Packaged food maker in a shared kitchen

Local grocery stores, specialty and gift shops, cafes, farmers market shoppers and online customers.

You sell wholesale to shops at a discount and retail at markets or online. Margin comes from batch size, ingredient cost and kitchen rental hours.

• Scaling a recipe into repeatable batches
• Costing and pricing
• Pitching to store buyers

• Health department permits, plus any state food manufacturer license. Requirements differ by state and by product type, so check yours
• Federal labeling rules for allergens and nutrition, which the FDA oversees, so check what applies to your product and size
• Some products, such as acidified or low-acid foods, may need a process authority review, so check before you sell
• General liability and product liability insurance, which retailers often ask for
• Kitchen rental costs can eat margin if batches are small

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your product, packaging, permits and kitchen rental. These are estimates. Kitchen rental can eat into margin if your batches are small, so cost it carefully.

Monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on your product, prices and how many stores and customers you sell to. Treat these as estimates and test your costs before scaling up.

Check health department permits and any state food manufacturer license, as these differ by state and product. Also check FDA labeling rules, whether acidified or low-acid foods need a process authority review, and insurance retailers may ask for.