Read the video
| Time | On screen | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | Opening a café? Here's the equipment you'll need, and how we set it up. | The White Duck duck walks into an empty café holding a clipboard. |
| 0:04 | Step 1 of 5: Find the right equipment. Matched to your menu, volume, counter, power and plumbing. | Cards for an espresso machine, grinder, water filter and coffee brewer each get a check mark. Authorized and trained on La Marzocco, Slayer, Mazzer, Mahlkönig and more. |
| 0:11 | Step 2 of 5: Filter the water first. Florida water is hard, and scale ruins more machines than anything. | The duck tightens a water filter into the line, and the water hardness meter drops from hard to treated. |
| 0:17 | Step 3 of 5: Install the espresso machine. Power checked at the outlet, then plumbed in and calibrated. | A meter confirms the outlet's power before the machine is plugged in. The machine comes up to brewing pressure and temperature. |
| 0:24 | Step 4 of 5: Set up the grinder. Dial in your recipe and train your baristas. | The grinder fills with beans and is set finer, then a shot pours. |
| 0:31 | Step 5 of 5: Keep it running. Your team handles the daily cleaning. We handle the rest. | A timeline from daily cleaning by your team to quarterly visits, annual service and repair calls from White Duck. |
| 0:38 | Find it. Install it. Keep it running. (727) 477-DUCK, whiteduck.es/service | The duck walks into the White Duck Espresso logo. |
How we set up a new café
1. Find the right equipment
We match the espresso machine, grinder, water filter and coffee brewer to your menu, how many drinks you expect to make, your counter space, your power and plumbing, and your budget. We're authorized and trained on the brands we sell, including La Marzocco, La Spaziale, Ascaso, Mazzer, Mahlkönig, Slayer, Cimbali, Nuova Simonelli, Fiorenzato, Anfim and Hey Café. We can also help with the layout and the electric and plumbing plans before anything is ordered.
The basic equipment you need for espresso-based drinks is an espresso machine, an espresso grinder and a water filter. A drip coffee program adds a coffee brewer, a drip coffee grinder and a filter for the brewer. We can help source any other specialty coffee equipment you're interested in as well — these are the basics.
2. Filter the water first
Florida water is hard, and scale from untreated water damages more machines than anything else we see. We recommend the filtration for your water and your volume, and install it before the machine gets plumbed in. Our own stands run Vivreau or Everpure filters on our espresso machines.
3. Install the espresso machine
Before anything is plugged in, we check that the outlet delivers the power the machine needs. Then we plumb it in, set it up, calibrate brew pressure and temperature, and program your drinks as needed.
4. Set up the grinder
We dial in the grinder for your coffee and your recipe, and give you a brief training on how to use and maintain it.
5. Keep it running
Your team handles the daily and weekly cleaning, and we show you how. If you get our Annual Preventative Maintenance (PM) Plan, we handle the rest of your PM needs with quarterly visits. You can always call us for any repair calls when something goes wrong — we're local. If you buy your machine through us and/or have our PM plan, service calls are billed at our discounted $90/hr instead of $100/hr.
| How often | What | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Backflush, clean portafilters | Your team |
| Weekly | Soak steam wands, check grind weight | Your team |
| Monthly | Check gaskets and filter | Your team |
| Quarterly | Technician visit | White Duck |
| Annually | Rebuild steam wands, replace burrs | White Duck |
| Anytime | Repair calls | White Duck |
See the full maintenance schedule →
Questions we get asked
Do you sell the equipment, or only install it?
Both. We source the equipment, install it, train your baristas and service it afterward. We're authorized and trained on the brands we sell, and we also service coffee equipment including Fetco, Bunn and Curtis.
Why does water filtration come first?
Florida water is hard. Scale from untreated water damages more espresso machines than anything else we see, so the filter goes in when the machine does.
How often does a café espresso machine need service?
Your staff cleans it daily and weekly, a technician should see it every quarter, and once a year it gets a full service. Keep that up and a good machine runs 15 years or more.
What does service cost after you open?
Service calls are an $85 travel fee plus $100/hr labor, with a one-hour minimum. If you bought your machine through us or you're on our annual maintenance plan, the rate is $90/hr. After hours (outside 9a–5p) is 1.5 times the hourly rate.
Planning a café?
Tell us what you're opening, where, and when. We'll help you work out the equipment, and we can be there from design help to install day and onward. We cover Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota, Orlando and the rest of West Central Florida.
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