Rice cake shop with a small storefront

Local families, Asian community members buying for holidays and celebrations, curious foodies, and nearby offices or restaurants ordering trays.

Sales per piece, per box or by weight, plus higher-value holiday gift boxes and pre-orders for weddings, birthdays and festivals.

• Making or sourcing quality rice cakes
• Customer service
• Basic bookkeeping and stock control

• Health department permit and inspections, requirements vary by county and state
• Local business license, zoning and sales tax registration, check with your city and state
• General liability and property insurance, and workers' compensation once you hire
• Allergen labeling (such as soy, sesame, peanuts and tree nuts) and your state's food labeling rules
• Fresh rice cakes go stale quickly, so plan batch sizes to limit waste
• Commercial lease terms and build-out costs for a food space

Startup costs are typically around $30,000 to $120,000, depending on location, equipment and how much build-out a food space needs. Commercial lease terms and build-out costs are worth checking carefully before you commit to a space.

Things to check with your local authorities: a health department permit and inspections (requirements vary by county and state), a local business license, zoning, sales tax registration, and allergen and food labeling rules for your state.

Monthly revenue is typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on location and product range. That is an estimate of revenue, not profit. Fresh rice cakes go stale quickly, so plan batch sizes to limit waste.