Open a self-service coffee shop in Leipzig

Coffee to go in Leipzig: who buys on the move

In Leipzig people mainly get around by tram and S-Bahn. Anyone travelling into the city centre from Grünau, Paunsdorf or the surrounding area often changes once, and that is exactly where they buy their coffee: at the stop, on the platform, in the passage to the next line. A self-service coffee shop earns from these people. They do not sit down: they pick up the cup in a minute and get on the next train.

The most important hub is Leipzig Hauptbahnhof. Long-distance and regional trains stop here, the S-Bahn runs on the underground tracks, many tram lines stop in front of the building, and inside the building itself are the shops of the Promenaden Hauptbahnhof. Through the City-Tunnel the S-Bahn continues to the stations Leipzig Markt, Leipzig Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz and Bayerischer Bahnhof. At Augustusplatz and at the S-Bahn stations Leipzig-Connewitz and Leipzig-Plagwitz lots of people change every morning too.

The second group works in offices. In the city centre inside the Ring, offices and public authorities are close together, the City-Hochhaus stands at Augustusplatz, and at the Alte Messe research institutions and life sciences companies work in the BioCity. Office workers grab a coffee on the way in the morning and another one after lunch.

The third group studies. Universität Leipzig with its campus at Augustusplatz, Hochschule für Technik, Wirtschaft und Kultur Leipzig, Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst, Hochschule für Musik und Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: between two seminars, coffee is bought on the go. During the semester break there are fewer students in the city, and that belongs in the sales plan for a location at a university.

Which coffee shop formats we install in Leipzig

The most common choice is the indoor coffee shop, turnkey from €6 425. It stands in a shopping mall, in an arcade in the city centre, in an office building, at a university, in a hospital or in the checkout area of a supermarket. Winter does not hurt this location, because its customers are already inside.

The outdoor coffee shop (from €10 709) works round the clock in any weather, has a vandal-resistant body and needs no premises. It stands at petrol stations, at tram stops or in front of a Konsum supermarket in a residential area. You agree the spot with the owner of the space, for example the shop the kiosk will stand next to.

Then there is cold-drink: iced coffee, shakes and cold drinks for the summer. This format pays off where lots of people are outdoors in summer, by a park in the city or by a lake on the edge of town. We quote the price on request.

We do not fix the format in advance. First we look at the address and how people move there, then we decide what goes there. If you would like to sell something other than coffee, we will build a different vending machine turnkey: for ice cream, candyfloss, pizza or ready meals.

Where to put a coffee shop in Leipzig

The map above shows places in Leipzig that lots of people pass every day: stops, S-Bahn stations, supermarkets, office buildings, hospitals and universities. Tap your district and see what is nearby. Below are the places where we start the search in Leipzig.

Do you already have your eye on a free spot in a city centre arcade or at a stop in your neighbourhood? Send us the address, and we will calculate the income for that exact site free of charge. If you do not have an address yet, we will do the search: we check the footfall, negotiate with the landlord and show you several options. You pay for the search only after you sign the lease with the landlord, and only if you like the site.

How much a self-service coffee shop in Leipzig costs

A turnkey indoor coffee shop costs from €6 425 incl. VAT. Outdoor coffee shop: from €10 709. Cold-drink: price on request. Installation anywhere in Germany is charged separately from the price of the coffee shop.

The basic set includes a Kavil-branded kiosk with LED lighting, a Saeco or Jetinno coffee machine, a terminal for card and smartphone payments, Kavil brand design and telemetry. The final price depends mainly on the coffee machine model, and also on the options and the installation. Banknote and coin acceptors and a custom design can be added separately.

You pay in two parts, and only after signing the contract, which sets out the coffee machine model, the equipment, the amount and the deadlines. You make the prepayment after signing and pay the rest at installation. After that, each month you pay rent, taxes and the bank fee for card payments, and you buy ingredients and cups. You do not hand us any percentage of your sales.

What matters in Leipzig

On trade fair days it is much busier than usual around the Leipzig Messe station and on the trains going there. A location that lives only on trade fairs is still a risk, though, because between fairs the routes there are quiet. That is why we base the income calculation on an ordinary working day, and the trade fair days are a bonus.

On the map you can also see cafés and snack bars, and in neighbourhoods such as Plagwitz, Connewitz or the Südvorstadt there are lots of them. A self-service coffee shop does not compete there by offering a seat at a table; it wins on speed and opening hours: it sells early in the morning, late in the evening and on Sundays, when many cafés are closed.

Rents vary a lot in Leipzig too. At the Hauptbahnhof or in an arcade inside the Ring they are usually higher than by a supermarket in Grünau or Paunsdorf. That is why we calculate the income for each address separately, taking into account the footfall, the drink price, the equipment and the rent of that exact site.

What you need to launch

You need no business experience. We open turnkey coffee shops even for people who have never run a business: we train you from scratch, and from the day the contract is signed you have a personal manager. We help you with the bank account and the payment terminal step by step.

It all starts with a conversation. You leave your number, we call back, calculate the income for the site you have chosen in Leipzig, put together the equipment package and show you the inside of the coffee shop on Zoom. This stage moves at your pace. You read the contract before you pay, and the countdown starts with the prepayment: it takes up to 30 days from then to the first cup. In that time we build the coffee shop in our own workshop, look for a site if you ask us to, and then deliver, install and set up the coffee shop.

Looking after the location itself takes about 15 minutes once every two or three days: topping up ingredients and collecting the takings. You can easily combine this with your main job. You see sales and stock levels on your smartphone, so you know when it is time to go to the location.

How much Kavil partners earn

Taras has a network of 3 locations in retail areas and busy walkways. After 5 months of operation it brought him more than €1 770 of net profit a month. Bohdan has 1 indoor location by an entrance: 80 drinks a day and more than €880 a month after 6 months. Vladyslav has 2 indoor locations with steady footfall: more than €1 480 of net profit a month after 5 months.

Kavil partners’ figures (December 2024), converted to euros. Results vary from location to location: these are examples, not a guarantee. Coffee prices, rents and costs depend on the site, so we do not carry these figures over directly. We calculate the income for your address in Leipzig separately and free of charge.

Kavil franchise in Leipzig: what you get

You buy the equipment, and the business is entirely yours: 0 royalties, so no monthly share of your sales goes to us. We roast our own coffee, and you buy our beans 25% cheaper than from competitors. We build the coffee shops in our own workshop, buy Saeco and Jetinno coffee machines directly, with no dealer markup, and you get beans, ingredients and cups from us with no middlemen. Thanks to telemetry, you see sales and stock levels on your smartphone every day.

The equipment comes with a warranty, and we write its term into the contract. If sales drop, we go through the figures together, and if the site turns out to be weak, we plan a move. If you change your mind or the location does not work out, we will buy back the equipment at 60% of its value; the buyback terms are in the contract. Would you like several coffee shops in Leipzig at once? Ask about our wholesale offer: from 2 to 10 locations.

FAQ: a self-service coffee shop in Leipzig