! We’d love to hear what you think!
Want us to chat with your favorite vendor? We’d love to! Shoot us an email at marco@tipsyguest.com and let us know who you want to hear from! Your top picks could be the stars of our next episode!
FOLLOW US:
https://www.tiktok.com/@tipsyguestpodcast
https://www.instagram.com/thetipsyguestpodcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@TheTipsyGuestPodcast
https://www.pinterest.com/tipsyguest/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Tipsy Guest Podcast.
I am your host, marcoBuenrostro, and every week I'm
here with the top industryexperts, amazing clients and all
my vendor BFFs to bring you thebest tips, advice and juicy
behind-the-scenes stories tomake wedding and event planning
a breeze.
So grab your favorite drink andlet's get this party started.
(00:26):
Hey guys, welcome back to theTipsy Guest.
I am Marco, your host, andtoday things are going to be a
little different.
I switched my glass of wine forcoffee, so today we have Noah
Look at this From Reunion Coffee.
He owns a coffee cart forweddings and events.
(00:49):
Hi, noah.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Hey Marco, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I am great Now that I'm drinking coffee.
Oh my God.
People that know me, they knowthat I am obsessed with coffee,
so I think today is probably oneof my favorite episodes.
Thank you for bringing mecoffee.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, I know We've fueled you for a little bit of
the week.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
So what did you bring me today?
What am I drinking right now?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So that is our bottled pumpkin spice latte,
with oat milk, of course, asrequested.
So yeah, that's something funthat we do for people that want
to just grab a pick me up forthe week.
We do those individual or infour packs, so a lot of people
in our office love them, yeah Ilove it.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
I love it and I'm so thankful that you brought me
extra so I can have for the week.
All right, so okay.
So when people think of coffee,they, you know, they think of,
oh, let's have a coffee in themorning or, you know, like i't
know, midday at work and stufflike that.
But in the last few yearscoffee carts have become a
(01:47):
trendy subject you know likeit's becoming a thing for
weddings.
I mean, I work weddings everyweekend and there's always
coffee, you know, with desserts,or right towards the, you know,
towards the end of the wedding.
Everybody needs a littlepick-me-up, 100%.
So how has it been?
(02:07):
I mean, how long have you beenin business?
Let's start with that.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, yeah, so we launched back in early August of
this year Of 2024.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yep, so about three months ago.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
And how has it been?
I mean, have you been active onweddings?
What are you mainly focusing on, I guess?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, it's been fun.
You know, weddings have been abig focus in the beginning.
We've been very grateful to beplugged in with a couple of
really good venues that have.
You know we were talking alittle bit before this about
just open houses and things likethat, but it's been a good
mixture of weddings andcorporate, so a lot of different
style events.
We were just at a gym yesterday.
I saw that on your social media.
(02:45):
Never expected to serve coffeeat a gym, but you know everyone
needs caffeine.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
That is so yeah, that is so cool.
I mean that you do a little bitof everything.
But, for example, at weddings,I guess, when somebody calls you
, you know, or to inquire aboutyour services, so you bring the
card, you set up either inside,outside, wherever the wedding is
, and then do they specificallyask for certain flavors, certain
(03:13):
things, or do you just bringstuff in general.
How does that work?
Walk us through the process of,like, if I was to book you for
my wedding, that's non-existent.
Like, how is that conversationgoing to go with somebody that's
inquiring to?
Speaker 2 (03:30):
have you at their wedding For sure.
So a lot of it starts off asfar as when they want us right.
A lot of people ask well, whendo you typically come?
And it's really up to the brideand groom.
You know, I know somethingthat's become really popular
recently is dry weddings, and soa lot of people, instead of
doing your traditional cocktailhour after the ceremony, they're
doing coffee hours, and so youknow, as guests are leaving the
(03:53):
ceremony, transition into thereception and dinner.
You know we'll serve in thatbeginning timeframe.
Or there's also people thatstill love their alcohol and
they need something to sober upat the end of the night once
they start eating cake anddesserts and things like that.
So you know it really startsthere, figuring out what time
we're going to be there.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
I love that.
The coffee during cocktail hour.
I was during coffee hour.
I guess that is really cool.
I don't think I've been to awedding where they do that.
That is interesting.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yep, so we've had people for coffee hours
specifically.
Obviously, not everybody drinkscoffee too, so we're doing a
wedding in November with a hotchocolate bar too, and so we'll
still do coffee hot chocolatesan add on that we can do to our
coffee cart package.
So it's cool, we can get reallycreative with it.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
I like it.
And let's say, for example, ifyou are booked to serve coffee
towards the end of the night,when do you normally set up,
like right before you start, ordo you set up the cart earlier
in the day?
How does that work?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, usually right before we start the good thing.
With it being a cart, our setupis super simple.
We can be set up and brokendown within about 30 minutes.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Um, so we usually set all up outside, right outside
of our car, and uh, then we justroll everything in, plug it in
and let our machine startheating up, and then we're ready
to serve.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
I like that.
And then, when it comes toweddings, do you create custom
items for for you know, likesometimes I've seen you know
like monograms incorporating tolike the coffee, uh little cups
or napkins or things like that.
What?
How do you customize yourexperience for for your couples?
Speaker 2 (05:32):
For sure, I would say for everybody.
Um, definitely doing asignature menu, right.
So we'll usually pick a drinkfor the bride, a drink for the
groom, just based on theircoffee preferences those tend to
be, you know, huge hits justlike you would do at a bar.
