We shot this video a few months back with a bunch of our OKC friends.  Our buddy Chris Clark created the music and Von Wedding Films did the video work!  Thanks for coming out that night.

Cafe Evoke Catering from Von Wedding Films on Vimeo.

There are tons of options when you are putting together the details for your upcoming event.  That is the great part about being in a city like Oklahoma City!  However, not all vendors are created equal.  It is easy to get their policy on how things work, how great of a job they do and get references from all the happy clients they have.  But what happens when things go wrong?

We have been providing specialty coffee to Montana and Oklahoma since 2005.  In that time, we have served at hundreds of events and served thousands of lattes.  From the start, we had several things that we wanted to be known for including top notch service, being on time, going above and beyond what our clients hire us for and taking care of our clients just as we would our own families - no matter the situation.  Well, a night a few weeks ago proved to be one of those times that we had to fall back on our foundations. 

Since 2005, we have only had one issue with an espresso machine that we could not fix before the event started.  That’s six years worth of work.  In fact, in that six years, we have only been late to get set up one time.  Even with the best equipment on the market, sometimes things just happen.

So, what happens?  Well, when you book with EVOKE, you are in good hands.  A refund is on the way.  Our policy is simple, if we have issues like that beyond our control, you have a choice:

1. Refund:  We will send you a refund with 14 business days for the amount of the contract we could not complete.  Hey, we breached the contract.  You will get an email from us explaining the refund and how the process will work.

2. Your next event, Free!  Yes, that’s right.  You can decide to just do another event in the future of equal value and we will bring the coffee!

There are TONS of great vendors in Oklahoma and 99% of them have no other intention but to create a flawless and perfect experience for you and your guests.  Get to know your vendors and what they are all about.  While we all hate the contracting, terms and conditions and the paperwork that goes along with it, it is important!  It keeps the good faith portion of the agreement, well, good I guess.

It’s your event.  Your vendors should do everything they can to make sure it is perfect.  Keep in mind though that things do happen.  If you have gotten to know your vendors, you will be able to take all of the bumps in the road in stride and without missing a beat.

Why do we tell you all of this?  Because we care about what you are planning.  Heck, it the occasion wasn’t important, you would not be going through the trouble of throwing a party or event over it.  You have a lot going on and to worry about your coffee caterer is something we want to take off your plate.

Have a great holiday season and we thank you for inviting EVOKE to be a part of it!

Jason Duncan, owner

There are lots of people offering coffee consulting.  We know.  We also know that if you have been trying to get into the coffee business, you have been hammered with all of these coffee schools and other companies that can give you the tools you need to succeed.  In fact, we feel strongly that you SHOULD go to a coffee school (like the American Barista and Coffee School) and we feel that you should use a coffee roasters that provides training for you and your staff. The gist of the  matter is simple: these coffee schools do not offer any type of specific development work or training for specialty coffee catering. That is where we come in.

Cafe Evoke Catering’s Business Development Program was born in order to help others achieve success in specialty coffee catering. During our more than 6 years in this specialized business, we have seen the niche grow from a handful of operations across the US to one of the industry’s fastest growing segments. It has developed to the extent that we have been working with the Specialty Coffee Association of America to establish specialty coffee catering as a separate membership category. As a part of this, we have been working tirelessly to educate the public about the industry and the quality of products and services that can and should be expected. Cafe Evoke Catering has become a leader in this exciting industry.

Our Business Development Program is available to those committed to joining us on a journey to create the best possible service for your clients and to raising the bar in specialty coffee catering. Our goal is to present a turn-key business opportunity by providing the following to you:

*Business Planning: We will assist you in the development of your business plan—the foundation for your new business and the tool you will use to evaluate your progress.

*Equipment Design: We will design your equipment package to your specific needs. This will be determined by your business plan and your local environment. Through your affiliation with Cafe Evoke Catering, you will have access to equipment at a price significantly less than retail.

