Small-Batch Sauce and Dressing Supplier

Independent cafés, restaurants, delis, food trucks, caterers and local grocery or specialty shops.

Wholesale price per gallon, case or pail, with repeat standing orders from regular customers. Retail-size jars for shops can be added later.

• Cooking and recipe development
• Consistent batch quality and food safety habits
• Selling to chefs and shop owners

• Home kitchen rules: many states' cottage food laws exclude sauces and dressings, so check your state and county before making anything at home
• Some sauces count as acidified or refrigerated foods and may need pH testing or a process authority review, check with your state agriculture or health department
• Food labeling rules and allergen declarations on every container
• General and product liability insurance, which many restaurant buyers will ask to see
• Shelf life and safe cold storage and delivery

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on your equipment, packaging and how much kitchen time you need. Treat this as a guide and price out your own recipes and bulk containers before you commit.

Check first: many states' cottage food laws exclude sauces and dressings, so check your state and county before making anything at home. Some sauces count as acidified or refrigerated foods and may need pH testing or a process authority review, so ask your state agriculture or health department.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how many cafés, restaurants and shops you supply and your batch sizes. Many restaurant buyers will ask to see general and product liability insurance, so check that too.