Cookie Shop With a Small Storefront

Local residents, workers on lunch breaks, families, and businesses ordering boxes for meetings and events.

Walk-in sales of cookies and drinks, gift boxes, holiday orders and catering trays for offices, parties and weddings.

• Commercial-scale baking
• Managing costs, stock and staff
• Customer service and local marketing

• Health department permit and inspections, plus any city or county business license
• Commercial lease terms, build-out costs and personal guarantees, ideally have a lawyer review the lease
• General liability insurance, and workers' compensation once you hire
• Thin margins from rent, ingredient prices and labor, and slow seasons
• Sales tax registration and food handler or food manager certification rules in your state

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $25,000 to $100,000, depending on your lease, build-out, kitchen equipment and opening stock. Treat this as a rough guide and have a lawyer review any lease before you sign.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $6,000 to $30,000, depending on location, opening hours, prices and extras like catering. Estimates start from about 40 hours a week. Margins can be thin from rent, ingredients and labor.

Check your health department permit and inspections, plus any city or county business license. Also check commercial lease terms and personal guarantees, liability insurance, workers' compensation once you hire, sales tax registration, and food handler or food manager certification rules.