Right, there's usually asignature drink for the bride
and groom, so why not for coffee?
Um, if they wanted to dosomething a little bit extra,
you know, and really enhance theexperience for the guests,
(05:55):
we've definitely done.
Um, custom branded cups, right.
So we'll take the monogram,like you said, for the bride and
groom, or they want to do their, you know their names with the
wedding date.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
We can custom brand our hot and cold cups and so
it's just a little, you know,extra experience for the guest.
I like that.
And then I've also seen theones where, uh, you know, they
print like the actual monogramor a picture of them or
something on top of like theactual coffee.
Is that something that you guysdo?
Speaker 2 (06:23):
yeah, so we're we're working on getting the machine.
We should have it in December,so right in time for the, you
know, christmas parties and allthis stuff coming into the new
year.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
That is.
I feel like that is a veryunique touch.
You know, like, let's say,you're at a wedding and then you
go grab a cup of coffee andthen you see the monogram on the
actual coffee.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Or their face.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Yeah, yeah, they're looking at me.
Seriously.
I think that is so cool andit's definitely something you
know.
That it's very you know.
People are going to take apicture of that and post it on
Instagram.
That is something that you know.
I mean, people love takingphotos and posting, so I feel
like that would be somethingthat you know.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Couples should definitely consider, because
it's a very instagrammablemoment at their wedding.
What I think too, you know,obviously, your traditional
wedding coffee is the, the blackcoffee that comes out of a five
gallon tank, that the catererbrings with them, and so for.
For us, specifically, it's allabout the experience, right, and
in my personal life, with youknow, with you know, the extra
income that we bring in.
It's not about the tangiblethings, it's about what
(07:26):
experiences can we go create,and it's the same exact thing
for us, you know, reunion coffee.
It's how can we enhance thatexperience for the guests and
stray away from your justtraditional black coffee and
literally bring a full coffeeshop set up into your wedding I
like that.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
That's how I see it as well.
Like with my photo boothbusiness, yeah, I always tell my
couples I'm like we're not justrenting you a machine to take
photos, we're bringing anexperience to your wedding.
You know, we're not just gonnaset up the machine and leave it
there for your guests to figureit out.
No, like we are gonna have aphoto booth attendant that's
gonna be entertaining yourguests.
You know, sometimes peoplefreeze in front of a camera,
(08:02):
sometimes they don't, sometimes,you know, they just don't know
what to do.
You know, and we are there tohelp everybody get that perfect
photo.
Going back to everybody wantingto post stuff, yeah, that's
exactly why we're there.
You know, we want to make surethat their photos look so good
that they make that photo theirprofile picture all across
social media.
Absolutely, I love I mean meanagain, I love coffee.
(08:26):
So when it comes to me knowingthings about coffee, of course
that's not a thing, because Ijust order my drink and I drink
it and I enjoy it, but I don'tknow a lot about coffee.
So, for example, how, I mean,how many types of coffee do you
offer?
(08:46):
Or, I guess, educate me on that, because I don't even know how
to ask the right question here.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
How many different types or styles or whatever you
call it?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Like, talk to me about that.
Yeah, so our traditional menuis like your traditional coffee
shop menu, and we keep itsomewhat more simple, just
because, you know, for me I doappreciate the actual taste of
coffee.
I've gotten to that point whereI can drink a shot of espresso
by itself, and that's not, um,not something that you start off
enjoying, but you, you tend toappreciate it and it can tell
(09:20):
the difference between good andbad coffee.
Um, so, with our menu, rightstarts with you.
If someone wants to order ashot of espresso, they can do
that.
Um, we move up to an Americano,which is just espresso and
water, and so for people thatdon't like as much of the sugary
, milky flavors they just wantmore traditional coffee we can
do that.
Um cappuccino, very similar to alatte, a little bit less milk
(09:46):
but more foam, so it's a littlebit more foamy on the top, and
then your lattes, right.
So that's like everytraditional coffee.
When someone says iced coffee,that's typically what they're
talking about.
So you've got your espresso,your milk, your flavors in there
, and so that's really where thecustomization comes into play.
When you start talking aboutflavors I know you mentioned it
earlier we typically we've got awide selection of flavors.
I know you mentioned it earlier.
(10:07):
We typically we've got a wideselection of flavors.
I know I mentioned a couple ofthem to you when we were talking
about your order for today.
Yeah, but pumpkin spice is onthe list, just in case they were
wondering.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Okay, okay, which is during this season, it's like
the most popular item.
I'm sure it's pumpkin spiceseason.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
That's exactly right.
I love it.
When it comes to, I guess, theconcept of your business.
How did you come up with it?
Yeah, so we, you know, a longtime ago I know we were talking
a little bit before I startedoff in the real estate space
fourth generation and grew myreal estate business in
Louisiana from a coffee shop.
(10:43):
Then we transitioned to move toAustin.
That's where I really startedto appreciate good coffee and
you know we were talking aboutyour dog coffee shop earlier.
I wanted to open a coffee shopand you know I started looking
into it, doing the research,getting the same ads like you
were talking about, and reallystarted understanding the
business side with you know,overhead and expenses.
(11:05):
I was like man, this isn'treally realistic in this
timeframe.
Um, and then, when my wife andI got married we celebrate our
two year anniversary Wednesdayof this week- oh, nice
Congratulations, Thank you.
Um, we had a coffee cart and Iwas like man, this is the
coolest thing ever, and so, fromthat point, I started doing a
lot more research on coffeecarts specifically.
