How to Start a Kosher Catering Business

A kosher catering business is a movable business that serves food according to Jewish dietary laws. They operate under a Rabbis’ supervision and follow the laws of kashrut. Although not all Jews follow kosher, if you are planning to set up a catering business in a Jewish neighborhood, it can be a wise thing to follow as you will likely gain an increase in trade.

Kosher food
photo credit: Wally Gobetz / Flickr

Keep reading for some tips on how to set up a kosher catering business.

Start with a Business Plan

The first thing you need to do is come up with a business plan. This should explain exactly what it is you plan to do, where you are going to operate, and how much your business will cost to run. You also want to consider things like marketing and kosher certification, which you can find more about here. By starting with a business plan you can increase the accuracy and consistency of your business, and have a documented strategy to work with.

Review the Competition

The next thing you want to do is review the competition. This will help you to see where you fit into the market and to establish whether there is anything different that you could offer that your competitors currently don’t. You don’t want to directly compete with the other kosher businesses in your area, instead you want to come up with alternatives that could see you prosper in the community.

Kosher Caterers
photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik / Flickr

Find the Right Location

When running a kosher catering business, the right location is even more important. This is because kosher food isn’t something that is needed by the vast majority of the population. For this reason, consider setting up a business in an urban area that has a large population of Jews. Again, going back to reviewing the competition, it’s also wise to pick somewhere that isn’t already saturated with kosher businesses as you’ll struggle to make headway. You need to identify your target market and choose the right location in order to be successful.

Consider a Franchise

If you have never run a catering business before, it might be worth investing in a franchise rather than starting out alone. The reasons for this are numerous, but at the top are the facts that you will get full support from a well established business, and that people in your community will likely recognize your franchise’s name. Whilst you will have additional costs involved when starting a franchise, many first time business owners find the support they receive to be invaluable.

Take Advice

Finally, you may also want to take advice from others in the business and from accountants who can help you set up your business and help ensure that you have the right insurance in place. They will also be able to advise you on how much money you need to save for tax and other finances. Whilst your competitors will likely not want to help you, you could consider reaching out to businesses in another city and see if they will help you.

Starting a new business is an exciting time, but make sure you plan it properly to avoid disappointment.