Food business ideas you can start from home

38 ideas

These 39 food business ideas are for people who want to earn from their own kitchen or spare room rather than lease a restaurant space. Some, like a home-based wedding cake baker or a home bagel bakery with weekend pre-orders, rely on baking skill and a steady flow of local orders.

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1k to 5k5k to 20kOver 20kOut and aboutOwn premisesOnline
Baker decorating a tiered wedding cake in a bakery kitchen.

Home-based wedding cake baker

Bake custom wedding cakes and dessert tables to order from a legally approved home kitchen.

  • $1k-5k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
9,219 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.7% in a year
Green coffee beans tumbling in a roasting drum with roasted beans nearby.

Small-batch coffee roaster selling direct

Roast small batches of green coffee and sell bags online, at farmers markets and to local neighbors.

  • $3k-15k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
1,155 US businesses with employees in this field, +6.0% in a year
Artisan chocolatier hand-piping chocolates in a small kitchen workshop.

Home-made chocolates sold locally

Make small batches of bonbons and truffles at home and sell at markets, online and to local shops.

  • $800-4k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
280 US businesses with employees in this field, +0.0% in a year
Freshly baked cookies displayed on a counter in a small bakery shop.

Home cookie business with online orders

Bake cookies at home and sell boxes by pre-order for pickup, local delivery or shipping.

  • $300-2k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
9,219 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.7% in a year
Workers packing food ingredients and packaging on a production line in a factory.

Food packaging and consumables supplier

Source jars, labels, pouches and boxes from wholesalers and sell them to small local food makers.

  • $1.5k-8k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
14,991 US businesses with employees in this field, +1.2% in a year
Freshly baked Chinese buns and pastries displayed on trays in a bakery shop.

Home Chinese bakery on pre-order

Bake pineapple buns, sesame balls and other Chinese pastries at home and sell by pre-order for pickup or local delivery.

  • $600-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
9,219 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.7% in a year
A takeaway pizza box being handed over at a shop counter.

Home-based pre-order pizza nights

Bake pizzas at home for pre-orders and pickup on set nights, where local rules allow.

  • $500-5k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
270,088 US businesses with employees in this field, +1.8% in a year
Bulk crates of fresh fruit being loaded at a wholesale market.

Home-based fruit broker and wholesale seller

Connect growers and packers with local buyers from home, using third-party carriers instead of your own warehouse.

  • $2k-10k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
4,914 US businesses with employees in this field, -0.2% in a year
Colourful cupcakes displayed on a counter in a cosy bakery shop.

Home cupcake baker for custom orders

Bake cupcakes in your home kitchen for birthdays, showers and office treats, sold by pre-order.

  • $300-2k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
9,219 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.7% in a year
Sacks and crates of spices being loaded for overseas shipping from a warehouse.

Spice export trader

Source US-grown and US-packed spices and blends, and sell them to importers and food makers overseas.

  • $3k-15k
  • Part-time
  • From home
14,991 US businesses with employees in this field, +1.2% in a year
Elegant French pastries and cakes displayed in a patisserie window.

Home patisserie selling pastries and cakes

Bake French-style pastries and cakes at home and sell by pre-order, pickup and local markets.

  • $500-4k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
9,219 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.7% in a year
Crates of fresh fish and shellfish stacked at a seafood market.

Frozen seafood broker for caterers and shops

Source frozen fish and shellfish from distributors and supply small caterers and shops from a rented cold storage space.

  • $5k-25k
  • Part-time
  • From home
2,008 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.2% in a year
Customer buying traditional Japanese confectionery at a display counter.

Home-made Japanese sweets for markets and orders

Make dorayaki, castella or other Japanese sweets at home and sell them at markets, online and by pre-order.

  • $600-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
3,409 US businesses with employees in this field, +0.3% in a year
Freshly made doughnuts displayed on a counter in a bakery shop.

Home doughnut maker with weekend preorders

Make small batches of doughnuts at home and sell by preorder, pickup or farmers markets, where your state allows it.

  • $500-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
9,219 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.7% in a year
Colourful celebration cakes and sponges arranged in a cake shop display cabinet.

Home custom cake baker

Bake birthday, wedding and celebration cakes to order from a licensed home kitchen.

  • $500-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
9,219 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.7% in a year
Trays of freshly baked loaves and pastries cooling in a large commercial bakery.

Home-baked goods for local cafes

Bake shelf-stable breads, cookies and pastries at home and supply a few local cafes and shops.

  • $500-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
2,842 US businesses with employees in this field, +3.5% in a year
Baker serving fresh bread and pastries behind a bakery shop counter.

Home bakery selling bread and baked goods

Bake bread, cookies and cakes in your home kitchen and sell to neighbors, farmers markets and online orders.

  • $500-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
9,219 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.7% in a year
Freshly steamed tamales wrapped in corn husks, ready to eat or take away.

Pre-order tamales from a home kitchen

Make tamales in batches and sell by pre-order for pickup, especially around holidays.

  • $500-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
270,088 US businesses with employees in this field, +1.8% in a year
Cases of sweets and chocolate stacked in a wholesale warehouse for distribution.

Candy supplier for vending operators

Supply vending and gumball machine operators with bulk candy and snacks at prices below retail.

  • $2k-10k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
2,245 US businesses with employees in this field, -2.9% in a year
Steamed buns in bamboo steamer baskets at a takeaway counter.

Home-made steamed buns for pre-orders

Make steamed buns in a permitted home kitchen and sell them by pre-order for pickup or local delivery.

  • $500-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
270,088 US businesses with employees in this field, +1.8% in a year
Workers filling and sealing food cans on a production line in a cannery.

Home-kitchen jams and preserves

Make small batches of jams and fruit preserves at home and sell them at markets and online where your state allows.

  • $500-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
802 US businesses with employees in this field, -1.1% in a year

Small-batch soda wholesale from home

Supply a handful of local shops, food trucks and event organizers with specialty sodas, ordered ahead and delivered in your own car.

  • $1.5k-8k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
14,991 US businesses with employees in this field, +1.2% in a year

Boutique wine importer

Bring in wines from small foreign producers and sell them through distributors or direct to trade accounts.

  • $20k-80k
  • Part-time
  • From home
2,944 US businesses with employees in this field, +1.0% in a year

Home pastry and cake business

Bake pastries, cookies and cakes at home and sell by pre-order, pickup and local markets.

  • $300-2.5k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
9,219 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.7% in a year

About these ideas

Others, like an online Japanese pantry and snack shop, are more about sourcing, packaging and shipping. Before choosing, find out what your state and county allow for food made at home, since cottage food rules differ widely on what you can sell and where. Think about kitchen space, equipment, insurance and how many orders you can handle each week. Start with the idea that best fits your skills and your schedule.

More ideas

Questions

Can I legally sell food I make at home in the US?

It depends on your state and sometimes your county. Many states have cottage food rules that allow certain low-risk foods, often with limits on sales, labeling and where you sell. Check your state health or agriculture department before taking orders.

What should I check before starting a home food business?

Look at licensing or registration, permitted food types, labeling requirements, any food handler training, and zoning or HOA rules for your address. Also ask your insurer whether your home policy covers business activity and product liability.

Which home food ideas need the least equipment to begin?

Ideas built around a few products, such as pies, cupcakes or bagels sold by pre-order, can often start with a standard oven and basic tools. Reselling packaged items may need storage space instead. Always check what your local rules require for your setup.