Foods To Sell: Start Your Own Culinary Business

Thus, because food is a permanent product of the market, if you want to venture into a business of this type, you will have to be innovative and creative to be able to identify the latent opportunities in your area and that people decide to buy your product above from others on the market.

You must know that having a food business to sell will always represent a challenge both at a culinary and administrative level. To do this, in this article you will find recommendations for both.

Yes. As we said at the beginning, as it is a basic need for people, there is a permanent demand for this type of product. In a Latin American country like Colombia, for example, the food industry sector contributes approximately 2.6% of the country’s GDP. In a European country like Spain, the food and beverage sector contributes around 3%.

Of course, because it is a strong segment, this means that there are many competitors, so the main thing is to find a way to stand out among them.

On the other hand, while opportunities abound to find food to sell and turn it into a profitable business, the viability of this will always really depend on your dedication and discipline. Even if you discover a new way of making pizza that will shake the culinary world, this will be of no use if you do not act with the necessary rigor and commitment so that your idea goes beyond the abstract and becomes a success.

Now, you will know that your business has reached that desired point after three things happen:

1. Reach your break-even point

That is, have a recurring income that allows you to cover the fixed costs of your maintenance.

2. Recover the initial investment you made

Through those “extras” that remain after adding income and subtracting expenses, little by little the business will return the first resources that you had to put into it.

3. Start making a profit

After having recovered the initial investment, that money that you have left once you have removed the expenses from the total income will be the profits that the business produces… If you reach this point, you can be sure that your business is a success!

How to choose the ideal food to sell: points to consider

Remember that if you decide to sell food to have your own business, you will be working with products that are perishable over time. This means that in order not to take a loss, you will have to be very strategic in putting food in motion.

The success of a meal can vary according to several points, from the local custom, the competition and your experience: what you can offer or in what food sector you have experience, since. That’s why while you’re learning about the different food options, you need to think about these things to  consider:

• What kind of food is sold the most in your area?
• What do people consume more out there?
• What are the types of food that are not as common to be sold, but that people like?
• How is that product being sold? How much?

Reflect on these aspects and take them into account to make the most appropriate choice.

Now that you know that having a food business to sell is profitable, let’s see what are the steps and requirements necessary to have your own business.

You have to know that in the world of food, customer service, the variety of the menu, and the prices set per dish, will be the main factors to take into account.

For optimal customer service, you must be very demanding with yourself and with the members of your team regarding care and protection and hygiene measures so that there is no risk to consumers. Even working at home you need to take some precautions, such as wearing a hat, apron, and gloves. Likewise, you should pay attention to the quality of the ingredients, because it is useless to have an incredible recipe with low-quality ingredients.

1. Conduct a strategic analysis

Analyze the environment, the industry, and the market to find out where you should set up your business, for whom, with what products, on what channels, and offering what services.

2. Make a business plan

Here you should describe your company, your product, your marketing strategy, and your sales strategy. Likewise, you must make a projection of expenses for each of these things and later describe the financial plan on which you will rely to be able to cover the expenses.

3. Define an execution schedule

Find out what the legal requirements are in your country to be able to have your own food business and, based on this information, draw up a schedule with estimated dates for the execution of the first steps of the project, including a tentative opening date.

How to make innovative food to sell?

We already know that to be successful with a food vending business, you need to be innovative. So here we give you some tips so you can develop unique recipes that give your recipes a special touch.

1. Identify the needs of people

Whether it’s the need for a healthier life or the need for a specific product that people in a specific area can’t access, you have to be aware of what people would expect to have available. Remember that every need represents an opportunity to innovate.

2. Tune in to current preferences

With the new fitness culture, the vegan culture, or with the new forms of delivery,  for example, thanks to internet sales, people are creating new life habits to which you will have to pay close attention to offer them options that they do not find in other food businesses.

3. Be authentic

There is no better technique to innovate than to be authentic. The best recipes come from trying familiar advice or experimenting with very own flavors and ingredients that give different characteristics to common products. So dare to experiment so you can find that personal brand that will make your dishes unforgettable.

Finally, remember that you can also innovate from other aspects, such as the place or form of sale, the product format, etc. Below, we’ll give you some other scenarios where you could get creative and have your catering business.

Food to sell at home

Another way you can decide what food to sell may be where you sell it. The sale of homemade food, specifically, has a very good receptivity because, on the one hand, they generate the feeling of home that we enjoy so much and, on the other, it seems to be a much healthier option than fast food.

