This article is for everyone who loves to cook or loves to eat. Or both! And of course for people who want to start small business. Nearly every day I see restaurants and packed food manufactures lack so many things, and doing so many things wrong. Same menus everywhere, lack of creativity, lack of food choices for vegetarians, lack of healthy food choices unless it's gourmet and expensive, and so on.
Listen, your competitors are boring. If you are boring like them you are going to struggle. Opening yet another bakery and competing in price is not the way to go.
But if you are creative it's easy to stand out from the crowd and attract customers. So here I am to share you five of my food business ideas - all are less popular and less exploited. I'd love to make them all myself, but you know, time and resources are never enough to do all we want. So here you go:
1. Sweets and chaat shop
Sweets and chaat shops are very popular in India and other Asian countries, and unfortunately not so popular in the Western world. If they were, I'd be there eating Indian sweets and "chaat" every day. Indian sweets are quite different than the sweets you can buy at your supermarket. They are mostly milk-based and made with fine flours, having different colors and tastes. They are extremely attractive and not too hard to make. The web is full with recipes, should you want to try making them yourself.
Chaat is even more interesting, and I'd really love to see chaat shops in the European cities. Chaat is fast food made right there, and it's really tasty, spicy, and fresh. Again, you can find lots of chaat recipes on the web.
Why is this a good idea: There is little to no competition (unless you live in India!). Chaat does not compete with burgers because it's a lot more diverse, often gravy, cooked, and spicy. Indian sweets do not compete with the regular sweet shops, because they are very different. Indian food in general is not as popular as Chinese food, at least in most parts of the world. So it remains exotic and attracts interest.
How to execute it: If you are starting on small scale you may need to learn to make sweets and chaat yourself. While there are many recipes and videos online, it will be best if you can find Indian cook to show you the tricks. If you can afford to hire Indian cook for your business, that's even better. So this business starts with cooking first - once you are able to make the sweets and chaat well (or hire a chef who does), the rest is more trivial. Find location, rent place, obtain permissions, start your company. You can then expand with catering and sweets delivery if you wish.
2. Really Seasonal Bar and Restaurant
It was mid-January and I ate green salad at the restaurant. I love green salad. But only when it's fresh and natural. That one tasted like plastic. And it's always like that when you eat green salad in the middle of January.
I wish restaurant changed their menu a bit more accordingly to the season. Wait! Here's a business idea - a restaurant that explicitly advertises as seasonal. In the winter offer pickles, turnip salads, beetroot, sauerkraut... Give me mulled wine, grog and punch to drink. When spring comes, offer food with spinach, nettle, radishes, dandelion wine. In summer put all those cold drinks on the table along with tomatoes, baked vegetables, fresh sea food, eggplants, zucchini. Autumn came? No problem, time for pumpkins, pepper, grapes, and hot drinks again. It's not rocket science, just see what our parents ate in the different seasons.
Why is this a good idea: Because your menu will vary, thus making people more interested to come often. Because seasonal food is cheaper to produce, healthier, and tastier. Because in the time when everyone offers plastic green salad in the middle of January, being seasonal is unique sales proposition.
How to execute it: It's not different than starting any other restaurant. The main difference will be in your marketing. Also, it helps if you can find local farm for products supply.
3. From Mini-farm to Jams and Pickles
If you love farming, this business is for you. The concept of the mini-farm is very different than the regular business farming. You can learn about it from many books and sites, but essentially it aims to produce organic food on a small piece of land. So mini-farming is great family business. And because it's nearly impossible to compete with supermarket prices selling raw produce, my idea is to close the production cycle and to make pickles and jams using your farm produce.
Why is this a good idea: Because your farm produce can be organic and unique. Because you don't have to buy fruits and vegetables, pay for transportation and for someone else's profit. Because you can grow a lot of food on a small piece of land. Because you can have your own brand and sell your jams and pickles right from your homestead. Because you can grow extraordinary vegetables and fruits that can't be found at the commercial markets. Because any food you can't sell, you can use yourself.
How to execute it: Obviously you need homestead with some land. An acre or even less can be enough to support a family of four. So, you need to learn the principles of mini-farming, which usually start with building raised beds. Then start growing food. Then make pickles and jams. Then make a website and blog showing how you grow your food, and use it to advertise your business. You can sell right from your website, or from the front of your farm, or at farmers markets.
4. Mobile food business
This idea can be combined with any of the others. Almost every food business can be turned into mobile. Sell your pickles and jams from the truck. Offer mobile Indian sweets. Bring mulled wine right on the street on a cold February evening. You get the idea.
Why is this a good idea: Because it's easy to get close to the customers. Because startup costs can be low. Because it's fun. Because it's marketing too, and can promote your future food business.
How to execute it: You need a truck or food cart, and you need food to sell. You can buy the products for the food, or you can produce them yourself with a mini farm. Then you need some promotion, permits, and licenses. And you need to get out there on the streets and start selling.
5. Vegan Food Delivery and Vegan Packed Food
Being a vegetarian I'm often bored by the limited choices of vegetarian food at restaurants and supermarkets. Especially here in Europe. And we, vegetarians, love sometimes to eat tasty food that's entirely vegan. But what do the very few vegan restaurants offer? Overpriced organic food, rarely cooked, rarely tasting good.
People don't understand how huge market vegan food can be. Your customers won't be only vegans: they will be also vegetarians, meat-eaters on weight loss or detoxification diet, and everyone who just want to try something different. And the best way to reach out to all these people is not to open a vegan restaurant. It will push them away. They won't come in. Instead, pack your food and offer it online, and in supermarkets. Deliver cooked or packed vegan food at home or office. Make their day different. There are many tasty vegan recipes online, so it's a no-barrier.
Why is this a good idea: Because competition is low. Almost no food business positions in the vegan niche. And most of them offer overpriced and not so tasty food, treating vegans like mentally ill. Offering tasty, affordable, packed vegan food is so much out of the box that it's enough to position you differently and gain you free word of mouth marketing.
How to execute it: Figure out what food to produce. It should be appropriate for packing and delivery. Don't focus on raw vegetables but focus on cooked vegan food, burgers and sweets. Make a website and blog, advertise on vegetarian forums and with flyers.
So did you start yet? Which idea do you like most?
If you plan to start food business you will also need a personal chef software like PurpleSalad. For more food business ideas visit also our food business blog.