Planning guide · 3 min read
How Much Coffee Do You Need for an Event? A Planner’s Guide
How to think about drinks, baristas and carts for your guest count and service hours, and what changes the math.
By Deja Brew Chicago · October 20, 2026
Every planner asks two things. How many drinks will we need, and how many baristas does that take? It depends on your crowd, but these are the things we look at.
What changes the number of drinks
- Time of day. Morning events go through far more coffee than evening ones.
- Service hours. Two hours packs demand together. A full conference day spreads it out.
- Other options. An open bar or a coffee station nearby means fewer drinks at the cart.
- Weather. Warm days mean more iced drinks and refreshers.
- The crowd. An office that lives on lattes drinks more than a wedding crowd.
Plan for the rush
The busiest 20 minutes matter more than the total. That’s usually right after doors open, at a session break or after dinner. We staff for the rush so the line keeps moving.
Keeping the line short
- Keep the menu to three or four signatures plus espresso drinks.
- Use more than one cart for big or spread-out events.
- Put the cart where a line won’t block traffic.
- Open a few minutes before the rush.