(11:25):
You know, you said the trend isgrowing.
I was able to find a coffeecart community based out of
Denver, with people that havelaunched multiple coffee carts,
you know, in multiple differentcities Wow, which is really cool
, and so I've just been tryingto surround myself with the
right people, but, you know,learning from things that
they're doing, so, yeah, so cool, I went to a um a coffee tour
(11:50):
in bali.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Okay, one time yep and it was so interesting, I
never knew where coffee camefrom.
I just, yeah, I would justdrink it.
I mean, I've been drinkingcoffee since I can remember.
I mean when I was little, likeyou know, I would drink coffee
with my mom.
Yep, and you know, sometimespeople are like well, why are
you giving coffee to a kid?
It's like it's a drink.
I mean it's better to give mecoffee than a beer.
(12:13):
You know, when I'm seven yearsold that's how I see it yeah, um
, but yeah, so I did a tour.
I did a tour, uh, in bali, andthen I think I did a coffee
tasting in Colombia.
I think, yeah, and then I knowI did another one.
I think we were in Kabul, okay,and we did one in Kabul.
(12:34):
I mean, I try to do coffee.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You're making me so jealous right now.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
I try to do you know some people love to do like the
tequila tasting.
Some people like to do the winetasting.
Yep, I love wine tasting yeah.
But, I love a coffee tasting ora coffee tour just in general.
It's so good to taste differentthings and see how it all comes
together.
So that's really cool.
(12:59):
So I might be visiting youroffice just so you can show me
how you do everything.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yeah, there's so much more.
I think that when we moved toaustin, I started realizing hey,
it is more than just a cup ofcoffee.
Right, it's.
You know you go all the wayback to wherever they're
sourcing the coffee.
So we use a blend from peru andguatemala.
Um work with a really greatroaster out of sioux city, iowa.
I did not know that sioux cityiowa was a place, a place until
(13:26):
I started working with thisroaster.
But it's cool because it's fairtrade.
I think a lot of it goes backto not only yeah, you're
drinking a cup of coffee, goingback to where did it come from?
They're growing on coffee farmsbut also making sure that the
people that work on those farmsare taken care of.
There's a very extensiveprocess that you go through to
have your, your coffee marked asorganic, fair trade, and so
(13:48):
just knowing that it's a goodcup of coffee but that it came
from people that are taken careof very well, I think is super
important to me.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
It's awesome, oh yeah for sure, and it sounds like
you love what you do, so that'sthat is the best part.
You know when, when, as a as ayou and for our listeners out
there, it's important to hiresomeone that's passionate about
what they do, so it sounds likeyou are really into it, so I'm
very excited for you guys.
I know you said you justrecently started the business,
(14:19):
so I know that coffee is sopopular, so I know you guys are
going to go places and I'm sureI'm going to start seeing you
everywhere around weddings.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
That's the plan.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
So let's talk about prices.
You know that's something, ofcourse, that our listeners are
always wanting to know.
You know, when it comes toprices, you know other different
topics that we cover here atthe Tipsy Guest.
How much does it cost to getyou guys out to a wedding?
You know, I'm sure it dependson the guest count and what they
need and stuff like that.
So I guess, just walk usthrough different scenarios here
(14:49):
.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Yeah for sure.
So our base pricing starts at$750.
What that covers is up to twohours of service, one
professional barista and up toabout 100 guests.
So the way that we come up withthat is we can serve roughly
about 50 guests an hour, um perper barista, per cart.
Right, so we could add, youknow, if the guest counts above
(15:10):
a hundred in that two hourtimeframe, or however long they
were wanting service for, wewould either add another hour of
service, which you know wewould increase the cost for that
it's $150 an hour that we addor we could add another barista.
With another barista we couldprobably get to 75 drinks an
hour.
So, get up to about 150 or so inthat two-hour period with two
(15:31):
baristas, and so that's whereour base starts.
We can do additional add-onstoo.
I know I mentioned the hotchocolate earlier.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
We can do your plain black drip coffee.
If that's something that I knowa lot of the grandparents,
they're not about the lattes andpumpkin spice, they go with the
basic stuff.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
yeah, they're like, just give me the black coffee.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
That's my mom.
She does not like any of thecool stuff.
Yeah, she just wants plaincoffee.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yep, what's a latte?
Yeah, I need to.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Every time she comes for Christmas, she, I have to
get her like just plain coffeeand she has to make it herself.
Like she won't let me like doit.
It's so crazy, but it's true,yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, so we can add on a bunch of cool stuff or even
, do you know, custom branding,like we had talked about.
So a lot of fun, differentthings that we can do.
I think for me, like I said, itall goes back to the experience
for the guest and so, um, it'snot as much about is it
practical for me, but is itpossible?
And if it's possible, then I'mdown to find a way to make it
work for the, for the guests andfor the bride and groom.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Awesome.
And right now that you talkabout the best experience for
the guest, do you and I guess inyour opinion, personal opinion
do you think it would be betterto add a second person or add an
extra hour with one?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
person working the event.
I think, um, I think it dependson the scenario, um, for me,
I'm a big advocate in two people, um, so sometimes, even if it
is maybe they just book one,sometimes my wife will come with
me and help out, because I doyou know, I think, whenever you
get that one person and youstart calculating 50 drinks an
hour, that is like hey, I'm, I'mmaking coffee.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
I'm not talking like it's not the chit chat, small
talk and so when you go to thebar and you sit there and talk
to the bartender, it's not.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
It's not what happens when you're serving 50 drinks
an hour, um, and so I'm a bigadvocate for two baristas, even
if it's 100 guests, right, andthat's part of so.
