Business Food Ideas (23 Ideas + How to Start Guide)

Food is no doubt a commodity everyone consumes. If for some reason you doubt this fact, a HuffPost article in 2014 reported that the world consumes more than 11 million pounds of food every minute! As such, food is arguably one of the best industries to center your business on. This gives rise to the list of business food ideas embedded in this post.

In this article, we look at more than 20 business food ideas that can earn you a lot of money as well a guide on just how to go about it.

Food Business Ideas

There are a lot of food-related businesses you can open that have a high success rate. Here are 23 business food ideas.

#1. Catering

Catering events – be it weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies, housewarming parties, graduation ceremonies – is a great way to earn a living. If you are blessed with the ability to make sumptuous meals, catering is an especially viable business food idea to consider.

It is however not enough to just know how to cook. As a caterer, you must be organized and able to make the best use of what is available as well as also deal with contingencies.

#2. Bakeries

Bakeries are hot, both literally and literarily. If you own a bakery, you can earn a fortune just supplying bread to companies looking to brand them. You could as well sell directly to retailers. Bread is one of the staples on the breakfast table so it comes as no surprise that it sells like hot cake.

You can also make pastries, open up an annexed shop, and sell these. If your snacks are any good, you could make a name for your bakery as the place to get the best snacks.

Check out: Bakery Business Plan

#3. Food Deliveries

In the fast world we live in, everyone wants their food immediately they think about eating. Many people are now open to the idea of getting their meals delivered from their favorite restaurants to their homes. This has seen many restaurants creating a delivery outfit or outsourcing their home delivery demands to other delivery companies.

As someone looking to go into food deliveries, you must ensure you have a fast means of transportation, preferably something that can easily navigate through tough traffic common in most urban areas.

#4. Fish Farming

At this point, it is needless to say that fish farming is a profitable business venture. There is just so much one can do with this business food idea. For example, like a fish farmer, you can make a fortune simply by selling to restaurants, hotels, boarding schools, or food establishments around you. You can also sell in bulk to retailers. The possibilities are endless.

It is worth pointing out that fish farming is capital-intensive and requires some specialist knowledge to really make it. Also, the likelihood of making losses due to one factor or the other is high.

Check out: Fish Farming Business Plan

#5. Restaurants

By restaurants, we mean, commercial establishments to offer customers food in exchange for money. It doesn’t have to be five-star is what we mean. Generally, restaurants are booming. Many working-class people cannot afford or do not want to make home meals, especially during the week and so patronize restaurants.

As a restaurateur, you must recognize that customer satisfaction is extremely important. Do not underestimate the damage a negative offhand remark can cause your establishment.

#6. Ready-made meals

You can also offer to make ready-made meals for people looking for such. Once you publicize your service, you are likely to get orders from people who want you to cook large quantities of food which they will refrigerate to last a long period of time.

Ensure that you pay attention to the specifications they give you and request for customers’ allergies and dislikes so that you don’t cause them discomfort while they eat your food.

#7. Personal Chef

You can earn a fortune as a personal chef. Depending on your arrangement with your employer, you could be a live-in chef or not. Live-in chefs are generally paid more but do not have the time to engage other employers.

#8. Cooking School

You can also open a cooking school to train people looking to learn the ropes. You can earn some money from this business food idea. The school does not have to be an institution with blocks of classrooms and whatnot. It could be a small shop, bakery, or restaurant where students can learn even as you serve the actual needs of customers.

#9. BBQ Catering Services

Barbeque is in hot demand and going into its preparation and sale is a very good business food idea. Perhaps, the key to a good barbeque shop is its location and open hours. People buy barbeque more at night in a fairly busy area where there is loud music and nightlife.

#10. Biscuit Making

The making of biscuits might not seem like a readily profitable business but if you employ some marketing tactics and really study the market, you will find yourself making a lot of money from simply baking and selling cookies.

The major advantage of this business food idea is that it requires very little capital to start.

#11. Popcorn Making

In order to make it with this business food idea, you must be very strategic about where you situate your popcorn stand. Your business should be located in a busy place where people from all walks of life are likely to see it.

Know that your likely customers are young couples, teenagers, and children. As such, work towards attracting them with music or by placing setting up close to places they usually are.

#12. Energy Drink Business

Energy drinks are in and getting into the business would mean tapping into a currently unexplored business food idea. The potentials are however limitless. If you have the capital, you can invest in creating an energy drink of your own. Otherwise, you can deal in the wholesale or retail of these drinks. Whichever you decide to do, be sure you are well informed before taking action.

#13. Snack Business

The making of snacks like chin-chin, meat pie, doughnut, and puff-puff is no doubt a profitable business food idea. Many consumers on the go and working-class people prefer snacks, which they can nibble on during breaks, to full meals.