So, you have two forms of business to sell food from home:

1. Have your home restaurant

Here you can offer breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner service to office workers, students, workers, mothers, or fathers who are looking for an alternative economic option to avoid having to cook every day. With this type of client, you have the great opportunity of proposing meal packages for a monthly payment or another type of offer that turns them into frequent clients.

Also remember that even if you are working at home, the level of hygiene and organization of the place has to be optimal. This includes being very careful with pets (if you have them) and always keeping the same schedule that the client can trust. Only in this way will you get the guests to come back.

2. Have a factory point for certain foods

If you don’t want to deal with the customer service and constant wobble that running your restaurant requires, another option to consider is operating as a factory outlet for certain foods. Thus, you will only have to worry about preparing the food and then distributing it to restaurants or other points of sale that are responsible for making it reach the final consumer.

Some ideas to cook at home are salt dishes such as:

Gnocchi

For the basic preparation of this dish, you will need ingredients such as:

• 1 liter of water
• A teaspoon of salt
• 300g unsalted butter
• 1 liter of milk
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 kg 1/2 of wheat flour

And to prepare it, you must follow the following steps:

1. Add the milk, water, butter, and salt to a saucepan.
2. Bring the mixture to the fire and let it boil.
3. After that add the wheat flour little by little and continue mixing until it becomes a ball of dough.
4. Remove from heat and let it rest.
5. Then, open the center of the dough and place the eggs.
6. Knead the dough until it becomes homogeneous and does not stick anymore.
7. Make several rolls and cut the gnocchi.
8. Take the cut dough into a pot with water and boil.
9. Drain in a macaroni strainer and run cold water for a heat shock.
10. Put it in a glass container.

Macaroni

For the basic preparation of this dish, you will need ingredients such as:

• 400g of good quality wheat flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

And to prepare it, you must follow the following steps:

1. Put a bunch of flour on a smooth surface and make a hole in the center, like a volcano.
2. Put the eggs and salt carefully in the middle.
3. Take a fork and move the eggs and wells mixing with the flour.
4. Stir the dough, opening, and closing with the palm of your hand.
5. Form a ball with your hand, wrap it with plastic film and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
6. After that period cut the dough in the center and then into four pieces.
7. Form four smaller balls and stretch each one individually.
8. Cut in the format you want.

Cube fried chicken

For the basic preparation of this dish, you will need ingredients such as:

• Chicken pieces
• condiments
• Oil
• buckets with lids

And to prepare it, you must follow the following steps:

1. Fry the chicken pieces to sell
2. Spice up
3. Pack in the buckets

Rissoles

For the basic preparation of this dish, for the dough, you will need ingredients such as:

• 4 cups of wheat.
• 4 cups of milk.
• 1 tablespoon butter.
• 1 chicken broth.
• Salt to taste.

To prepare it, you must follow these steps:

1. Add the milk, butter, chicken broth, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Once it starts to boil, add the flour and stir constantly until the bottom of the pot is completely released.
3. Place the dough on a counter and prepare the chicken filling.

For the filling, you will need:

• 1 cooked and shredded chicken breast
• Tomatoes
• Parsley
• 1/2 can of tomato paste
• Oil

And for its preparation, you must follow these steps:

1. Add the tomato, parsley, and pasta to a pot with hot oil
2. Stir to form an even mixture
3. Add the shredded brisket
4. let her cook
5. Put in a bowl

Later, you only have to put the filling in the dough from small sandwiches and then fry them.

You can also prepare complete dinners or some desserts such as cakes, churros, or cocadas.

Food to sell on the street

If there is something that prevents you from selling food at school, you can sell it on the street. For this, you will need a distribution point such as a cart or stall. In addition, being on the street opens up the possibilities for other types of food that you can sell.

Street food sales represent approximately 11% of fast food sales. So, if this type of sale catches your attention, we tell you some options to sell food on the street:

How to sell food on the street?

Food trucks

This type of business works like a restaurant on wheels. Its biggest advantage is having a flexible location that allows you to experiment with different locations at different times to increase your income.

Carts

If you don’t have enough money to invest in a food truck, the next option is a food cart. The difference is that they are smaller, they are generally not motorized, and their initial investment is much cheaper than that of a food truck.

