Disclaimer: This is all my idea for learning how things go in this modern world. Please consult your CA or CS for your queries.
Little Back Story
Every time Kartik (my school mate with 10+ years of experience in continental foods) came to India, we discussed starting a food venture. We did some research and discussions, and then his duty called him back to the bread-and-butter business. This time, he’s back for a few months, and over the past few days we have been studying some feasible business models for our venture.
Delivery Kitchen is the one we chose — here’s why:
1. One can start a delivery kitchen based on Lean Model principles, so no huge investment is needed to start.
2. Delivery partners like Zomato, Swiggy, Uber Eats, and Food Panda provide a great platform for startups. One has to worry less about acquiring customers; on discussion with these partners’ onboarding executives, they help you understand the regional scenario and optimise the menu for better sales.
What you need to sign up on any online food delivery platform:
1. Shop Act Registration
Standard business disclosure. One can use the Maitri Portal from the Maharashtra Government; it costs around approx. INR 24.
It won’t take more than a day to get a Gumasta (Shop Act Licence).
Sign up here – https://maitri.mahaonline.gov.in/
2. FSSAI Licence
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India licence is mandatory for every food business in India. For starters, it costs around Rs. 2000. You can get it done from the official website, which is awful, so we got it done through an authorised vendor who charged us double.
Thanks to Digital India, the licence was in our mailbox on Day 3.
Try your luck at – https://foodlicensing.fssai.gov.in/index.aspx.
3. PAN & GST Details
A PAN card is mandatory for any online store. If you are not eligible for GST, you can share a self-declaration for the same.
Where to Sign Up as a Delivery Kitchen:
Zomato – https://www.zomato.com/business
Uber Eats – https://www.ubereats.com/restaurant/signup
Swiggy – https://www.swiggy.com/partner-with-us/
What’s ahead for us?
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- Onboarding with food delivery platforms.
- Understanding the day/night requirements of delivery areas.
- What to include on the menu that will work in our planned areas.
- How to keep our costs low.
I hope I can write about the experience soon enough. If you’d like to share your journey, feel free to DM me on Twitter or Facebook.