About 45° Workshop | Coffee Cart Builders in San Jose
About

Hi, we're Gilbert & the 45° Workshop

Built by hand. Designed with purpose. Crafted for community.

We never set out to become woodworkers.

During the pandemic, we picked up woodworking with no formal training and a lot to learn. One project became another. Furniture became cabinetry. Cabinetry became carts, bars, and custom builds.

What started as curiosity became a craft.

But everything changed when we decided to build Vivra Café.

We didn't just build the cart. We built the business.

Building Vivra meant thinking beyond how something looked.

We had to figure out how a coffee cart actually works when there is a line of customers waiting.

We designed it. Built it. Changed it. Went through the permitting process. Passed inspection. Opened the doors. Then learned even more by actually operating it.

Those lessons now influence everything we build.

The questions nobody warns you about

Where does the espresso machine go? How much power do we need? How do we handle fresh and wastewater? Where should the rinser and hand sink sit? How do two baristas work without getting in each other's way? What does the health department require? What happens when something needs to change after inspection?

Built by someone who actually uses it.

Today, we combine more than 25 years of technology and business leadership with hands on craftsmanship and the experience of building and operating our own coffee business.

That means we approach a coffee cart differently.

It should look beautiful, but it also needs to work.

Equipment placement
Workflow
Plumbing
Power
Storage
Serviceability

Because when you have customers waiting, those details become everything.

Our journey can help with yours.

We made mistakes. We learned. We rebuilt things. We worked through requirements, inspections, equipment decisions, plumbing, power, workflow, and the realities of operating a mobile coffee business.

Now we want to share that experience with other entrepreneurs.

Whether you are building your first coffee cart, creating a mobile bar, or designing something completely custom, the goal is simple:

Build something beautiful that works in the real world.

From our first pour to yours.

Vivra Café taught us that entrepreneurship rarely comes with perfect instructions.

Sometimes you have to build the thing, test it, learn from it, and make it better.

That's exactly what we did.

Now we'd love to help you build yours.

We don't just build projects.

We build spaces where people gather, businesses grow, and memories are made.

Get Started