Meal prep and food delivery services have taken the world by storm. What started as a niche industry has exploded into an $80 billion market that shows no signs of slowing down. The meal kit and prepared meals sector is growing at over 20% annually.
If you’ve ever dreamed of starting your own meal prep or food delivery business, now is the perfect time. But where do you begin? Here are some tips to launch your food delivery empire.
Focus on your niche. Identify your target customers and the specific needs you can meet. Do you want to provide healthy meal kits, prepared family dinners, or gourmet cuisine? Find your niche and own it.
Develop your recipes. Create recipes that match your brand and excite your customers. Keep them simple with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Make them visually appealing and post pictures on your website and social media.
Source your ingredients. Find reliable suppliers that can provide fresh ingredients in the volumes you need. Make sure you can get everything you need and that prices meet your budget.
Build your team. You’ll need cooks, delivery drivers, customer service reps, and a marketing team. Hire experienced people who share your vision and passion for the business.
Create your packaging. For meal kits and prepared meals, you need high-quality, eco-friendly packaging that keeps everything fresh and prevents spills. Include clear instructions for quick meals.
Set up your kitchen. Secure a commercial kitchen space and all the necessary equipment for preparing and packaging hundreds of meals per day. Make sure you follow all health department regulations.
Develop your technology. You’ll need a user-friendly website, online ordering system, payment processing, CRM software, and apps for customers and drivers. Everything should be integrated for maximum efficiency.
Market your business. Build your brand and spread the word about your new food delivery service. Use social media, online ads, email campaigns, influencer marketing, and word-of-mouth. Offer discounts and promotions to attract new customers.
Start delivering. Begin offering your service to customers. Provide the very best experience possible–from the quality of the food to on-time delivery to responsive customer service. Make any needed improvements and tweaks along the way.
Continue innovating. Keep creating new recipes, running special promotions, and improving your systems and technology. Survey customers regularly to see how you can make the experience even better. Growing and evolving your business will be key to long-term success.
Follow your passion. Starting any business is challenging, but following your passion for food and customer service will motivate you to push through obstacles. Dream big and don’t give up–you can build an amazing food delivery empire! Success is possible with hard work, persistence, and a little meal prep magic.