Are you passionate about cooking? Do you have a knack for making scrumptious dishes? Perhaps you should analyze some of those business opportunity proposals for chefs. Yes, one of your best options is to start a restaurant, but it is not the only one. We are going to see some of the most interesting ideas for people who know how to cook and are willing to turn that talent into their livelihood.
The thousand-and-one restaurants
The first business idea for a chef is undoubtedly to open a restaurant, and although in this article I will consider that it is just an idea, in practice it has endless possibilities and categories.
- You have many formats to choose from. From fast food to a gastronomic offer. From table service establishments to self-services. From the local workers in the area to the restaurant in the nightlife area. From low-cost to haute cuisine.
- And let’s not talk about the theme. Spanish, Mediterranean, fusion, Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, American cuisine, and many more places. And if we talk about Latin culture, from Mexico to Colombia you have many possible variants.
- All that to make a classic restaurant, or a bar with food service, or a beach bar, or a brunch place, etc…
I am not going to elaborate on the topic of opening a restaurant, because I published a specific guide a few months ago, and I refer to it. Better let’s see the other options that the chef has to set up a profitable business.
Cooking classes
Many people want to learn to dance, to play an instrument, to speak a language, and without a doubt, there are also many who want to improve their cooking techniques and learn to make new dishes. Hence, the idea of offering cooking classes can become a successful company. Of course, it is not enough to be a good cook, but to have certain didactic skills and good contact with people, to teach them patiently how to prepare the specialties and dishes.
You can adapt a room for classes, or even take advantage of an existing restaurant, and teach during hours when the establishment is normally closed, for example, afternoons and Mondays. That way you could take advantage of a place that already works and gets very cheap rent, by the hour.
The chef at home
Do you want a special evening with your partner, or invite some friends to a special and private event? Know that today some cooks offer chef service at home. Specifically, they buy everything you need for dinner (or lunch), and they come to your house to prepare everything. That way, you can enjoy a great gastronomic experience without leaving your home. For a cook, it can be an interesting business opportunity, and it has the advantage of not involving a lot of initial investment. What is more complicated, in this case, is to make yourself known, and have a sufficient network of contacts to be able to have an interesting volume of work and a profitable activity.
Sell take-away food
In the United States, it is a concept that works very well, both during the week and on weekends. They are establishments that prepare traditional take-out food, usually sold only at noon. They offer salads, rice, croquettes, meats, and various prepared dishes, which are sold by portions. Food is prepared in the morning (large quantities of each item) and sold at noon.
Customers are people who do not want to have to cook and want to eat something of quality at a lower price than in the restaurant. Many workers in the area, families, singles, retirees. It is an economical and practical alternative. It is often almost as cheap as cooking at home.
Food truck
If you know how to cook and you like not to stay long in the same place, you can study the possibility of setting up a food truck. They have become very fashionable lately, and you could participate in a large number of gastronomic events and fairs, traveling through your region, while you can enjoy your passion for cooking.
Have a cooking blog
I cite it as a possibility, although the truth is that it is a very competitive market niche, and it is not very easy to stand out. However, if you manage to publish interesting content, such as videos with recipes, you could have an interesting audience, to whom you could sell some products and services, such as cookbooks, online courses or even face-to-face courses (and so we would return to a previous idea).
Be a Chicote-type consultant
If you have had a restaurant and it has been good for you, but you no longer feel like running a place, a strange but interesting business opportunity would be to try to emulate a reality show but not with the aim of do a conventional reality show, but to help struggling restaurant owners get by. It would be like doing a small audit of the establishment, its letter, the organization, to propose improvements and help them get back on track. What do you think?
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