When someone submits an inquiry, I'm also not the type to just
send a quote out immediately.
I always want to get on thephone and talk through your
event more, because I've had alot of scenarios where, you know
, in the beginning I would sendout a quote and they maybe
(17:37):
didn't understand some of thequestions on the form or I could
have worded them different, andso we were just on different
pages, and so I like to get abetter, you know, big picture
concept of the event and thenmake recommendations and then
I'll send a quote out for thatevent.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
So what are, let's say, for example, what are two
questions that are brought upduring a conversation with a
potential client?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Yeah, I think that the alcohol piece is a big one,
right?
So if they're still servingalcohol, typically that will
mean that more people are gonnadrink coffee, right?
So if that's the case, if youhave a wedding of 100 people and
you do have alcohol, Iunderstand not everyone's gonna
drink coffee, and so that maymean that it makes more sense to
(18:18):
just stick with one barista,right?
You, we could probably serve,you know, we'd probably end up,
from that group, serving 50 to75 cups of coffee in that two
hour period.
Uh, which is totally doablewith one barista.
Um, that's a big one, I think,for us too.
Is is indoor, outdoor, um, isanother big one, cause, if it's,
if it's outdoor, and it's cold,you cold, especially this time
(18:40):
of year, we've been running alot of outdoor weddings and so a
lot of people are going todrink hot lattes, hot coffee,
and so, really figuring out, allright, the hot drinks take a
little bit longer to make thanthe ice drinks, and so we might
need that additional backup orwe might want to do an extra
hour and also, depending on theoverview of the wedding, I think
that's another big one is, hey,we've had people that only want
(19:03):
us in the beginning.
They only want us towards thecake and the end of the evening.
Some people want us there thewhole time.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
And so it's figuring out what really makes the most
sense.
But I think a big part of thatis what does the whole night
look like altogether?
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Okay, what does the whole night look like altogether
?
Okay, and do you guys do rightnow that you mentioned hot or
drink coffee?
Are both part of the package,or do they have to select one or
the other?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
They're both part of the package.
Yeah, so we do hot and icedlattes.
We can do the Americanos hotterice.
The espresso cappuccinos areboth.
You know they're hot, yeah, butyeah, we can do hot and ice
lattes and Americanos.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Oh my God, it sounds like a really cool package.
And again, you know now thatit's becoming a trend for
weddings.
It's you know how can couplesfind you?
Website, social media, talk tous.
Let us let our listeners knowwhere they can find you.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Yeah, we try to make it really easy across the board.
Um, so website is reunioncoffee cart dot com.
Um, our instagram is reunioncoffee cart.
Um, they can also.
You know, I'm I'm very big on,you know, being able to reach me
as quick as possible, so I justuse my cell phone for
everything.
Um, so they can.
We can put up my number in theshow notes if we want to.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
So definitely, yeah yeah, we'll have your website,
your social media media, yourphone number, everything I text
all the time.
I like it when people text me,like even on my voicemail,
greeting, because sometimes I'mrunning around from event to
event or doing setups ormeetings or whatever.
So even my greeting says hey,send me a text message, I'll get
back to you.
Like, if you're inquiring foran event, just send me all the
(20:38):
details and I'll text you rightback and then we can schedule a
phone call.
And then, you know, go fromthere.
Exactly, it's easier.
Sometimes people send me DMSand I deal with people through
DMS.
I I don't, I, I just liketexting better than a phone call
, because I keep a log of whatwe talked about.
You know, because if somebodycalls me, yeah, I can be making
(20:58):
my little notes, right, butlet's say, if somebody calls me
as I'm driving, then I'm notmaking notes.
No, so I forget.
So I'm always like, wheneverthat happens, I just tell them
like, hey, can you send me aquick text message right after
we hang up Yep, and just I woulddo the same exact thing.
Awesome.
All right, Noah.
(21:18):
Well, thank you so much forbeing with us today.
I am excited for you guys weappreciate it and I am excited
for my coffee that you broughtme again.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Thank you, we appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Yeah, of course.
So to our listeners.
Thank you again for tuning inthis week.
As you know, every week we havedifferent vendors for tips and
advice for your wedding.
So, for you know, for tips andadvice for your wedding.
So if you know someone that'sgetting married, let them know
about the podcast.
If you're the one gettingmarried, send us a DM, let us
know what you thought of theepisode or if you have any
topics that you would like forus to cover.
We are here to listen and ifyou have a favorite vendor, let
(21:51):
us know.
We'll reach out to them, we'llinterview them, we'll have a fun
conversation, educ, a funconversation, educational, of
course, but it's always aboutfun.
This podcast is always abouthaving fun, as we're, you know,
giving you the best advice foryour wedding Cause we want to
make sure that it's a good dayfor you, not a stressful one.
So you know we make it easy foryou as we discuss different
(22:12):
topics with our, with ourinterviews here at the tipsy pot
.
I'm not even drinking todayduring this episode.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
You haven't had enough coffee.
I know I'm going to finish thiscoffee right now as a shot.
Anyways, I'm out, guys.
See you next time.
Bye.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Thanks for listening to the Tipsy Guest Podcast.
If you know someone who couldbenefit from these tips, spread
the love and share it with them.
Don't forget to subscribe andleave a review.
