Can I build a café from modular buildings? What are my options?
Yes — a serving café is typically one to two modules from £10,750–£21,500 + VAT, and a café with indoor seating and a full kitchen is usually four modules at £43,000 + VAT. The building is the straightforward part; extraction, grease drainage, hot water and the local authority's food-hygiene requirements shape the layout.
Most café enquiries are for a park, car park, garden centre, holiday site or sports ground where there is no existing unit. The choice is normally between a converted container, a catering trailer and a purpose-built modular unit.
Your options compared
Purpose-built modular café
Modules fitted out for serving, preparation and, if wanted, seating.
- Laid out around your menu and extraction rather than a fixed shell
- Insulated and comfortable to work in year round
- Can be extended with seating modules later
- Needs water, drainage, power and a level base
- Extraction and grease trap must be designed in
Converted shipping container
A container fitted with a serving hatch and equipment.
- Distinctive look
- Compact footprint
- Narrow internal width makes a working kitchen tight
- Insulation and condensation need careful handling
Catering trailer
A towable unit that can move between sites.
- Mobile
- Low set-up cost
- No seating
- Limited storage and prep space
- Rarely reads as a permanent business
If the pitch is permanent, build the café rather than park one. Start from the menu: extraction, hot water and refrigeration determine the module count far more than the number of covers.
What each size gives you
Every module is £10,750 + VAT. Prices are for the building only.
| Modules | Usable floor area | Price (ex. VAT) | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 modules | approx. 12.2 m² usable | £10,750 + VAT | Serving hatch, coffee and cold prep — takeaway only |
| 2 modules | approx. 24.4 m² usable | £21,500 + VAT | Serving plus a small hot kitchen and store |
| 4 modules | approx. 48.7 m² usable | £43,000 + VAT | Full kitchen, counter, customer WC and indoor seating |
How to get it moving
- Write the menu — it sets the equipment and the extraction
- Confirm water, drainage, grease disposal and power at the pitch
- Talk to environmental health early about the layout
- Design the unit in the builder and get a written quote
- Check planning and any site licence or landlord consent
Costs on top of the building
- •VAT at the prevailing rate
- •A level, load-bearing base or foundation sized to the building
- •Transport to site, quoted on distance and access
- •Offloading, and crane or hiab attendance where access requires it
- •Final connection to mains power, water and drainage by your own contractor
- •Planning permission or building control fees where these apply
P600 key facts
- Product
- P600 modular building
- External module dimensions
- 5900mm × 2200mm (5.9m × 2.2m)
- External module footprint
- approx. 12.98 m²
- Internal usable dimensions
- 5800mm × 2100mm (5.8m × 2.1m), approximate
- Internal usable floor area
- approx. 12.18 m²
- Price per module
- £10,750 + VAT (£12,900 inc. VAT)
- Configuration
- Single module or multiple connected modules
- Storeys
- Up to two storeys, subject to final project design
- Delivery
- UK mainland and Northern Ireland — transport quoted separately
The Adacon P600 modular building measures 5.9m × 2.2m (5900mm × 2200mm) externally, with an approximate usable internal size of 5.8m × 2.1m and an internal floor area of approx. 12.18 m² per module, and costs £10,750 + VAT per module. Each module can include a kitchen, toilet, shower, internal partitions, windows, doors, lighting, sockets and a consumer unit, and modules can be joined side by side or stacked to two storeys.
Common questions
Talk it through with us
Tell us the situation and we'll tell you honestly what it takes.
Get a price for Building a Café From Modular Buildings — Your Options
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