How much coffee does a café use per month? The amount depends on the number of drinks served, the dry-coffee dose per drink, operating days and additional beans used for dial-in, remakes and staff drinks. Use the calculator below to estimate kilograms and order quantities rather than relying on broad averages.
1. Monthly consumption examples
These examples assume 18g dry coffee per serving, 30 operating days and 10% extra usage. They are illustrative scenarios, not UAE market averages.
| Servings / day | Monthly base | With 10% allowance | 1kg bags (rounded up) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 27 kg | 29.7 kg | 30 |
| 100 | 54 kg | 59.4 kg | 60 |
| 200 | 108 kg | 118.8 kg | 119 |
| 300 | 162 kg | 178.2 kg | 179 |
2. Café coffee consumption calculator
Enter your own café figures. Defaults are illustrative, not industry averages. Allowance covers extra coffee consumed; separately budget safety stock for delivery interruptions.
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Planning coffee requirements for your café? Share your estimate with FLAVA when contacting our team. No calculator values are transmitted automatically.
3. How many coffees can you make from 1kg?
1,000g divided by an 18g dry dose provides 55 complete servings with 10g remaining; a 20g dose provides 50 servings. Real service yield is lower after grinder retention, recipe adjustment, calibration and remakes. One “cup” may use more than one espresso dose.
4. Espresso versus filter coffee usage
Espresso, filter, batch brewing and double-shot drinks may require different doses. For mixed menus, track each drink type separately: category monthly kilograms = category daily servings × its actual dry dose × monthly operating days ÷ 1,000. Add the categories once and apply an appropriate extra-usage allowance, avoiding double counting.
5. Accounting for extra coffee
Measure grinder retention, dial-in shots, staff drinks, spills, remakes, added shots and training. There is no one-size-fits-all wastage percentage. An allowance should be based on your own records. It estimates beans actually consumed beyond customer-serving doses, not emergency stock kept unopened.
6. Monthly coffee inventory and reorder points
Forecast monthly beans, then determine when and how often to replenish. Reorder point = expected bean consumption during supplier lead time + safety stock. For example, at a hypothetical 2kg per operating day, a three-operating-day lead time consumes 6kg. With 4kg of separately held safety stock, reorder around 10kg of usable stock remaining. Opening inventory, order cadence and lead time determine each purchase quantity, not the monthly forecast alone.
7. First orders for new cafés
When no sales history exists, estimate footfall, conversion to drink orders, menu mix, dry-coffee dose and operating days. Choose conservative and busy scenarios, then confirm storage space and supplier lead times before ordering. Compare actual sales and grinder waste daily during early trading, and revise the next order accordingly.
8. Bean cost per drink
Bean cost per serving = coffee dose in kilograms × bean price per kilogram. For a hypothetical 18g dose at AED 80/kg, bean cost is AED 1.44 before wastage. This is arithmetic only, not a FLAVA wholesale quote. Milk, takeaway packaging, labour, rent, service, payment fees and overhead also matter.
9. Café stock planning checklist
- ☐ Record actual drinks sold each day
- ☐ Verify dry dose for every drink category
- ☐ Record operating days and peak patterns
- ☐ Track dial-in, remakes, training and extra shots
- ☐ Count usable whole-bean inventory
- ☐ Confirm supplier lead time and delivery schedule
- ☐ Set safety stock separately from monthly consumption
- ☐ Review reorder points and upcoming demand
10. Common inventory mistakes
Ordering based only on cups rather than doses, overlooking drinks with extra shots, failing to plan busy weekends, treating all surplus stock as free safety stock, and ignoring lead-time variation can all distort forecasts. Buying too much also risks freshness loss. Review actual stock movement and adjust the forecast monthly or more frequently during a new café launch.
11. Frequently asked questions
How many kilograms does a café use each month?
Multiply actual daily servings by average dry dose and operating days, divide by 1,000, then add measured extra usage.
How many cups come from 1kg?
At 18g per serving, 55 full doses; at 20g, 50, before waste.
How many beans are needed for 100 cups?
At 18g each, 1.8kg base, excluding extra usage.
How much should a new café order?
Start with measured or scenario-based demand, supplier lead time and storage capacity; revise using early sales records.
How do I estimate wastage?
Record dial-in, remakes, spills, staff drinks and grinder retention separately over representative days.
How often should cafés reorder?
It depends on daily consumption, delivery reliability, minimum orders and desired freshness.
What is the bean cost per cup?
Dry coffee grams divided by 1,000, multiplied by price per kg; include wastage for a more realistic costing.
How should I manage inventory?
Count stock, track actual usage, set a reorder point and keep safety stock explicit.
How do I forecast demand?
Use historical daily transactions where possible and adjust for events, opening hours and seasonal changes.
Where can I find a wholesale coffee supplier in Dubai?
Review supplier capabilities, roast consistency and fulfilment terms. See FLAVA's coffee supplier selection guide.
Plan wholesale coffee supply with FLAVA
Explore coffee supply for cafés in Dubai, wholesale coffee beans in Dubai and available 1kg coffee beans. Compare bean profile, capacity, order frequency and consistency with your estimated monthly requirement.