Neighborhood pastry shop

Local residents, commuters, office workers and customers ordering for weddings, birthdays and corporate events.

Daily counter sales of pastries and drinks, plus higher-value custom cakes, catering trays and wholesale orders to local cafes.

• Professional baking and pastry techniques
• Managing costs, stock and staff
• Customer service
• Early-morning production planning

• Health department permit and inspections, plus plan review for kitchen build-out. Check your county's process early
• Commercial lease terms, zoning and building or fire code requirements for the space
• Food handler or food manager certification, check what your state or county requires
• General liability, property and workers' compensation insurance once you hire
• Thin margins from rent, ingredients and labor, and early hours. Test your numbers carefully
• Sales tax registration and a local business license

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $30,000 to $150,000, depending on the space, how much kitchen build-out it needs and the equipment you buy. Get local quotes before you commit to a lease.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on location, opening hours, pricing and how many custom event orders you win. These are estimates, not guarantees, and the figures are before rent, ingredients and labor.

Check your health department permit, inspections and plan review for kitchen build-out early. Check lease terms, zoning, building and fire code requirements, food handler or manager certification, insurance, sales tax registration and your local business license.