23 BBQ Business Ideas You Can Start Today [2024]
Interested in starting a bbq business in 2024?
We put together 22 of the best bbq businesses you can start in today.
For each business idea, we’ll show you real-world examples of other bbq businesses to help you see what it really takes.
Here's the full list:
1. Start a food delivery business
In today’s busy lifestyles and schedules, cooking is no longer a priority to many. People like to order-in food from their nearest restaurants or food joints and enjoy a meal in the comfort of their homes.
The food delivery business is like a courier service through which restaurants deliver food to their customers.
You can offer retail food delivery services to restaurants within your locality if you have a truck. Customers order through a restaurant or grocer’s website, and the owners contact you to deliver.
How much you can make: $14,000 — $1,800,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $3,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Food Fleet grew over 160% in just one year and managed over 20 million in sales for its clients, securing multiple contracts with the likes of Sodexo, Levy Restaurants and more, due to its understanding of catering client needs and its advanced turnkey and design services.
2. Start a cooking class
Online cooking classes can be a great side hustle for seasoned chefs or cooking enthusiasts looking for a way to earn some extra cash. You can create content and teach your audience how to prepare meals.
Consider creating members-only content to earn more from your cooking class side hustle. Alternatively, you can sell recipes for a small fee as well. To grow your reach, consider offering some free content on your social media pages as a way to build curiosity among potential audiences. You can charge your audiences a subscription fee so they can have exclusive access to your content.
To start cooking classes , choose a niche and follow your passion. Create a website and maintain an active social media presence. Apart from online cooking classes or live sessions you can also offer exclusive offline weekend classes to give your audience a hands-on personal experience.
How much you can make: $100,000/month
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Hipcooks is a 7-location cooking school business that has grown organically to reach $100k/month in revenue, and attracts and retains customers through their communal approach, vibrant online presence, and updated Google and Yelp business pages.
3. Start a BBQ tools business
Demand for barbecue tools and accessories has increased over the past years, and there are no signs of slowing anytime soon.
The increase in the number of hotels and restaurants and the adoption of homemade barbeque are some reasons for the growing demand for barbeque tools.
Production of BBQ tools and accessories can be a profitable business venture.
If you have artisan skills and understand the BBQ industry, you can start mass production of the BBQ tools.
How much you can make: $40,000 — $500,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $600 (?)
How long does it take to build: 275 days (?)
BBQGrills.com is an online retailer of outdoor kitchen equipment, BBQ grills, and patio heaters that earned $2 million in sales within its first year of business through a focus on quality, performance, and customer service.
4. Start a catering business
A catering business is responsible for providing food & beverage-related services for vast types of events.
Catering businesses are known to be more flexible than other businesses because they don’t have to worry about location or pricing and can even work 24/7. They can cater anywhere and offer any price point that they want.
However, starting a catering business requires a lot of planning.
To start a successful catering business , you'll need to plan and prepare menus, manage budgets, handle clients, and more.
In addition, catering allows you to meet more people and show off your cooking skills.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $6,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Spokeo is a people information service helping over 15 million users a month search and connect with others through organizing over 14 billion records into easy-to-understand reports generating over $6M per month.
5. Start a youtube channel
For anyone looking to start a successful YouTube channel, there are plenty of YouTube channel success stories that can be used as inspiration and encouragement. In addition, YouTube has an established monetization system and boasts incredible popularity, making it a potential platform for revenue generation.
In this article, we'll look at different approaches you can use to help promote your channel and grow your viewers. While there's no quick and easy way to success, you can take these tips to build your own YouTube Channel Success story. If you love content creation, you can capitalize on YouTube's popularity to earn extra income.
If you want to join the Youtube partner program to monetize your channel, you will need to reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months.
How much you can make: $800 — $1,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $750 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Learn how this entrepreneurial couple made $5-7k a month by helping others find legitimate work from home jobs and creative ways to make money online through their blog and YouTube channel, as well as offering two flagship products designed to help beginner freelancers and new bloggers accelerate growth.
6. Start a restaurant
If you love cooking and are passionate about entrepreneurship, starting a restaurant can be a fun and lucrative business.
To get started, choose a great location, and hire an excellent support team. You will need a chef to inspect the food and line cooks, waiters, and waitresses to serve the customers. No matter the restaurant type, you need great culinary and business skills to make your dream come true.
If you plan to open a restaurant , gain insight from consumer preferences and focus on serving modern consumers what they need.
How much you can make: $124,998 — $2,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)
One Life Meals is a Toronto-based healthy meal delivery service that made 14,500 meals per month and generated $130k in monthly sales in 2018 through their one-on-one consultation, lean protein and seasonal veggies-based meals, and their focus on the client experience.
7. Start a charcoal supplying business
8. Start a BBQ talk shows business
9. Start a mini trade fair business
Starting a mini trade fair business can be a great way to tap into the lucrative world of trade shows and exhibitions. This type of business involves organizing and hosting small-scale events that allow businesses to showcase and sell their products or services to a targeted audience.
To get started, you’ll need a few key things. Firstly, you’ll need to identify a location for your mini-trade fair. This could be a convention center, hotel, or large warehouse. You’ll also need to secure the necessary permits and licenses to host your event, which will vary depending on your location.
Next, you’ll need to start recruiting businesses to participate in your event. This can be done through online and offline marketing, such as social media advertising, email marketing, and networking events. You’ll need to establish your target audience and choose businesses that appeal to them.
