Food trends may come and go but when it comes to business, mixing trends with well-established practices will be your key to success.

Whether you’re working full-time or juggling multiple jobs, putting up a business may have crossed your mind at least once. And why not? We’ve seen many examples of small businesses becoming a successful chain with multiple branches or opening franchise opportunities across the country. And you being the next one isn’t too far from happening.

Here, we’ve rounded up five negosyo ideas for foodies wanting to dive into their very first food business—or as more widely used in recent years, foodpreneurs.

1. Baking desserts for all occasions

5 trending negosyo ideas for budding foodpreneurs — A baking negosyo is an easy way to figure out if a food business is for you since you can first bake for family and friends

Birthdays, weddings, graduations, any big celebration—you name it. Desserts are not only best as a finisher for meals but are also great decorations to have in any party. Get creative with separate menus or have a special menu for regulars with your signature cupcake and cake flavors. For big celebrations, offer personalized options such as custom colors, designs, and cake toppers to make every order even more exceptional.

For this one, it’s best to promote on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to showcase your creations. Show off the different designs you’ve made for various orders and attract more potential customers as you grow your following.

2. Local bakery for classic pastries

Your bakery should always have a lineup with classics, then introduce some innovation products to keep it interesting

We all grew up with bread, and it’s one staple that will always have the support of the community wherever a bakery is built. We suggest to have a range of classics like the pandesal, then offer special pastries that only you can provide. While this is best promoted by word of mouth, having a significant social media presence is also a good idea. Promote your bakery in online communities that cater to your area or city, or partner with food delivery apps for even greater access to your pastries and wider reach to potential custoemers.

3. Ready-to-go cocktail mixes

5 trending negosyo ideas for budding foodpreneurs: Ready-to-go cocktail mixes — A bottled cocktail business might not be the most traditional negosyo but it certainly caters to a more discerning customer base

Are you into hosting house parties or organizing small get-togethers? If you think there’s a barista in you, consider a business centered on selling ready-to-go cocktail mixes. Not only are these easy to prepare, storage also won’t be a problem since alcoholic drinks, especially unopened ones, have a long shelf life, depending on what other ingredients will be mixed in the drinks.

You can spice up your products by offering cocktail mixes in personalized bottles or making them available for delivery through a website or various social media apps.

4. Party trays

Many successful food businesses today started out by selling party trays from home

If you are into cooking and have a couple of dishes up your sleeve, offering them in party trays is one of the more lucrative food businesses you can consider today. Since the pandemic, gatherings with family and friends have become such a valuable experience that intimate potlucks, in which everyone brings party trays for sharing, experienced a spike to make up for all the time spent in quarantine.

For your food startup, prepare party favorites like chicken wings and dip, pork barbecue, and classic Pinoy spaghetti. Add some specialties of your own, too like baked fish trays and egg mayo sandwiches to give a savory edge to your business.

5. Catering business

A catering business might be perfect for anyone who wants a creative and collaborative challenge — A catering business also allows you to cater to more exacting tastes

If all the abovementioned options sound like a good idea and you’d want to start with a relatively bigger bang, why not try a catering business? You can have custom packages for each customer and adjust them depending on size and occasion. Collaborating with clients then preparing everything in-house might present some challenges but these also allow you to flex your creative muscles and have a better handle on the overall vision. The most significant benefit of this negosyo is that customers will only need to coordinate with a single business instead of multiple suppliers.

Starting up: What’s the catch?

We cannot stress enough the importance of choosing the right ingredients — We cannot stress enough the importance of choosing the best ingredients possible in any food business

Once you’ve picked which food business will best match both your skills and long-term plans, it’s time to think about how to operate the business.

First, it’s important to know your target market. Will you be serving only your immediate community or are you aiming to reach a wider customer base? If it’s the latter, partner with delivery service apps or make arrangements with delivery riders or courier services.

Second, how will you execute promotion or marketing plans? If you have a generous budget, consider targeted ads online to reach potential customers. If not, growing your social media platforms organically is always a great starting point.

Third, and most importantly, pick your ingredients and suppliers. Choosing the right ingredients can make a big impact in the dishes and drinks you will be selling. Just like how there are different ways to make spaghetti, picking which tomato paste or sauce to use can make a world of difference.

Ingredient selection is crucial in food costing — For first-time foodpreneurs, understanding your food costs is essential in ensuring profitability

Another reason is that ingredients are crucial in food costing. Saving a couple of pesos on the total cost will enable you to offer better prices to customers.

One good example is Best Foods Mayo Magic, which now offers a 1L Sulit Negosyo Pouch. Designed for use in food businesses, it is considered the first in the market to offer such an amount in one pack.

It remains a trusted mayonnaise brand in the Philippines and now has been made thicker and creamier. Purchase the Best Foods Mayo Magic in all leading supermarkets and create magic pa more in your food business.

INQUIRER.net BrandRoom/FE