Next round's on us, same time,same place, cheers.
This podcast is brought to youby MBP Photo Booth, the number
(22:53):
one photo booth rental companyin San Antonio, austin and
Central Texas.
Welcome to the Tipsy Guest Podcast.
I am your host, marcoBuenrostro, and every week I'm
here with the top industryexperts, amazing clients and all
my vendor BFFs to bring you thebest tips, advice and juicy
behind-the-scenes stories tomake wedding and event planning
a breeze.
So grab your favorite drink andlet's get this party started.
(00:26):
Hey guys, welcome back to theTipsy Guest.
I am Marco, your host, andtoday things are going to be a
little different.
I switched my glass of wine forcoffee, so today we have Noah
Look at this From Reunion Coffee.
He owns a coffee cart forweddings and events.
(00:49):
Hi, noah.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Hey Marco, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I am great Now that I'm drinking coffee.
Oh my God.
People that know me, they knowthat I am obsessed with coffee,
so I think today is probably oneof my favorite episodes.
Thank you for bringing mecoffee.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, I know We've fueled you for a little bit of
the week.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
So what did you bring me today?
What am I drinking right now?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So that is our bottled pumpkin spice latte,
with oat milk, of course, asrequested.
So yeah, that's something funthat we do for people that want
to just grab a pick me up forthe week.
We do those individual or infour packs, so a lot of people
in our office love them, yeah Ilove it.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
I love it and I'm so thankful that you brought me
extra so I can have for the week.
All right, so okay.
So when people think of coffee,they, you know, they think of,
oh, let's have a coffee in themorning or, you know, like i't
know, midday at work and stufflike that.
But in the last few yearscoffee carts have become a
(01:47):
trendy subject you know likeit's becoming a thing for
weddings.
I mean, I work weddings everyweekend and there's always
coffee, you know, with desserts,or right towards the, you know,
towards the end of the wedding.
Everybody needs a littlepick-me-up, 100%.
So how has it been?
(02:07):
I mean, how long have you beenin business?
Let's start with that.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, yeah, so we launched back in early August of
this year Of 2024.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yep, so about three months ago.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
And how has it been?
I mean, have you been active onweddings?
What are you mainly focusing on, I guess?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, it's been fun.
You know, weddings have been abig focus in the beginning.
We've been very grateful to beplugged in with a couple of
really good venues that have.
You know we were talking alittle bit before this about
just open houses and things likethat, but it's been a good
mixture of weddings andcorporate, so a lot of different
style events.
We were just at a gym yesterday.
I saw that on your social media.
(02:45):
Never expected to serve coffeeat a gym, but you know everyone
needs caffeine.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
That is so yeah, that is so cool.
I mean that you do a little bitof everything.
But, for example, at weddings,I guess, when somebody calls you
, you know, or to inquire aboutyour services, so you bring the
card, you set up either inside,outside, wherever the wedding is
, and then do they specificallyask for certain flavors, certain
(03:13):
things, or do you just bringstuff in general.
How does that work?
Walk us through the process of,like, if I was to book you for
my wedding, that's non-existent.
Like, how is that conversationgoing to go with somebody that's
inquiring to?
Speaker 2 (03:30):
have you at their wedding For sure.
So a lot of it starts off asfar as when they want us right.
A lot of people ask well, whendo you typically come?
And it's really up to the brideand groom.
You know, I know somethingthat's become really popular
recently is dry weddings, and soa lot of people, instead of
doing your traditional cocktailhour after the ceremony, they're
doing coffee hours, and so youknow, as guests are leaving the
(03:53):
ceremony, transition into thereception and dinner.
You know we'll serve in thatbeginning timeframe.
Or there's also people thatstill love their alcohol and
they need something to sober upat the end of the night once
they start eating cake anddesserts and things like that.
So you know it really startsthere, figuring out what time
we're going to be there.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
I love that.
The coffee during cocktail hour.
I was during coffee hour.
I guess that is really cool.
I don't think I've been to awedding where they do that.
That is interesting.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yep, so we've had people for coffee hours
specifically.
Obviously, not everybody drinkscoffee too, so we're doing a
wedding in November with a hotchocolate bar too, and so we'll
still do coffee hot chocolatesan add on that we can do to our
coffee cart package.
So it's cool, we can get reallycreative with it.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
I like it.
And let's say, for example, ifyou are booked to serve coffee
towards the end of the night,when do you normally set up,
like right before you start, ordo you set up the cart earlier
in the day?
How does that work?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, usually right before we start the good thing.
With it being a cart, our setupis super simple.
We can be set up and brokendown within about 30 minutes.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Um, so we usually set all up outside, right outside
of our car, and uh, then we justroll everything in, plug it in
and let our machine startheating up, and then we're ready
to serve.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
I like that.
And then, when it comes toweddings, do you create custom
items for for you know, likesometimes I've seen you know
like monograms incorporating tolike the coffee, uh little cups
or napkins or things like that.
What?
How do you customize yourexperience for for your couples?
Speaker 2 (05:32):
For sure, I would say for everybody.
Um, definitely doing asignature menu, right.
So we'll usually pick a drinkfor the bride, a drink for the
groom, just based on theircoffee preferences those tend to
be, you know, huge hits justlike you would do at a bar.
Right, there's usually asignature drink for the bride
and groom, so why not for coffee?
Um, if they wanted to dosomething a little bit extra,
you know, and really enhance theexperience for the guests,
(05:55):
we've definitely done.
