Ceramics maker supplying shops and cafés

Independent gift shops, galleries, cafés, restaurants and interior designers who want local handmade pieces.

Wholesale orders, usually priced at about half of retail, plus repeat orders and custom branded pieces for hospitality clients.

• Making consistent, repeatable pieces
• Costing and pricing for wholesale
• Pitching to shops and businesses
• Managing orders and deadlines

• Food-safe glazes and durability, since cafés and restaurants need tableware that survives dishwashers
• Breakage in shipping or delivery, so plan packaging and check insurance
• Shared studio rules on kiln use, storage and selling from the space
• Commercial general liability insurance, including product liability, and GST/HST registration once required
• Slow payment from wholesale buyers, so set clear payment terms and consider deposits
• Seasonal peaks before the holidays, which can strain your capacity

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on your shared studio fees, kiln access and materials. Packaging for safe delivery is also worth budgeting for, along with insurance.

Estimates put monthly revenue typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your output and the number of wholesale accounts. Seasonal peaks before the holidays can strain capacity, and slow payment from buyers is worth planning for.

Check food-safe glazes and durability, since cafés and restaurants need tableware that survives dishwashers. Also check shared studio rules on kiln use and selling, product liability insurance, packaging and breakage risk, and GST/HST registration once required.