The snack business is also easy to start and can be conveniently done as a side business. The key to making it in this business is to focus on making one or two snacks. You should also create a favorable relationship with retailers around you who you can sell the snacks in bulk to.

Check out: Confectionery Business Plan

#14. Wine Shop

Selling expensive and inexpensive wine can be a great business food idea to consider. For one, you can make a lot of profit. Secondly, wines are more durable than other drinks; so, you are not likely to run the risk of a loss from expiration. Just ensure you stock everything from local to Italian wines.

#15. Small Chops

These are snacks that are usually served at events as appetizers. Small chops, believe it or not, are a fan favorite. As such, many event planners and caterers order it for their events. Small chops are also sold are small restaurants and fast food joints. You could make some money and build a business selling these mind-blowers.

#16. Noodle Making

Making noodles might not seem like such a fantastic business food idea, but it is. The business comes alive at evening time when a lot of people can be seen patronizing such vendors.

The key to making it is to offer variety, fried noodles with eggs, spicy noodles with toasted bread, and so on. This will keep customers coming again to try something new.

#17. Food Packaging

You can go into the food packaging business where you offer packaging services to food establishments and professionals who are looking for such services. There is a teeming market in bakeries, supermarkets, and hotels that are looking to brand certain snacks for sale.

#18. Catering Equipment Rentals

Most equipment – utensils, and cutleries – that are used in catering events are rented by the caterer, especially when such is new or runs a small-scale operation. You can meet the needs of such clients by offering an impressive stock of the finest equipment needed to successfully cater an event.

#19. Food Consultancy

Nutrition is a very important aspect of our health and for good reason. As a food, menu, and nutrition consultant, you can work with restaurants, chefs, caterers, and even schools to help people get the best from a good and balanced diet. You will however have to get certified by the relevant authorities before you can start this business.

#20. Cake Making

Trust us, you cannot go wrong with cakes. Cakes are and will forever be in demand. Cakes are a vital part of many memorable events. People get cakes for their weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, naming ceremonies, and even housewarming parties. In order to set yourself apart from just another baker, be creative. Offer mind-blowing cake designs that will leave people asking for their creator’s number.

#21. Table Water Business

Water is life and the table water business is alive and booming. It is not even an exaggeration to say you could amass a fortune from the sales of table water alone. People are paying more attention to what they put into their bodies. And with the distrust for tap water rising, the sale of table water has never made more sense; which makes it a viable food business idea.

However, it is advisable to pay attention to the purification processes your water goes through so as not to harm consumers or incur the wrath of regulatory bodies. Also, the packaging is an important aspect of this business; since consumers can hardly differentiate between the content of your product and that of your competitors, they are going to focus on which has the best packaging.

#22. Canteen Management

A canteen is a store or shop in a camp, school, organization, or other place, in which food, drinks, and other things can be bought. With the proper permission, you can open a canteen or lunchroom in an organization or school and cater to the needs of workers and students in the place.

#23. Sale of Food Provisions

An obvious and common choice in the food business industry, selling food is no less rewarding. Variety is vital in this business. Stocking a variety of produce and food products is sure to keep customers satisfied when they come to patronize your shop. Do remember that the average customer does not like overpriced products. So do well to keep the prices as customer-friendly as possible.

How can I buy a lot of food with little money?

The best strategies involve stocking up on pantry essentials, purchasing seasonally, and buying in bulk when things are on sale. Stick to the local food stores and compare costs online when you can (while you’re there, look for coupons).

What drives food prices up?

These cause an increase in the cost of labor, transportation, and energy. On average, the farm receives 16 cents of every dollar spent on food. The vast bulk of everything else has to do with things like transportation costs, processing costs, the wholesale and retail trades.

Is food demand rising?

Demand for food has risen throughout time. The demand for various food products has expanded along with population growth and the industrial and economic development of LICs and NEEs.

Can you make food at home and sell it?

If you intend to sell handmade food that has been made in your kitchen, you must obtain a food license from the FSSAI. To find out if you can operate a food company out of your house, you should also examine the zoning regulations in your neighborhood.

Will we run out of food in 25 years?

By 2050, there may not be enough food to feed everyone on the planet. Nearly 10 billion people will inhabit the earth by that time, and food demand will have grown by 70% since 2017.

What are three factors that affect food prices?

The short-term effects of numerous factors make food prices unstable. Among these are supply and demand, the environment, disease outbreaks, armed conflict, and natural disasters.

Will food prices go down in 2024?

However, because of currency depreciations, food prices in local currency continue to be high. In 2023, food costs are predicted to drop by 5% before stabilizing in 2024.

Conclusion

The food business is a very lucrative business but like every other business venture, it is wise to look before you leap. Do some research before deciding on the kind of idea you want to go for. Do not be persuaded by trends. Whatever you decide to do, be persistent and creative in it and not even the sky can stop you.

Also check out: Business Yield Idea Generator