Pre-order soup, collected or delivered

Cook weekly soups in a rented commercial kitchen and sell by pre-order for pickup or local delivery.

Freshly made soup in takeaway containers on a shop counter.
Startup costC$2k to C$10k
Monthly revenueC$1k to C$5k
Time needed12+ h/week
First incomeMonths
  • C$2k-10k
  • Side hustle
  • Own premises
  • Licence or permit needed

Estimates for a small start in Canada, not guarantees.

What it is

A soup business with no shopfront. You cook in a licensed shared or commissary kitchen and sell containers of soup by weekly pre-order, with pickup points or local delivery.

Your first three steps

  1. Ask your public health unit what permit you need and which rented kitchens in your area are approved
  2. Book a few trial kitchen sessions and test recipes that reheat and keep well
  3. Set up a simple online order form and offer a first batch to friends, neighbours and local workplaces
Who pays

Busy households, older people, office teams ordering lunch, and neighbours who want homemade-style meals.

How it makes money

Per-container prices, weekly subscription bundles, and bulk orders for offices or events.

Skills that help
  • Cooking in batches
  • Food safety and labelling
  • Social media and online ordering
  • Planning orders and deliveries
Watch out for
  • Food business permit and inspection, and whether your kitchen is approved for selling food
  • Rules on cooling, storing and transporting hot and cold soup safely
  • Allergen and ingredient labelling requirements
  • Commercial general liability and product liability insurance
  • Delivery costs, vehicle insurance and winter driving conditions
  • Kitchen rental fees, which can eat into margins if you cook few batches
  • At this revenue range it is best run as a side business or part-time work; full-time income would need much higher volumes or more sales channels

Deep research report · Canada

Everything you need to start: pre-order soup, collected or delivered

Researched with live web search for Canada: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.

  • Startup costs with real prices
  • Licences, registration and rules
  • Pricing: what others charge
  • Break-even example
  • Finding your first customers
  • 30-day launch plan
  • Risks and how to reduce them
Ready in about 2 minutes · one-off payment, tax included

See a full sample report

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to start a soup business in Canada?

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your equipment, containers, kitchen rental and how you handle delivery. Treat this as an estimate and get quotes for your own setup before committing.

Do I need a permit to sell soup from a commercial kitchen?

Check the food business permit and inspection requirements, and whether your kitchen is approved for selling food. Also check rules on cooling, storing and transporting hot and cold soup, plus allergen and ingredient labelling requirements.

How much can a pre-order soup business earn?

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on how many batches you cook and your sales channels. At that range it is best run as a side business or part-time work, and kitchen rental fees can affect margins.

Other ways to run this business

Similar food ideas

Photo: congerdesign on Pixabay

More ideas →