*Market Analysis: This goes hand in hand with your business plan. The analysis will cover everything from pricing, services, product offerings and contracting.

*Business Operation Training / Barista Training: 5 business days of on-site business operations and barista training and a comprehensive training manual for your employees will be provided.

*Specialty Coffee Catering Overview Course: 2 business days of training at Cafe Evoke Catering’s studio in Oklahoma City will be available to you. This course will give you a glimpse of the day-to-day operations of a leading specialty coffee catering company.

*Phone and Email Consultation: In addition to hands-on training, eight hours of consultation will be provided via phone and/or email.

*Health Department Navigation: While we cannot include permits and licenses in your package, we will help you navigate the “sometimes tricky” local health department requirements.

*Networking: Networking in our industry is an important aspect of business development. Cafe Evoke Catering has been recognized for its use of networking to expand its business. We will introduce you to many companies, sharing our relationships, in order for you to grow your business.

Our mission for your Business Development Program is simple: To arm you with everything you need to open your specialty coffee catering company as quickly and profitably as practical after entering into this arrangement.

We don’t come and open your business for you. We work with you and learn your market with you as we develop your brand, your marketing strategy and your industry placement.  Experience is key and by having you lead the way from day 1, your chances of success are the highest possible. 

Don’t need help with the entire process?  No problem.  We are happy to create a package that gets you exactly what you need!

We put you on the fast track to opening within three months of this agreement*. This program is a turnkey business opportunity—saving you thousands of dollars in trial and error work to get your operation up and running. You will be in a position to open faster, run smoother and save money compared to starting on your own. With ongoing communication with others in our industry through networking and direct contact with Cafe Evoke Catering, you should open profitably from the first day. Putting Cafe Evoke Catering on your team means additional consulting, as needed, is available from those who know your company from the ground up.

This is not a franchise program.  Rather, our development program offers you the ability to have us help you get started and focus on what you think is important.  You are in 100% in control and don’t have to pay a dime in sales percentages or other franchise fees.

For more information about this program, including pricing and package options, contact us at (405) 606-2200 or via email Catering {at} CafeEvoke.com. 

Great luck and we look forward to a chance to chat with you about your new business!

*“open date” may depend on financing and lending programs or other city or state permits and licenses

We know you have lots of questions when it comes to booking a specialty coffee bar and coffee caterer for your wedding, office party, birthday or other social function which caused us to create a set of FAQs - a quick guide, if you will, to some of the most common questions we get asked when people are booking their mobile coffee bar.

We love the idea of having a simple and concise experience for you when you book with Cafe Evoke Catering and want everything to be out in the open and clear from the very start. So, we decided that we wanted to highlight a few of our “most popular” FAQ’s every now and then so that there are no surprises! 

If you want to see a huge list of Frequently Asked Questions, you can CLICK HERE!

What we want to talk about today is a part of the PRICING question: Yes, the most important part to many people as they begin to explore a mobile coffee bar for their event.  Our pricing is broken up into several parts:

1. Guest Count

2. Location

3. Duration of Event

4. Menu and Options

Today, we are focusing on the Guest Count (we will talk about the other parts later on). When it comes to the guest count, we treat it differently than your food caterer will. When you book your coffee bar with Cafe Evoke Catering, your price includes as many drinks as you and your guests can drink (and that we can make!) for the amount of time we are there serving.  We take care of all the payment and pricing up front and will never hit you with a per person charge, a per drink charge or any other charges that you do not know about all ready.

Because of that, it is important to get your guest counts to us in an accurate a form as possible.  In fact, it is good to give us the same number you are giving the food caterer or the event center so that we are all on the same page.

But not everyone at our event will drink coffee…

Ah, the “not everyone will drink coffee” question. You’re right!  Not everyone will drink coffee but some will have 2 or 3 or 4!  After almost 6 years in business, we have come up with a nifty way to judge the amount of coffee we will serve based on the number of people you tell us are invited and that you expect to come. This is why it is very important to get an accurate guest count and not to give us how many you THINK will drink coffee.

