Dry hire bar
Bar unit, 1–2 bartenders, ice, mixers, garnishes, cups and napkins. You supply the alcohol; we send your shopping list.
$14.00 per guest, minimum $900 · 5 hours · 100 guests = $1,400
Price the bar from what it costs you.
For mobile bar owners: build a quote from staff hours, travel, licence fees, consumables and equipment wear, see your margin and how many events a month cover your fixed costs, then print a package menu.
What to charge Free during beta
- $1,213
- Quote for this event
- $12.13
- Per guest
- $425
- Profit after costs (35 %)
- 0.8
- Events a month to break even
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Staff (2 × 8 h) | $400.00 |
| Vehicle running cost | $42.00 |
| Licence / permit for this event | $0.00 |
| Cups, napkins, straws, garnish | $150.00 |
| Equipment wear (cost ÷ expected events) (fixed cost share) | $60.00 |
| Insurance share (fixed cost share) | $25.00 |
| Overheads share (software, storage, marketing) (fixed cost share) | $75.00 |
| Card fees on the quote | $36.39 |
| Total cost | $788.39 |
Margin is profit as a share of the price; the same profit is a 56 % markup on cost. Each event contributes $525 towards your $400 of fixed costs a month.
Startup costs
Tick what you need and put in real quotes. Example figures are rough placeholders for a small dry-hire setup, not market data.
| Item | Cost (USD) | Remove |
|---|---|---|
| Startup total | $6,700 |
At the event above, you earn back $6,700 after 16 events, about 4 months at 4 events a month.
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Frequently asked questions
How should a mobile bar price an event?
Add up what the event costs you — staff hours including set-up, travel and pack-down, vehicle running costs, licence fees, consumables, drinks if you supply them — plus a share of equipment wear, insurance and overheads. Then divide by (1 − target margin − card fees) to get a quote that leaves the margin you want.
What is the difference between margin and markup?
Margin is profit as a share of the price; markup is profit as a share of cost. A 35 % margin is a 54 % markup: on a $1,000 quote you keep $350 of profit on $650 of costs.
How many bartenders do I need?
A common rule of thumb is one bartender per 50 guests for a full cocktail bar and one per 75 for a simpler beer-and-wine or dry-hire bar. Add a barback for big guest counts or when glasses are washed during the event.
How do I include equipment in the price?
Divide what the kit cost by the number of events you expect before replacing it. A $6,000 setup that lasts 100 events adds $60 to every quote. The calculator does this for you.
How many events a month do I need to break even?
Divide your fixed monthly costs (insurance, storage, software, marketing) by what each event leaves after its own costs. The figure appears next to the quote and updates as you change prices.
Help shape what comes next
Everything here is free while Vesperline is in beta. Tell us which of the next tools you would pay for and we will email you when it is ready.