Once you have a solid roster of participants, you’ll need to start organizing the logistics of your event. This will involve everything from setting up the layout and design of your event space to coordinating catering and entertainment. You’ll also need to consider additional services you might offer, such as on-site childcare or shuttle services for attendees.
Running a mini trade fair can be a lot of work, but it can also be extremely rewarding. With the right planning and execution, you can create a successful event that provides value for businesses and attendees.
10. Start a BBQ equipment consignment shop business
11. Start a BBQ cookbook business
Have a passion for BBQ and a knack for culinary creativity? Consider starting a BBQ cookbook business. This venture revolves around creating a specialized cookbook filled with unique BBQ recipes, tips, and techniques that cater to both beginners and seasoned grill masters.
Developing a BBQ cookbook involves thorough recipe testing, writing clear instructions, and capturing high-quality photos to make your book engaging. Partnering with chefs or BBQ enthusiasts can add authenticity and variety to your content. There’s also the necessity of understanding your target audience to tailor recipes that meet their preferences, whether they’re into traditional American BBQ or experimenting with global flavors.
Once your cookbook is ready, you’ll need to navigate publishing options—self-publishing gives you more control, while traditional publishing may offer wider distribution. Marketing through social media, engaging food bloggers, and hosting live cooking demos can boost your book’s visibility. If you’re ready to combine your love for BBQ with the rewarding challenge of publishing, this business idea might be your perfect recipe.
How much you can make: $62,000 — $600,000/month
How long does it take to build: 365 days (?)
Nourishing Brands is a direct-to-consumer media company that generates more than $600k per month and sold over 300,000 cookbooks in 2020 through their popular health websites like KetoSummit.com by transitioning from digital events to cookbooks, evergreen courses, and paid media.
12. Start a BBQ TV shows business
13. Start a BBQ stand and accessories suplies business
14. Start a BBQ stand production business
15. Start a BBQ contests business
16. Start a BBQ awards organization business
17. Start a specialty sauces business
Unleash the flavor potential of every dish with a specialty sauces business. At its core, this idea involves creating unique, high-quality sauces that can complement a variety of meals. Whether you're passionate about bold BBQ flavors, spicy hot sauces, or gourmet dressings, there’s a demand for something different on the market.
Starting a specialty sauces business requires detailed planning—from perfecting recipes to sourcing quality ingredients and obtaining necessary food safety certifications. It’s a venture that demands creativity, meticulousness, and a knack for marketing. Effective branding and online presence can set your product apart, creating a following among dedicated food enthusiasts.
For those looking to turn culinary creativity into a viable business, this path offers a way to share your passion with a wider audience while filling a niche in the market. It’s about more than just cooking; it’s developing a brand that represents taste, quality, and a love for fine food.
How long does it take to build: 200 days (?)
18. Start a BBQ supplies business
Thinking about tapping into the thriving outdoor cooking market? Consider a BBQ supplies business.
In simple terms, this business involves selling a range of supplies needed for outdoor grilling enthusiasts, from high-quality grills and smokers to essential accessories like tongs, aprons, and specialized marinades. The appeal here is straightforward: BBQ is a beloved activity, and the demand for premium equipment and supplies continues to grow.
Starting a BBQ supplies business means identifying reliable suppliers, setting up either an online store or a physical location, and continuously updating your inventory with the latest products. To capture interest, focus on the social and communal aspects of BBQ culture.
Imagine helping people create memorable grilling experiences in their backyards. With a bit of dedication, you could become the go-to spot for BBQ lovers in your community. Is this the business idea to fire up your entrepreneurial spirit?
How much you can make: $70,000 — $333,333/month
How long does it take to build: 88 days (?)
Learn how Michael "Medium Rare" O'Donnell built Cave Tools into a $2 million per year brand selling high-quality barbecue tools and accessories, and expanded his business by launching Grill Master University, an online barbecue masterclass platform, all while traveling to and living in almost 40 different countries in just the last 3 years.
19. Start a herb and spice superstore business
20. Start an outdoor cooking store business
21. Start a barbecue stand business
A recent market report showed that the global barbeque grill market size is approximately $5 Billion. The report is a testament that barbeque has a wide appeal across the globe. Therefore, starting a BBQ stand can be a great business venture.
Luckily, you do not have to pay rent to start a BBQ stand. You can venture into the street food business by putting up a BBQ stand on busy streets.
22. Start a BBQ reality shows business
Want to combine the thrill of competition with the savory world of BBQ? Enter the realm of BBQ reality shows. This business idea centers around crafting and producing reality TV content that captures the intense and flavorful battles among pitmasters.
Your goal will be to scout charismatic contestants, engage passionate audiences, and showcase diverse BBQ styles. The logistics involve project managing shoots, securing locations, and post-production editing—all while ensuring each episode delivers mouth-watering excitement.
The allure lies in the growing popularity of cooking shows, paired with the universal love of BBQ. This venture could attract sponsorships, streaming partnerships, and a loyal viewership. If you have a knack for storytelling and a love for BBQ culture, launching a BBQ reality show could offer a smoking hot opportunity in the entertainment industry.
How much you can make: $70,000 — $25,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Grew BBQ cleaning service to 240 US locations with multi-unit businesses making six figures and boasting 99%+ customer satisfaction rate.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