Um, custom branded cups, right.
So we'll take the monogram,like you said, for the bride and
groom, or they want to do their, you know their names with the
wedding date.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
We can custom brand our hot and cold cups and so
it's just a little, you know,extra experience for the guest.
I like that.
And then I've also seen theones where, uh, you know, they
print like the actual monogramor a picture of them or
something on top of like theactual coffee.
Is that something that you guysdo?
Speaker 2 (06:23):
yeah, so we're we're working on getting the machine.
We should have it in December,so right in time for the, you
know, christmas parties and allthis stuff coming into the new
year.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
That is.
I feel like that is a veryunique touch.
You know, like, let's say,you're at a wedding and then you
go grab a cup of coffee andthen you see the monogram on the
actual coffee.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Or their face.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Yeah, yeah, they're looking at me.
Seriously.
I think that is so cool andit's definitely something you
know.
That it's very you know.
People are going to take apicture of that and post it on
Instagram.
That is something that you know.
I mean, people love takingphotos and posting, so I feel
like that would be somethingthat you know.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Couples should definitely consider, because
it's a very instagrammablemoment at their wedding.
What I think too, you know,obviously, your traditional
wedding coffee is the, the blackcoffee that comes out of a five
gallon tank, that the catererbrings with them, and so for.
For us, specifically, it's allabout the experience, right, and
in my personal life, with youknow, with you know, the extra
income that we bring in.
It's not about the tangiblethings, it's about what
(07:26):
experiences can we go create,and it's the same exact thing
for us, you know, reunion coffee.
It's how can we enhance thatexperience for the guests and
stray away from your justtraditional black coffee and
literally bring a full coffeeshop set up into your wedding I
like that.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
That's how I see it as well.
Like with my photo boothbusiness, yeah, I always tell my
couples I'm like we're not justrenting you a machine to take
photos, we're bringing anexperience to your wedding.
You know, we're not just gonnaset up the machine and leave it
there for your guests to figureit out.
No, like we are gonna have aphoto booth attendant that's
gonna be entertaining yourguests.
You know, sometimes peoplefreeze in front of a camera,
(08:02):
sometimes they don't, sometimes,you know, they just don't know
what to do.
You know, and we are there tohelp everybody get that perfect
photo.
Going back to everybody wantingto post stuff, yeah, that's
exactly why we're there.
You know, we want to make surethat their photos look so good
that they make that photo theirprofile picture all across
social media.
Absolutely, I love I mean meanagain, I love coffee.
(08:26):
So when it comes to me knowingthings about coffee, of course
that's not a thing, because Ijust order my drink and I drink
it and I enjoy it, but I don'tknow a lot about coffee.
So, for example, how, I mean,how many types of coffee do you
offer?
(08:46):
Or, I guess, educate me on that, because I don't even know how
to ask the right question here.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
How many different types or styles or whatever you
call it?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Like, talk to me about that.
Yeah, so our traditional menuis like your traditional coffee
shop menu, and we keep itsomewhat more simple, just
because, you know, for me I doappreciate the actual taste of
coffee.
I've gotten to that point whereI can drink a shot of espresso
by itself, and that's not, um,not something that you start off
enjoying, but you, you tend toappreciate it and it can tell
(09:20):
the difference between good andbad coffee.
Um, so, with our menu, rightstarts with you.
If someone wants to order ashot of espresso, they can do
that.
Um, we move up to an Americano,which is just espresso and
water, and so for people thatdon't like as much of the sugary
, milky flavors they just wantmore traditional coffee we can
do that.
Um cappuccino, very similar to alatte, a little bit less milk
(09:46):
but more foam, so it's a littlebit more foamy on the top, and
then your lattes, right.
So that's like everytraditional coffee.
When someone says iced coffee,that's typically what they're
talking about.
So you've got your espresso,your milk, your flavors in there
, and so that's really where thecustomization comes into play.
When you start talking aboutflavors I know you mentioned it
earlier we typically we've got awide selection of flavors.
I know you mentioned it earlier.
(10:07):
We typically we've got a wideselection of flavors.
I know I mentioned a couple ofthem to you when we were talking
about your order for today.
Yeah, but pumpkin spice is onthe list, just in case they were
wondering.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Okay, okay, which is during this season, it's like
the most popular item.
I'm sure it's pumpkin spiceseason.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
That's exactly right.
I love it.
When it comes to, I guess, theconcept of your business.
How did you come up with it?
Yeah, so we, you know, a longtime ago I know we were talking
a little bit before I startedoff in the real estate space
fourth generation and grew myreal estate business in
Louisiana from a coffee shop.
(10:43):
Then we transitioned to move toAustin.
That's where I really startedto appreciate good coffee and
you know we were talking aboutyour dog coffee shop earlier.
I wanted to open a coffee shopand you know I started looking
into it, doing the research,getting the same ads like you
were talking about, and reallystarted understanding the
business side with you know,overhead and expenses.
(11:05):
I was like man, this isn'treally realistic in this
timeframe.
Um, and then, when my wife andI got married we celebrate our
two year anniversary Wednesdayof this week- oh, nice
Congratulations, Thank you.
Um, we had a coffee cart and Iwas like man, this is the
coolest thing ever, and so, fromthat point, I started doing a
lot more research on coffeecarts specifically.
(11:25):
You know, you said the trend isgrowing.