Let us do the math for you! We bring coffee for a percentage of your total. This is the way we get around having to charge you a per person price and a way that we save you money! If you know that you are going to have 250 people, make sure that is how many you tell us. If you take a fraction of the total you expect and we then take a fraction of that, we are going to run short!

So, as you are planning your event keep in mind that the most accurate information you have for us the better we are able to serve you. While it is rare that we EVER run out of product on a coffee bar, we do prepare for the type of event we are hired for.  100 people for coffee is much different that 250!

We look forward to the opportunity to sip with you soon!

We’ve been telling people that coffee is a perfect match to their event menu since 2005 and it looks like one wedding blog is finally telling their readers that the trend is now!  Wedding101 based in Franklin, TN wrote a cool post about dessert receptions and coffee bars! 

Dessert receptions are becoming more and more of a trend this year. Cupcakes, cake pops, cookies, mini tarts, flavored cake and mousse shots… the list of what you can include in a dessert reception is endless. I have a huge sweet tooth so this idea is right up my alley. Desserts could easily be served with champagne, a fabulous coffee bar, and perhaps a fruit tea.

We love all of these things but especially the idea of a specialty coffee bar.  This post actually features our friends Beve Mobile Coffee in Nashville - a company we have watched take our niche by storm for sure. Their style is killer and if you are getting hitched in their “neck of the woods” they are a MUST BOOK for your reception.  (In fact, go book them today if you haven’t already!)

We get to talk to many couples about their wedding receptions each year and we love it.  Here are a quick few points we like to make clear to folks when booking their coffee bar (or even thinking about booking their coffee bar):

1. It’s CHEAP!  When it comes to booking food and beverage service for your event, specialty coffee bars are going to be your cheapest option!  Trust us!  We’re talking $10ish dollars a person (or more) cheaper than your beer and wine list!

2. It’s MEMORABLE!   We know you want to create a reception that is unique, memorable and a blast for your guests.  What do people remember most about events?  The details!  Yes, the small things that you feel like are not a big deal.  Remember that “cheap” option we just mentioned? That is going to be something that people will remember for years to come (and much longer than that Miller Lite you served them!)

3. It’s UPSCALE!  We hear it all the time from people.  For some reason, folks think that having coffee service is like having a kids menu at the event. It’s not!  In fact, if you go with a coffee catering company that does it right, you and your guests will enjoy some of the world’s best rated coffees and probably coffee you will never try again!  Coffee, like wine, is rated and reviewed by professionals and then giving a score on a 100 point scale.  At Cafe Evoke Catering, we do not use any coffees that rank below 89. All of our staff have coffee as a career and take as much time developing drinks as your chef did developing the food you serve.  This is the real deal, guys!

4. It’s FLEXIBLE!  It’s doesn’t matter if it is a hot Oklahoma summer or a cold winter, your coffee bar will have the perfect option for your guests.  From cold brewed coffee and iced lattes to the perfectly pour press pot or Hario pour over - it comes with everything!  

5. It’s ENTERTAINING!  You know how you are worried your guests will feel awkward or board?  Not with a coffee bar!  We don’t know any mobile coffee companies that aren’t fun and interactive.  It seems that every time we set up a bar, there ends up being people back there watching the latte art, learning about espresso and talking shop!  It’s fun. People enjoy it!

6. It TASTES GOOD!  That should be enough right there!

We could go on all day about the value of  having specialty coffee at your event.  From signature coffee drinks to customized mugs, there are a million ways to make it say “congratulations” on your wedding day.

If you are getting married in Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, Missouri, Idaho or California, we can get you hook up with a great coffee caterer.

That being said, we’ve got your wedding reception, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, couples shower or whatever bridal thing you have going on in Oklahoma covered. 

Think about coffee for your wedding festivities. You (and your guests) won’t be disappointed.