Mexican grocery shop

Mexican and Latin American households, home cooks, food-curious locals and small cafes or taquerias buying a few items.

Retail margin on each item sold. Regular staples bring repeat customers, and specialty or hard-to-find products can carry higher margins.

• Knowing Mexican ingredients and what customers use them for
• Buying and stock control
• Customer service
• Basic bookkeeping

• Food business registration with your local council and any food safety supervisor or training rules in your state
• Imported food must meet Australian biosecurity, labelling and allergen rules, check with the Department of Agriculture and Food Standards Australia New Zealand
• Fresh Mexican produce can be hard to source locally, so check supply and waste risk
• Lease terms, public liability insurance and stock spoilage costs
• GST registration once turnover reaches the threshold

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $40,000 to $150,000, depending on the lease and fit-out, how much stock you buy and the size of the shop. Treat this as a rough estimate and get your own quotes before committing.

Check food business registration with your local council and any food safety supervisor or training rules in your state. Imported food must meet Australian biosecurity, labelling and allergen rules, so check with the Department of Agriculture and Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Also check GST registration.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $15,000 to $60,000, depending on location, range, pricing and how well you manage stock and spoilage. The estimate assumes from about 35 hours a week, and revenue is not the same as profit.