Plan your coffee service
How Many Baristas Do I Need?
The simple maths behind a smooth coffee service — how many coffees your guests will drink, and how many baristas keep the queue moving.
The short answer
One barista serves roughly 60–80 coffees an hour
Plan on about one coffee per guest for a standard event, and one barista pouring 60–80 coffees per hour. So a single barista comfortably covers up to ~120–150 guests across a two-hour window — but if everyone wants coffee in the same 20-minute break, you’ll want a second barista to keep the queue short. Here’s how it works out by guest count.
| Guests | Approx. coffees | Baristas (relaxed 2–3 hrs) | Baristas (tight break) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 50 | ~50 | 1 | 1 |
| 50–100 | ~50–100 | 1 | 2 |
| 100–150 | ~100–150 | 1–2 | 2 |
| 150–250 | ~150–250 | 2 | 2–3 |
| All-day conference | 1.5–2 per delegate | 2 | 2–3 |
“Tight break” = most guests wanting coffee in the same 15–30 minutes (conference breaks, ceremony arrivals). A second barista is $50/hour and our estimator adds one automatically from your numbers.
What changes the answer
Three things that decide one barista or two
How concentrated is demand?
50 people over three relaxed hours is easy for one barista. 50 people hitting the cart at once during a 20-minute break is a queue — that’s when a second barista earns their keep.
How long is the service?
Longer windows spread the load. Our packages scale with hours: 2 hours (50 coffees), 3 hours (100), 4 hours (200), all-day (300) — see the cost guide.
Are people coming back?
All-day events mean repeat visits — plan 1.5–2 coffees per delegate rather than one, and staff accordingly so the afternoon slump doesn’t create a bottleneck.
The easiest way to get it right is to let the estimator do the maths — enter your guest count and service hours and it works out the coffees, the baristas and the price in one go.
Base rate applies — extra coffees beyond your package are $5.50 per coffee.
Lock in your exact quote → or call 0413 311 237Your final quote is confirmed on enquiry.
Questions people ask
Barista numbers — FAQs
How many coffees can one barista make per hour?
Roughly 60–80 depending on the order mix — milk-based drinks like lattes take a little longer than long blacks. For a fast-moving crowd, budget toward the lower end.
How many baristas for 100 guests?
One barista covers 100 guests across a relaxed 2–3 hour event. If they’ll all want coffee in a single short break, a second barista ($50/hour) keeps the queue moving.
How many coffees will 50 people drink?
Plan on about 50 — roughly one per guest for a standard event window. For all-day events, plan 1.5–2 per person.
How much does a second barista cost?
$50 per hour. The estimator adds one automatically when your guest count and service hours call for it, so the price you see already reflects the right staffing.
Get it staffed and priced in 30 seconds
Enter your guests and hours — we’ll work out the coffees, baristas and price.
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