Charcuterie shop with its own curing room

Walk-in customers, people buying gifts and entertaining platters, restaurants, wine bars, caterers and local grocers.

Retail sales over the counter, wholesale orders to restaurants and shops, and extras such as sliced-to-order meats, gift boxes and tasting events.

• Curing, smoking and butchery
• Food safety and record keeping
• Running a shop and managing stock
• Customer service and wholesale selling

• Meat production for sale usually needs USDA or state inspection, and facility layout and sanitation requirements can be strict, so check before buying equipment
• A written HACCP plan is typically required for cured and smoked products, so check what your inspector expects
• Local health department permits for the retail counter, plus city or county business licenses, zoning and sales tax registration
• Product liability and general liability insurance, plus workers' compensation if you hire
• High startup costs and a long wait before cured products are ready to sell
• Spoilage and food safety risks from equipment failures or temperature problems, so plan for backup cooling

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $75,000 to $300,000, depending on your premises, production and curing equipment, and retail fit-out. Costs are high and there is a wait before cured products are ready to sell.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on your location, product range, retail counter sales and wholesale customers such as restaurants, wine bars and grocers.

Check USDA or state inspection and facility layout and sanitation requirements before buying equipment. Also check what your inspector expects in a HACCP plan, health department permits for the retail counter, business licenses, zoning, sales tax and insurance.