Office coffee for small teams and startups in Dubai: which plan fits 5 to 20 people
A team of five to twenty people does not need a catering department, but it does need coffee that is there every morning and a sensible answer for the day a client walks in. This page is for founders, office managers and startup operators in Dubai. It sets out which published plan fits a small team, what a month costs per person, where a karak flask is the lighter choice, and how to estimate your own total.
Prices as published on our corporate pages on 10 October 2026, ex 5% VAT.
Quick answers
- Which plan fits a team of 5 to 20 people?
- The Desk plan is from AED 599 a month for about 15 people. The Floor plan covers about 15 to 50 people from AED 1,150 a month. Both are before 5% VAT.
- Plan table
- Is there a minimum for the meeting packages?
- Yes. Coffee Break, Working Breakfast and Full Meeting Day start at 8 people. For fewer, order karak flasks or trays.
- Flask option
Typical small-team situations
Small teams usually need coffee in three ways.
- Everyday pantry coffee, with a machine, beans or simply a flask.
- Client and investor days, when a flask on the meeting-room table matters most.
- Team mornings with 8 people or more, such as a breakfast or workshop.
Which plan fits
Published rates, before 5% VAT.
| Situation | What fits | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Up to about 15 people, daily pantry | Pantry plan, Desk tier: about 3–4 kg of specialty beans a month plus 40 karak servings a week, with a bean-to-cup machine placed free on a six-month plan | from AED 599 a month |
| About 15 to 20 people, daily pantry | Pantry plan, Floor tier (covers about 15 to 50 people): about 8–10 kg of beans a month and a daily karak or gahwa flask rotation | from AED 1,150 a month |
| Machine only, any size | Bean-to-cup machine with no beans plan and no lock-in | AED 199 a month |
| 5 to 10 people, no daily pantry | Karak or saffron chai flask, 1L (about six cups), or a 10-cup karak tray | Flask from AED 40 / AED 44; tray from AED 250 |
| Team breakfast or workshop, 8 people or more | Coffee Break or Working Breakfast, per head | from AED 45 / AED 55 per head |
The headcounts are published as “about”. If your team sits near a boundary, such as 14 or 16 people, tell us the real number and we quote the plan that fits.
What a month costs per person
The plans are priced per tier, not per head, so the cost per person is the monthly price divided by the people on the team. Before 5% VAT:
| Plan and headcount | Sum | Per person a month |
|---|---|---|
| Desk, 15 people | 599 ÷ 15 | AED 39.93 |
| Desk, 10 people | 599 ÷ 10 | AED 59.90 |
| Floor, 20 people | 1,150 ÷ 20 | AED 57.50 |
The cost per person falls as a plan fills up, so a 10-person team pays more per head on Desk than a 15-person team does. If your team is nearer five than fifteen, compare the plan with flasks before you commit. Both routes can sit on the same quote and invoice.
The karak flask option
Not every small office needs a machine. A 1L karak or saffron chai flask holds about six cups and costs from AED 40 (saffron AED 44), so a team of 12 with one cup each needs two flasks. A 10-cup karak tray is from AED 250, with samosa pav extra. Flasks suit a client meeting, a Monday stand-up or a one-off team morning.
Karak also sits inside the Desk plan, which includes 40 karak servings a week, so the two work together: the plan for the daily pantry and a flask for the day a visitor arrives. Delivery in Dubai for trays and flasks: AED 250 minimum per delivery, free delivery above AED 500, flat AED 40 below that. Ordered in the morning, flasks and trays can often go same-day to nearby Dubai offices.
Worked example: a 12-person startup for a month
A 12-person startup takes the Desk plan, holds one team morning on the Working Breakfast package and orders two karak flasks for a client meeting. Using published rates only:
| Line | Calculation | AED |
|---|---|---|
| Desk pantry plan, per month | 1 x 599 | 599 |
| Working Breakfast for a team morning, 12 people | 12 x 55 | 660 |
| Karak flasks for a client meeting | 2 x 40 | 80 |
| Subtotal, before VAT | 1,339 | |
| VAT at 5% | 66.95 | |
| Total with VAT | 1,405.95 |
This illustrates arithmetic from published rates, not a quote. Delivery is charged per the published delivery terms and is not included. Tier fit, hours and menu are confirmed on your itemised quote.
Estimate your own total
The cost estimator on our corporate catering page adds up the published prices for your headcount, meeting package and flasks. It is a guide, not a quote, and excludes 5% VAT. For a side-by-side of the three pantry plans, see Desk, Floor or HQ.
What we ask before quoting
For a small office we keep the questions short, and the answers go on the quote.
- Headcount: the real number, including hybrid days, so the right tier is chosen rather than the cheapest.
- Space and power: where the machine would stand and which outlets are nearby.
- Billing: one invoice for the office and any purchase order number.
We reply within one working day (Monday to Friday) with an itemised quote, confirming the plan, access and timing in writing. Every order carries a VAT tax invoice with TRN, and purchase orders are accepted.
Related: Coworking spaces, Training days & workshops, Meeting & coffee-break catering.
Common questions
Which plan should an 8-person team choose?
Desk is the only pantry plan below about 15 people. For under 10 people, flasks and trays are the lighter route, and you can mix the two on one quote.
Is the coffee machine really free?
Yes, on a six-month bean plan, with no deposit. Without the plan it is AED 199 a month.
Do we have to sign a long contract?
Trays and flasks have no contract. Twelve-month terms on the managed subscription save 8%.
Can a team of 6 order the Working Breakfast?
The per-head meeting packages start at 8 people. For a team of 6, order karak flasks, a 10-cup tray or the filter-coffee flask instead.
What happens when we outgrow Desk?
Floor covers about 15 to 50 people from AED 1,150 a month. Send us the new headcount and we confirm the tier and any change in writing on your quote.
Do you issue VAT invoices and accept purchase orders?
Yes. Every order carries a VAT tax invoice with TRN, and purchase orders are accepted.
Keep planning
Sources on this site: Pantry plans · Plan comparison · Meeting packages · Karak.
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- VAT tax invoice with TRN
- ROAST since 2018 · Cha Cha Chai since 2013
- Dubai-based