Start A Cloud Kitchen Business - Business Ideas

Updated: September 15th, 2022
Start A Cloud Kitchen Business

Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.

What is a cloud kitchen business? A cloud kitchen business is a type of mobile catering business. It's a growing trend where chefs prepare food in their own kitchens, then deliver it to events and venues via bike or car.

Starting a cloud kitchen is a great way to get your foot in the door of a business and make some extra cash. Cloud kitchens are popular because they allow you to participate in a wide range of meals, from small lunches to large dinners, without having to invest in expensive equipment or supplies.

Follow these steps to get started:

  1. Identify the type of food you want to serve—you might want to focus on one type of cuisine or try something new each day.

  2. Research local restaurants that offer similar meals so that you can get an idea of what people like and what works well in your area.

  3. Find a reliable space where you can prepare food safely and efficiently—this will be where most of your equipment will go!

  4. Talk with potential customers about what they're looking for in terms of price and quality; this will help guide how much profit margin should be included in each meal's cost (and how much money you'll need).

Starting a cloud kitchen business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.

If you're interested in how to sell cloud kitchen, or selling cloud kitchen online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Key Stats

market size
$32.6B
starting costs
$5.89K
gross margin
65%
time to build
210 days

Startup Costs

Min Startup Costs Max Startup Costs

Office Space Expenses

$0

$7,000

Training & Education Expenses

$0

$1,000

Software Expenses

$0

$594

Advertising & Marketing Costs

$0

$2,750

Website Costs

$13

$215

Specific Industry Expenses

$0

$100

Total Startup Costs

$13

$11,659

Successful Businesses

Business URL Rank

Free Website Builder For Your Business

business.site

885

Cloud Kitchens

cloudkitchens.com

92,582

The Food Corridor

thefoodcorridor.com

288,323

kitopi

kitopi.com

426,498

grubtech

grubtech.com

585,949

Start Your Cloud Kitchen

startyourcloudkitchen.com

808,459

KitchenPark

kitchenpark.com

875,035

GHOST KITCHEN BRANDS

ghostkitchenbrands.com

1,069,195

COOKHOUSE

cookhouse.com.my

1,141,717

SmartCity Kitchens

smartcitykitchens.com

1,330,285

Select Cloud Kitchen

selectcloudkitchen.com.sg

2,263,524

Pros & Cons

Pros Description

Flexibility

You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own.

Ability to start your business from home

It's not necessary to have a physical storefront or office space to get your business started. You can do everything from the comfort of your own home, at least in the beginning!

Little startup costs required

The cost to start a cloud kitchen business costs significantly less money than most businesses, ranging anywhere from 12 to 11,659.

Rewarding work

Starting a cloud kitchen business can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about.

Scalable

With businesses and processes changing daily, there will always be demand for new features, products and services for your business. Additionally, there are several different business models and pricing tiers you can implement that will allow you to reach all types of customers.

Traffic to your website

A cloud kitchen business gives people a reason to visit your website and to keep coming back to you!

Cons Description

Crowded Space

Competition is high when it comes to your cloud kitchen business, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies.

Constant maintenance of publication

You may find yourself constantly needing to update your cloud kitchen business in order to stay relevant for your audience and for those searching on google.

Lack of benefits

With a cloud kitchen business, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming.

Isolation

Often times, as a cloud kitchen business, you typically work alone and do not have much face-to-face interaction with other team members.

Taxes

As a cloud kitchen business, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it.

No safety net

Typically, as a cloud kitchen business, you do not receive a consistent pay-check and instead earn money based on your transactions each month. During the slow periods, you typically take away less since the job is based on commission. It's important to budget accordingly for the slow times.

Marketing Ideas

  • 1

    Affiliate Program

    Affiliate marketing is a great way to bring in a new revenue stream, especially when you don't sell products or services.

    Simply put, an affiliate program is an agreement where a business pays another business or influencer ("the affiliate") a commission for sending traffic and/or sales their way.

    The affiliate typically gets a unique link where clicks and conversions can be tracked.

    Learn more about affiliate program ➜

  • 2

    Direct Sales

    Direct sales strategy implies a direct contact between a seller and a consumer without the involvement of any third party. Direct selling is popular in sectors where sellers communicate with their clientele personally. The sales technique occurs at non-store locations which include at home, work, or online.

    For direct selling to succeed, hire a few (or many) salespeople to support the sales conversion process. It's critical that you assign them specific roles and responsibilities to nurture the client and provide excellent support.

    Learn more about direct sales ➜

  • 3

    Word of mouth

    Word of mouth is when a consumers reflects their interest in a company’s product or service in their daily dialogues.

    Therefore, word of mouth advertising is essentially a free advertising triggered by the customers experience.

    According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family.

    Therefore, in today’s hyper-connected world, a single recommendation through a word of mouth can have a huge impact to your business.

    Learn more about word of mouth ➜