by Martha Blanchfield
Owner Bill Choy founded his company Travelin' Joe Espresso 15 years ago. It all started when Bill and his wife were attending a friend's wedding and were lamenting about the quality of the coffee that was served after a wonderful gourmet meal. Bill made a comment that he could probably make a killing bringing a traveling espresso cart to special events with “Starbucks” quality coffee. His soon-to-be ex-wife disagreed and bet that he couldn't possibly pull it off. Well, the marriage didn't last, but the travelin' espresso cart concept did and with a vengeance. With a love for coffee, a penchant for service and a well-trained staff, Bill and his carts make wedding (and event) calls to just about anywhere in California and Nevada.
Travelin' Joe brings the finest coffee teas and more to your site. Brides have hired Bill and his carts for wedding celebrations, rehearsal and cocktail receptions, even bridal showers.
Customized Service
Aside from his standard cart service that includes almost every coffee and tea drink under the sun, Travelin' Joe will personalize the presentation and menu. He'll work with the couple to develop signature drinks, locate clever cups, glasses and silverware, and he'll hunt down memorabilia items to compliment the presentation.
Bill notes that couples in his base region (the San Francisco Bay Area) are very adventurous and many embrace ethnic origins and request exotic touches for their weddings. He recounts working with one couple celebrating with a traditional Turkish wedding. At their event he offered Turkish mint tea and of course their traditional Turkish coffee in its thick, dense form. Another bride and groom asked Bill to help them celebrate traditions from Vietnam. After a bit of research and hunting, Bill was able to offer Vietnamese drip coffee at the couple's celebration. He scoured the market and located several small drip machines to concoct the preferred brew. Other popular, yet slightly off-the-beaten-track beverage requests include India chai tea and a “green” coffee service - complete with organic coffees, teas and milk products served up using recycled paper products.
Travelin' Joe has two levels of service. His standard espresso cart includes:
- Unlimited latte, cappuccino, mocha and espresso drinks
- Decaffeinated and regular coffee, hot chocolate, tea, chai
- Service using white paper café cups
- One server and single cart with one espresso machine
- Up to three hours of service
- Round trip travel to and from site
Cost is $600 for service of up to 150 people; $75 an hour over three hours service for up to 150 people.
Travelin' Joe's upgraded premium service includes:
- Additional server(s)
- Additional espresso cart(s)
- Upgraded glassware and china
- Extended service time
- Includes round trip travel to and from site
Bill notes that he's not limited to coffee, tea and a cart! For a bit more money he can further customize an event with fruit smoothies and/or Italian sodas. He can bring in a breakfast bar for those all-night events. And if there's space and a need for a touch of café culture, he'll send over a Parisian bistro set-up with authentic walnut Parisian sidewalk tables and chairs.
For more information, contact owner Bill Choy at: (510) 843-8730, or visit his website: www.travelinjoeespresso.com