I was able to find a coffeecart community based out of
Denver, with people that havelaunched multiple coffee carts,
you know, in multiple differentcities Wow, which is really cool
, and so I've just been tryingto surround myself with the
right people, but, you know,learning from things that
they're doing, so, yeah, so cool, I went to a um a coffee tour
(11:50):
in bali.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Okay, one time yep and it was so interesting, I
never knew where coffee camefrom.
I just, yeah, I would justdrink it.
I mean, I've been drinkingcoffee since I can remember.
I mean when I was little, likeyou know, I would drink coffee
with my mom.
Yep, and you know, sometimespeople are like well, why are
you giving coffee to a kid?
It's like it's a drink.
I mean it's better to give mecoffee than a beer.
(12:13):
You know, when I'm seven yearsold that's how I see it yeah, um
, but yeah, so I did a tour.
I did a tour, uh, in bali, andthen I think I did a coffee
tasting in Colombia.
I think, yeah, and then I knowI did another one.
I think we were in Kabul, okay,and we did one in Kabul.
(12:34):
I mean, I try to do coffee.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You're making me so jealous right now.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
I try to do you know some people love to do like the
tequila tasting.
Some people like to do the winetasting.
Yep, I love wine tasting yeah.
But, I love a coffee tasting ora coffee tour just in general.
It's so good to taste differentthings and see how it all comes
together.
So that's really cool.
(12:59):
So I might be visiting youroffice just so you can show me
how you do everything.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yeah, there's so much more.
I think that when we moved toaustin, I started realizing hey,
it is more than just a cup ofcoffee.
Right, it's.
You know you go all the wayback to wherever they're
sourcing the coffee.
So we use a blend from peru andguatemala.
Um work with a really greatroaster out of sioux city, iowa.
I did not know that sioux cityiowa was a place, a place until
(13:26):
I started working with thisroaster.
But it's cool because it's fairtrade.
I think a lot of it goes backto not only yeah, you're
drinking a cup of coffee, goingback to where did it come from?
They're growing on coffee farmsbut also making sure that the
people that work on those farmsare taken care of.
There's a very extensiveprocess that you go through to
have your, your coffee marked asorganic, fair trade, and so
(13:48):
just knowing that it's a goodcup of coffee but that it came
from people that are taken careof very well, I think is super
important to me.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
It's awesome, oh yeah for sure, and it sounds like
you love what you do, so that'sthat is the best part.
You know when, when, as a as ayou and for our listeners out
there, it's important to hiresomeone that's passionate about
what they do, so it sounds likeyou are really into it, so I'm
very excited for you guys.
I know you said you justrecently started the business,
(14:19):
so I know that coffee is sopopular, so I know you guys are
going to go places and I'm sureI'm going to start seeing you
everywhere around weddings.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
That's the plan.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
So let's talk about prices.
You know that's something, ofcourse, that our listeners are
always wanting to know.
You know, when it comes toprices, you know other different
topics that we cover here atthe Tipsy Guest.
How much does it cost to getyou guys out to a wedding?
You know, I'm sure it dependson the guest count and what they
need and stuff like that.
So I guess, just walk usthrough different scenarios here
(14:49):
.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Yeah for sure.
So our base pricing starts at$750.
What that covers is up to twohours of service, one
professional barista and up toabout 100 guests.
So the way that we come up withthat is we can serve roughly
about 50 guests an hour, um perper barista, per cart.
Right, so we could add, youknow, if the guest counts above
(15:10):
a hundred in that two hourtimeframe, or however long they
were wanting service for, wewould either add another hour of
service, which you know wewould increase the cost for that
it's $150 an hour that we addor we could add another barista.
With another barista we couldprobably get to 75 drinks an
hour.
So, get up to about 150 or so inthat two-hour period with two
(15:31):
baristas, and so that's whereour base starts.
We can do additional add-onstoo.
I know I mentioned the hotchocolate earlier.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
We can do your plain black drip coffee.
If that's something that I knowa lot of the grandparents,
they're not about the lattes andpumpkin spice, they go with the
basic stuff.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
yeah, they're like, just give me the black coffee.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
That's my mom.
She does not like any of thecool stuff.
Yeah, she just wants plaincoffee.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yep, what's a latte?
Yeah, I need to.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Every time she comes for Christmas, she, I have to
get her like just plain coffeeand she has to make it herself.
Like she won't let me like doit.
It's so crazy, but it's true,yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, so we can add on a bunch of cool stuff or even
, do you know, custom branding,like we had talked about.
So a lot of fun, differentthings that we can do.
I think for me, like I said, itall goes back to the experience
for the guest and so, um, it'snot as much about is it
practical for me, but is itpossible?
And if it's possible, then I'mdown to find a way to make it
work for the, for the guests andfor the bride and groom.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Awesome.
And right now that you talkabout the best experience for
the guest, do you and I guess inyour opinion, personal opinion
do you think it would be betterto add a second person or add an
extra hour with one?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
person working the event.
I think, um, I think it dependson the scenario, um, for me,
I'm a big advocate in two people, um, so sometimes, even if it
is maybe they just book one,sometimes my wife will come with
me and help out, because I doyou know, I think, whenever you
get that one person and youstart calculating 50 drinks an
hour, that is like hey, I'm, I'mmaking coffee.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
I'm not talking like it's not the chit chat, small
talk and so when you go to thebar and you sit there and talk
to the bartender, it's not.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
It's not what happens when you're serving 50 drinks
an hour, um, and so I'm a bigadvocate for two baristas, even
if it's 100 guests, right, andthat's part of so.
