First off, let me apologize for submitting a nyc-specific question (I’m confident that there are coffee venders elsewhere, but I can’t posit a question re them as I’ve never purchased java from a vender in, say, Mobile). Forging ahead…
My girlfriend an I are in the middle of a debate re how much these guys pull in, especially those venders in the Wall Street & Mid-town areas. Considering the foot-traffic around the "coffe guy" that I frequent (Rector St. near Wall St.), it doesn't seem unlikley that he can rake in $10/minute between the hours of 6:30 am and 9:30 am. For those not familiar with nyc price-gouging, we're talking $1.00 for a large coffee, $1.50 for an untoasted bagel, $1.75 for a Snapple, etc; all of which is served at a break-neck speed, and between those hours there is ALWAYS a line.
Unfortunatly, at this cursory estimate, it follows that they make $1800.00 in a single morning. This obviously seems high; yet even at a conservative estimate (say $5.00/minute for those three hours) they still stand to make almost a thousand dollars (that's 5 grand a week for 15 - 25 hours of work!!!)
Are there any coffee venders out there that can shed some light on this? Am I in the wrong business?!?!