Indian sweets shop with a small shopfront

Local residents, the Indian and South Asian community, office workers, and anyone buying gifts or treats for celebrations.

Counter sales by weight or piece, pre-ordered gift boxes and catering trays for events. Festival seasons are the busiest, so plan stock and staff around them.

• Making sweets and snacks in volume
• Food safety and stock control
• Managing a shop and basic bookkeeping
• Hiring and training staff

• Council food business registration, premises fit-out and inspection rules, which vary by council and state
• Commercial kitchen fit-out and extraction can be the biggest cost, so get quotes first; taking over an existing food shop can lower it
• Commercial lease terms and fit-out costs, so check them carefully before signing
• Food safety supervisor requirements and allergen labelling
• Public liability, product liability and property insurance, plus workers compensation once you hire
• Heavy seasonal swings in sales, so keep cash in reserve for quieter months

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $100,000 to $250,000, depending on the premises and fit-out. Commercial kitchen fit-out and extraction can be the biggest cost, so get quotes first. Taking over an existing food shop can lower it.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on location, range and trading hours. Sales swing heavily with the seasons, so it is worth keeping cash in reserve for quieter months.

Check council food business registration, premises fit-out and inspection rules, which vary by council and state. Also check food safety supervisor requirements, allergen labelling, commercial lease terms, and insurance including workers compensation once you hire staff.