Home kolache baker (pre-order weekends)

Neighbors, office teams, church and school groups, farmers market visitors and people who grew up with kolaches and miss them.

Sold by the dozen or half dozen, with extra income from party and holiday orders, breakfast boxes and seasonal flavors.

• Baking with yeast dough
• Consistent recipes and portioning
• Taking orders and managing pickups
• Social media or word of mouth marketing

• Cottage food laws differ by state: check which foods are allowed, whether registration or labeling is needed, and any sales caps
• Meat, cheese and other items needing refrigeration often are not allowed under cottage food rules, so check before selling them
• Check for a home occupation permit and HOA or lease limits
• Consider general liability insurance and product liability cover
• Label ingredients and common allergens such as wheat, milk and eggs as your state requires

Startup costs are typically around $500 to $2,500, depending on the equipment you already own, packaging and any permits or insurance you choose. These are estimates, so price out your own oven capacity, ingredients and supplies before you commit.

Monthly revenue is typically around $600 to $3,000, depending on how many baking days you run, your pricing and whether you sell at markets or by pre-order. Treat this as an estimate and subtract ingredients and other costs.

Check your state's cottage food rules for allowed foods, registration, labeling and sales caps. Meat, cheese and other refrigerated items often are not allowed, so check before selling them. Also check for a home occupation permit and HOA or lease limits.