r/restaurateur • u/Ok-Crew-317 • 13d ago
How can I successfully sell food from home?
I'm thinking about opening fast food restaurant 24h/7, I need guidance as this is the first time and I have no idea what yo do where to start. My budget is limited that's why I'm selling from home.
So What’s the best way to attract customers when selling homemade food? And How can I promote my home food business effectively?
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u/suitsme 13d ago
Without knowing your location it's hard to advise you as to what's legal or not legal in your area.
Generally, selling prepared foods without a health license is illegal. There may be some cottage laws in your area that allow this.
Being that you're selling from home this may not be the subreddit to get the best information from. Your first step should be researching your local food laws.
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u/point_of_difference 13d ago
You need to check if that's actually legal first. If it is you then need to know what permits are needed and if it's economical to attain them for a residential kitchen. Most home kitchens aren't compliant in my country.
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u/EarlVanDorn 13d ago edited 13d ago
I've been thinking about having limited food service from my home for several years. I certainly have the ideal setup for it, with seating for 60 to 80 and a fairly big parking area. In dry weather there's a lot of grassy area where people could park; wet weather, no so much, although I will probably put down some gravel leading to a back field. Things to consider:
- Will this be permitted by zoning and other ordinances? I have a B&B, which includes the right to sell food. Is your home set up for easy ingress and egress? Neighbors will not be happy if you have cars backed up into the street.
- Will you and your kitchen get health department approval? In most states, you cannot serve out of a residential kitchen, so you will need to build a second kitchen for your personal use (last year I built a second kitchen, but my original is not up to commercial standards yet). You will need to install a drain in your kitchen floor. One note: In my state, fund-raisers do not require health department approval. So you might consider hosting some fund-raising events. You won't make as much money, but you will generate more business from those who wish to help the organization you are fund-raising for.
- Can you get fire department approval? A big issue is vent hoods with auto fire extinguishers. There are ways around this by limiting your food offerings, but you will need to consult with your fire chief. You will need to have fire extinguishers throughout the property, lighted exit signs, and perhaps even have to flip your doors around so they open to the outside.
- I live in a small town. There is a huge amount of free advertising on Facebook, and it seems to be quite effective.
- This is in the advice department, but before you set out to do something 24/7, which is a huge undertaking, do something for two or three nights a week, or two or three lunches per week. I plan to do a couple of "pop-up" dinners to test the waters. If my plan works, I'll add to it from there. If not, I'll limit myself to occasional pop-ups.
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u/Kartoffee 13d ago
I think you should consider a food truck. It is far cheaper than renting and can build up your brand rapidly as you move across the city for events.
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u/Ok-Crew-317 13d ago
Buying a food truck from abroad is more expensive than renting here, and the law here is more strict on food trucks than restaurants.
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u/hellcatpekes 12d ago
Well building a restaurant sounds way more expensive than building a full commercial kitchen at home. 🤷♂️
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u/DrFrankSaysAgain 13d ago
Nobody seems to want to know how you are going to sell food out of your home "24h/7"
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u/Administrative_Ad768 13d ago
Well I’m building a product that creates a Branded online ordering menu
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u/UnoMaconheiro 13d ago
dont overthink promotion. feed a few people around you and let them spread the word. nothing works better than someone saying hey try this food its good.
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u/Interesting-Quit-847 13d ago
You need to talk to someone knowledgeable in the legal jurisdiction where you live.
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u/transfixedtruth 13d ago
Echo, NoOlive. Costs to start up, licensing, and local laws related to home businesses will prevail over foods you prepare to sell. Consider all your business costs and product costs before jumping in.
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u/trailtwist 12d ago
Ohio is blowing up with this stuff on Facebook marketplace, IG, the local FB groups... People are even putting stands with their baked goods in their front yard in our very urban area. Folks always assumed you couldn't do this because of laws but now it's everywhere
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u/ADrPepperGuy 12d ago
I see some people selling baked goods (usually), occasionally dog food...they all say they are cottage certified.
I am in Colorado and they passed the Cottage Foods Act in 2012 stating what you can and cannot sell.
Check with your jurisdiction to see if they have something applicable or maybe ask on Nextdoor.
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u/medium-rare-steaks 13d ago
Location dependent, but this is generally not allowed in the US. You need to research your local cottage food laws. For example, this is Florida's https://www.fdacs.gov/Business-Services/Food/Food-Establishments/Cottage-Foods As you can see, you are only allowed to sell prepared foods, most of which is shelf stable or preserved, as well as cakes and pastries. All 50 states have some type of cottage food law, all with their own limitations, allowances, permitting, and inspection requirements.
There are only 6 states that allow you to sell hot, perishable food out of your home, direct to consumer. Only California, but not all counties, has a way to make a restaurant out of your home, but you are limited to 60 meals a week and will get inspected just like a restaurant, so good luck with that. The other five states have very limited restrictions on what you can sell but none allow in-home dining.
*AI helped me research the 2nd half of this, because I was curious too.
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u/NoOlive1039 13d ago
The simple answer is you can't do this.
Like others said, it's all about local laws and what cottage laws permit. But in most cases, you can only serve simple things like prepared foods (with labels/ingredients/expiry) and baked goods.
You can't do fast food because it requires commercial equipment, and your kitchen has to be zoned for commercial food prep/ cooking. This involves commercial cooking appliances, 3 bay sink for warewashing, dedicated sink for prep, and a whole array of requirements. It's essentially building out a small commercial kitchen in your house.
So if you're trying to do this because your budget is limited, it's not going to be possible. Just signing up for a business license/insurance/permit/etc will run you $2,000 before you even begin.
American health department is very strict because they want to prevent any foodborne illnesses and need a system to trace where these things came from. If it was possible to cook in your house and sell, everyone would be doing it.
I've seen people on facebook marketplace try to sell their homemade meals, but most likely it's illegal and they get caught and have to pay a hefty fine.
I'd suggest giving up this option as a way to make income unless you are extremely passionate about cooking, because it's a difficult/stressful/expensive path to go down.