When someone submits an inquiry, I'm also not the type to just
send a quote out immediately.
I always want to get on thephone and talk through your
event more, because I've had alot of scenarios where, you know
, in the beginning I would sendout a quote and they maybe
(17:37):
didn't understand some of thequestions on the form or I could
have worded them different, andso we were just on different
pages, and so I like to get abetter, you know, big picture
concept of the event and thenmake recommendations and then
I'll send a quote out for thatevent.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
So what are, let's say, for example, what are two
questions that are brought upduring a conversation with a
potential client?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Yeah, I think that the alcohol piece is a big one,
right?
So if they're still servingalcohol, typically that will
mean that more people are gonnadrink coffee, right?
So if that's the case, if youhave a wedding of 100 people and
you do have alcohol, Iunderstand not everyone's gonna
drink coffee, and so that maymean that it makes more sense to
(18:18):
just stick with one barista,right?
You, we could probably serve,you know, we'd probably end up,
from that group, serving 50 to75 cups of coffee in that two
hour period.
Uh, which is totally doablewith one barista.
Um, that's a big one, I think,for us too.
Is is indoor, outdoor, um, isanother big one, cause, if it's,
if it's outdoor, and it's cold,you cold, especially this time
(18:40):
of year, we've been running alot of outdoor weddings and so a
lot of people are going todrink hot lattes, hot coffee,
and so, really figuring out, allright, the hot drinks take a
little bit longer to make thanthe ice drinks, and so we might
need that additional backup orwe might want to do an extra
hour and also, depending on theoverview of the wedding, I think
that's another big one is, hey,we've had people that only want
(19:03):
us in the beginning.
They only want us towards thecake and the end of the evening.
Some people want us there thewhole time.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
And so it's figuring out what really makes the most
sense.
But I think a big part of thatis what does the whole night
look like altogether?
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Okay, what does the whole night look like altogether
?
Okay, and do you guys do rightnow that you mentioned hot or
drink coffee?
Are both part of the package,or do they have to select one or
the other?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
They're both part of the package.
Yeah, so we do hot and icedlattes.
We can do the Americanos hotterice.
The espresso cappuccinos areboth.
You know they're hot, yeah, butyeah, we can do hot and ice
lattes and Americanos.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Oh my God, it sounds like a really cool package.
And again, you know now thatit's becoming a trend for
weddings.
It's you know how can couplesfind you?
Website, social media, talk tous.
Let us let our listeners knowwhere they can find you.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Yeah, we try to make it really easy across the board.
Um, so website is reunioncoffee cart dot com.
Um, our instagram is reunioncoffee cart.
Um, they can also.
You know, I'm I'm very big on,you know, being able to reach me
as quick as possible, so I justuse my cell phone for
everything.
Um, so they can.
We can put up my number in theshow notes if we want to.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
So definitely, yeah yeah, we'll have your website,
your social media media, yourphone number, everything I text
all the time.
I like it when people text me,like even on my voicemail,
greeting, because sometimes I'mrunning around from event to
event or doing setups ormeetings or whatever.
So even my greeting says hey,send me a text message, I'll get
back to you.
Like, if you're inquiring foran event, just send me all the
(20:38):
details and I'll text you rightback and then we can schedule a
phone call.
And then, you know, go fromthere.
Exactly, it's easier.
Sometimes people send me DMSand I deal with people through
DMS.
I I don't, I, I just liketexting better than a phone call
, because I keep a log of whatwe talked about.
You know, because if somebodycalls me, yeah, I can be making
(20:58):
my little notes, right, butlet's say, if somebody calls me
as I'm driving, then I'm notmaking notes.
No, so I forget.
So I'm always like, wheneverthat happens, I just tell them
like, hey, can you send me aquick text message right after
we hang up Yep, and just I woulddo the same exact thing.
Awesome.
All right, Noah.
(21:18):
Well, thank you so much forbeing with us today.
I am excited for you guys weappreciate it and I am excited
for my coffee that you broughtme again.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Thank you, we appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Yeah, of course.
So to our listeners.
Thank you again for tuning inthis week.
As you know, every week we havedifferent vendors for tips and
advice for your wedding.
So, for you know, for tips andadvice for your wedding.
So if you know someone that'sgetting married, let them know
about the podcast.
If you're the one gettingmarried, send us a DM, let us
know what you thought of theepisode or if you have any
topics that you would like forus to cover.
We are here to listen and ifyou have a favorite vendor, let
(21:51):
us know.
We'll reach out to them, we'llinterview them, we'll have a fun
conversation, educ, a funconversation, educational, of
course, but it's always aboutfun.
This podcast is always abouthaving fun, as we're, you know,
giving you the best advice foryour wedding Cause we want to
make sure that it's a good dayfor you, not a stressful one.
So you know we make it easy foryou as we discuss different
(22:12):
topics with our, with ourinterviews here at the tipsy pot
.
I'm not even drinking todayduring this episode.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
You haven't had enough coffee.
I know I'm going to finish thiscoffee right now as a shot.
Anyways, I'm out, guys.
See you next time.
Bye.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Thanks for listening to the Tipsy Guest Podcast.
If you know someone who couldbenefit from these tips, spread
the love and share it with them.
Don't forget to subscribe andleave a review.
Next round's on us, same time,same place, cheers.
This podcast is brought to youby MBP Photo Booth, the number
(22:53):
one photo booth rental companyin San Antonio, austin and
Central Texas.
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com