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Kaycee Anderson (Kaycee Anderson) launched Coastal Charcuterie in St. Pete Beach, Florida, after her friend suggested she start posting photos of the delicate deli plates she made for her party on Instagram.
Now, she has sold more than 50 cooked food plates-and made a profit of $2,000 in eight months. She handles several boards a week, sometimes several at a night, while working as an accountant and office manager for an ocean construction company.
“I actually started my business during the pandemic. Many people want something different that can be delivered to their home,” she said.
Starting a deli business is more difficult than putting a few slices of Gouda and Cheddar next to some ham and then putting grapes. However, if you are good at choosing specialty cured meats and skillfully pairing them with various foods, clever grocery shopping, a lot of interpersonal relationships, and love the hustle and bustle of side business, then the deli may beckon you.
Yes, as families gather together or neighbors in foam are tired of pizza, wings and sourdough bread, a pandemic deli board business has sprung up across the country. Meat and cheese boards with all fixatives become a new staple food.
“The 2020 holiday is when it really takes off. I might make 20 boards in December,” Anderson said. The demand hasn’t slowed down much, as she filled out the meat and cheese board orders for the Super Bowl, as well as a customized board for Valentine’s Day date night. The deli board is a fun and delicious way to watch March Crazy, and it is also the perfect gift for a baby shower for friends on Zoom.
You see, an elaborate deli board goes far beyond the cheese board of the past. They are even more than just a meat and cheese board. Cured meat and cheese are still staples, but usually include nuts, fruits, pickled vegetables, spreads, chutneys, jams, biscuits, bread, and olives. Then there are people using pancakes, fruit, chocolate, and bacon to make breakfast cooked plates, or dipping sauces, fruits, biscuits, pretzels, and candy corn (really) to make dessert plates.
There are countless books, Pinterest photos, and Instagram posts full of ideas about themes, shapes, and ingredients.
7 steps to starting a deli
Anderson has mastered some of the tricks and secrets of the deli industry. For example, Aldi’s holiday cheeses were sold out very early, and Trader Joe’s has the perfect bite-sized olive and fig biscuits. Real estate agents like to give a cooked food board as a housewarming gift after the transaction.
But there are more nuts and bolts to consider.
1. Understand the meaning of “deli”
Before you dive into the business, understand the definition of what you are doing. This traditional term can be traced back to France in the 15th century. “Charcuterie” is a French word that means “products produced by high-end pork butchers”. Deli usually refers to displaying prepared meat on a traditional plate, with cheese and common vegetables. They are still a popular way to provide guests with a budget for small gatherings or wine tastings.
2. Consider all startup costs
Anderson’s biggest start-up cost was a round wooden deli board worth $60, which was about 3 feet away from TJ Maxx. She used it for her grazing platform for about 30 people.
For other small, medium and large orders, she assembles cooked food on disposable hard plastic trays with lids, which sell for about $4 on Amazon.
She also bought some distinctive bowls, spreaders and tongs. But in general, the start-up investment is less than $300.
3. Calculate product pricing
“The hardest part is figuring out the price and the price people are willing to pay,” Anderson said. “I really had to sit down with my mother. She works in the catering industry and finds a way to solve this problem. My main goal is to keep it at around US$9 to US$10 per head. With this, I get a lot of money. considerable profit.”
Her smallest deli plate sells for US$40, and she can usually make it for about US$20. However, when you calculate the time for grocery shopping, assembly, and delivery, the profit per hour is less than $10. However, when she makes three or more similar circuit boards in a few days and combines shopping and assembly time, her profit margins increase.
On most boards, Anderson will automatically add biscuits, bread, nuts, olives, pickles, fruits and vegetables. Customers can choose the main ingredients from four categories: hard cheese, soft cheese, meat and spread. For small boards serving two to four people, they have four options. They chose six options for the media, at a price of $70, and four to eight are available. The customer chooses 8 options for the big board, which can accommodate 8 to 12 people at a cost of $100.
4. Learn to create and perfect your deli plate
The 26-year-old Anderson has been helping his mother with catering projects since he was 14 years old and was attracted by the deli a few years ago.
“My mother said she looked at me and I just moved things back and forth 10 or more times until I was completely satisfied with its appearance,” she said. “It’s a bit like painting a picture to me.”
Over the years, she has learned recipes for five different spreads from friends and family, including lemon cream ricotta and sun-dried tomato sauce.She also has several must-read cooked food books, including On the boat, the cheese plate will change your life with Beautiful board.
5. Here is cheese, there are biscuits: buy a deli plate
“If I’m making a larger board or multiple boards, I will go to Sam (the club). The price is great. I can get a large plate of brie and divide it among the three boards,” Anderson Say.
If it was just a board, she would go to Aldi.
“They have a variety of cheeses. They have specialty cheeses during the holidays. On St. Patrick’s Day, they have green gouda. On Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, their cheese is shaped like a heart,” she said. “I bought several of them as soon as I got them because they are always sold out. Then I can make a theme board in advance, show it on social media, and let people order the idea.”
6. Attract deli customers on social media
200 followers on Coastal Charcuterie’s Instagram page About 200 Facebook page, Anderson has a stable business, which shows that you don’t need to go viral or become a serious social media influencer to get a successful sideline. She uses hashtags followed by local foodies and various hashtags including #charcuterieofInstagram.
Of course, Anderson used her board photo to attract followers. A week or so before the customer needed to order, she released some examples of themed boards for graduates and teachers upon graduation, mothers on Mother’s Day, and the Super Bowl.
She created her own website And include links on all her social media so that customers can view more photos and place orders.
7. Use a full-time job to balance your deli job
“Sometimes I make two or three orders a day on weekends. I did a lot of preparation the night before, cutting cheese and meat,” Anderson said. “I also did all the spread the night before. Then that day, I chopped up any fruits and vegetables and assembled each plate. I did all of this in one go.”
If she has activities after get off work, she will rush home to assemble all the pre-cut food, and then deliver the planks.
Anderson has wooden boards of various sizes on hand for last-minute orders so that she will not run out of food and food. If it is really the last minute, she will recommend any food she has on hand to the customer, so there is no need to go to the grocery store.
Katherine Snow Smith is the senior writer of The Penny Hoarder.
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