There are many possibilities of food to sell on the street. In addition to fast foods, you could sell noodles, tamales, and even salads. The only thing you should keep in mind is that the most important thing for this type of sale is the packaging. Remember that they have to be resistant and practical.

foods to sell in winter

This season demands a fairly high-calorie consumption, because, to stay warm, our body spends more energy. So selling foods with a high caloric intake, such as peanuts or desserts, are undoubtedly a great option for this time. Another good alternative is hot drinks like coffee and chocolate.

food to sell in summer

Summer, on the other hand, is a time when everyone is brimming with energy and what they need is rather a wide variety of drinks and refreshing fruit dishes. Some recommended dishes that we have for this are:

Coconut water

In addition to being refreshing, this product has many health benefits, such as:

• Decreased stress and fatigue.
• Helps lose weight (has a very low rate of calories and provides important vitamins and minerals for metabolism)
• It delays aging because it contains arginine, which is a protein that fights skin and organ aging.
• It is very good for maintaining hydration because it contains magnesium and potassium, which are essential minerals in the control of electrolytes in the body.
• It is very good to help in the functioning of the liver and kidneys.
• Fight the hangover.
• It serves to prevent diseases such as cancer since it strengthens the body’s immune system.

Frozen

You can prepare it in all the flavors and colors that you can think of. Here we leave you a recipe to make coconut ice cream.

You will need as ingredients:

• a liter of milk
• A can of condensed milk
• A coconut (coconut zest also works)
• Sugar
• Transparent plastic bags of different sizes
• thermal tray

And for its preparation, you must follow these steps:

1. Add all the ingredients except the sugar into a blender and put it to work.
2. Add the sugar to taste little by little
3. Add a little mixture inside each bag, remove the air from them and tie them to seal their contents.
4. Place the separate bags filled with the mixture on a thermal tray and take them to the freezer.
5. Let them cool and harden for 3 or 4 hours and remove the tray.

Caramel Apples

To prepare this delicious dessert, you will need:

• apples.
• 500 g of sugar.
• 1 tablespoon of red food coloring.
• 2 tablespoons of white vinegar.

And then you must follow these steps:

1. Wash the apples, dry them well and then make a hole in them with a barbecue or popsicle stick.
2. Put the other ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to the fire.
3. Then, when the sugar has completely melted and thickened slightly, carefully dip the apples to completely cover them with this caramelized sugar.
4. Finally, just put the apples on a tray to cool.

Food to sell at school

If you are still studying, another option you can consider is to sell food at school. Keep in mind that for this place you should look for the greatest possible practicality since it will be food that you have to move a lot, so it must be very well packed.

The best food to sell at school is:

• sandwiches

  Students lead a very fast-paced lifestyle that requires them to save their time in the best possible way. Thus, offering them food options that they can consume in a short time is a great idea.

• snacks

  Another great option is those little packets of energy that keep the body going between meals. Here you can offer peanuts, packets, or fruit.

• Sweet

  People, especially the youngest, love sweets at any time of the day. In addition, they are a great source of sugar that allows you to always keep your energy afloat. They also have the advantage that they are very easy to transport because almost all of them come packaged.

How to sell food at home?

Selling this food from home is synonymous with selling food at home. To do this, you will need:

• Packaging. Solid enough so that when transporting the food it does not spoil. Preferably keep their temperature. That they do not represent a problem at the moment in which the consumer must discard them.
• Transportation. Suitable for taking food from one place to another without it being exposed to conditions that affect its taste, quality, or presentation.
• Staff. One or more couriers depending on the volume of addresses you dispatch per day, the hours agreed with the clients, and the distance between the different places of destination.

You can use traditional methods such as receiving phone calls with orders and then dispatching them, or you can join the new way of doing business using digital tools to sell food online.

How to sell food online?

Keep in mind that to  sell food online, in addition to the traditional elements of the home that we described above, you must have:

• A Web page. It does not necessarily have to be a domain that ends in .com, although this would be ideal, as it would give your business more seriousness. However, you can also rely on social networks such as Facebook or Instagram to create your own page and receive your orders there in real-time. If you decide on the latter option, you will have to be very careful how you structure your menu and the information you make available to the public. Unlike a web page, where the customer is guided to choose the ingredients and accompaniments, in a social network the communication will be through instant messaging, so you will have to make sure that it is completely clear what they are asking for.
• A virtual payment system. In addition to offering the customer the possibility to request your products and services online, you must offer them a payment method that they can also make online. Similarly, if you don’t have the necessary engineering to mount a shopping cart payment on a web page, don’t worry, you can offer a bank transfer method through the many applications available today for it.

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