Made-to-Order salad shop

Office workers, students, gym-goers and health-minded locals looking for a quick, healthy lunch, plus small offices ordering lunch for teams.

Sales of salads, bowls, drinks and add-ons like extra protein. Online and delivery-app orders and office catering trays can add to walk-in sales.

• Food prep and food safety
• Cost control and ordering from suppliers
• Customer service
• Managing staff and shifts

• Health department permit and plan review for the space, requirements vary by county and state
• Local business license, zoning and a certificate of occupancy for food use, check with your city or county
• General liability insurance, and workers' compensation once you hire
• Food waste from fresh produce, plus thin margins and rising ingredient prices
• Delivery app commissions can eat into profit, check the fees before signing up
• Commercial leases can be long, have the terms reviewed before signing

Estimates for a small counter-service salad shop typically run around $40,000 to $200,000 to start, depending on the premises, equipment and build-out. Your own figure will depend on location, lease terms and how much kitchen equipment you buy.

Monthly revenue for a small salad shop is typically estimated around $15,000 to $60,000, depending on location, opening hours and menu pricing. That is revenue, not profit, so ingredients, rent and staff costs come out of it.

Check with your city, county and state. Things to look into include a health department permit and plan review, a business license, zoning and a certificate of occupancy for food use, and insurance such as general liability and workers' compensation once you hire.