My fantasy is maybe to start a one person cafe operation and manage overheads.

Unfortunately most retail space in the US is way too oversized to make that kind of operation work.

Not sure what the current food truck climate is, but that angle might be a way to get something compact and 1-2 person sized. You could get a small caravan/trailer or stand and hire out for parties purely on weekends or just Saturdays to get it started ahead of schedule.