Soup takeaway shop
Open a small lunch-focused shop selling soup, bread and sides for takeaway and local delivery.
- £15k-60k
- Full-time
- Own premises
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.
What it is
A small unit with a kitchen and serving counter, selling hot soup, bread and drinks for takeaway. You can add delivery through apps or local offices.
Your first three steps
- Find busy lunchtime areas and compare rents, footfall and nearby competitors
- Build a short menu, cost every recipe and test it at a market or pop-up first
- Check planning use class, lease terms and register with your council before fitting out
Who pays
Office workers, shoppers, students and local residents looking for a quick, affordable lunch.
How it makes money
Sales per portion plus add-ons like bread, drinks and lunch deals, with extra income from office catering orders.
Skills that help
- Cooking at volume
- Managing costs and stock
- Running a small team
Watch out for
- Planning permission or change of use for hot food takeaway (check with your council)
- Food business registration, hygiene rating and allergen rules
- Commercial lease terms, business rates and deposits
- Public liability and employer's liability insurance if you hire staff
- Delivery apps charge commission that can cut into margins
- Premises costs are a fixed risk if sales are slow
Deep research report · UK
Everything you need to start: soup takeaway shop
Researched with live web search for United Kingdom: 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
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to open a soup takeaway shop?
Startup costs are typically around £15,000 to £60,000, depending on the unit, kitchen fit-out, deposits and opening stock. Treat this as an estimate and get quotes for your own premises before signing a lease.
How much can a soup takeaway shop earn?
Monthly revenue is typically around £6,000 to £25,000, depending on location, opening hours and whether you add delivery. This is revenue before costs, and delivery app commission and fixed premises costs can cut into margins.
What rules should I check before opening a soup shop?
Check planning permission or change of use for hot food takeaway with your council. Also check food business registration, hygiene rating and allergen rules, lease terms, business rates, and public liability and employer's liability insurance if you hire staff.
Other ways to run this business
Home-made soup for local collection
Cook fresh soup in your registered home kitchen and sell it for collection or local delivery.
- £300-1.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
Soup stall at markets and events
Serve hot soup and bread from a market stall or event pitch, from a rented kitchen or a prep space.
- £1.5k-6k
- Side hustle
- Out and about
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