- Home
- Industries
- Food & beverage
Industry · Food & beverage
How food & beverage businesses make money
The 1M.chat dataset has 85 food & beverage businesses. 75 of them have a revenue figure the founder reported in an interview. Their median is $56K a month, and 40% were at $1M a year or more when interviewed, with a median team of 4 employees. The growth channels founders credited most often were organic social media (61%), email & newsletters (40%), partnerships & affiliates (32%).
Revenue at interview
| Under $1K/mo | 1 | |
| $1K–$10K/mo | 15 | |
| $10K–$50K/mo | 19 | |
| $50K–$83K/mo | 10 | |
| $1M+ a year | 24 | |
| $1M+ a month | 6 |
Growth channels credited
| Organic social media | 61% | |
| Email & newsletters | 40% | |
| Partnerships & affiliates | 32% | |
| Word of mouth & referrals | 30% | |
| SEO & organic search | 28% |
Share of 57 businesses with channel information; founders often name several.
Business models in this group
| Selling physical products | 65 | |
| Subscriptions (SaaS & memberships) | 18 | |
| Services, agency & consulting | 2 |
Tools named most: Instagram (69%), Shopify (38%), MailChimp (34%), Google Drive (22%), QuickBooks (16%) — of 32 that listed tools.
Case studies
Read how they did it
- Tandoor Morni: selling tandoor ovens to restaurants and home cooks at $1M a monthTandoor Morni sells tandoor ovens and accessories to restaurants, caterers, and home chefs.$1M/mofounder-reported 2024
- Dohful Cookies: eggless soft-baked cookies sold online in India at $15K a monthDohful sells handcrafted, eggless soft-baked cookies online to young Indian customers nationwide.$15K/mofounder-reported 2023
Examples
Highest founder-reported revenues in this group
| Business | What it sells | Revenue / month | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| BeatBox BeveragesFood & beverage | wine-based party punch drinks | $11Mfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| Love Good FatsFood & beverage | Low-sugar keto high-fat snack bars | $3Mfounder interview 2022 | Canada |
| JP Fuji GroupFood & beverage | sushi and Japanese cuisine restaurants | $1.8Mfounder interview 2020 | United States |
| Food FleetFood & beverage | Corporate food truck catering services | $1.5Mfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| Tandoor MorniFood & beverage | Clay tandoori ovens and real estate management | $1M/mofounder interview 2024 | Canada |
| The Wine SpiesFood & beverage | wine sold through daily flash sales | $1Mfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| Drake’s Organic S...Food & beverage | Organic spirits, mixers and ready-to-serve cocktails | $900Kfounder interview 2022 | United States |
| Matcha.comFood & beverage | matcha tea products | $708Kfounder interview | United States |
| Jimmy JoyFood & beverage | meal replacement shakes, bars, drinks and pots | $600Kfounder interview | Netherlands |
| AuricFood & beverage | Ayurvedic wellness drinks and supplements | $300Kfounder interview | India |
| Cameron's SeafoodFood & beverage | Maryland crabs and crab cakes shipped fresh | $300Kfounder interview 2018 | United States |
| Wolf Spirit Disti...Food & beverage | premium spirits and vodka | $300Kfounder interview | United States |
| Taster’s ClubFood & beverage | craft spirits and wine subscription | $270Kfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| Spork BytesFood & beverage | group meal catering and delivery | $250Kfounder interview | United States |
| KPOP FoodsFood & beverage | Korean food products including hot sauce | $200Kfounder interview 2018 | United States |
| Siren Snacks (Now...Food & beverage | plant-based protein and energy snack bites | $200Kfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| Nourish Foods Co.Food & beverage | Healthy meal delivery service | $180Kfounder interview 2018 | United States |
| Just Panela LLCFood & beverage | Organic unrefined cane sugar for retail and ingredient use | $175Kfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| Kalve Coffee Roas...Food & beverage | Roasted coffee and private label roasting | $150Kfounder interview | Latvia |
| Natura WellnessFood & beverage | healthy super drinks | $150Kfounder interview | France |
Revenue as the founder reported it in a Starter Story interview, at the interview date; not current revenue. “What it sells” is a 1M.chat summary. How this data is built
Questions
How much do food & beverage businesses typically make?
Among 75 food & beverage businesses with founder-reported revenue, the median was $56K a month at the time of the interview. The sample is founders who chose to be interviewed, so it leans toward businesses that were already working; treat it as a range of real outcomes, not an average for everyone who tries.
How many food & beverage businesses reached $1M a year?
30 of 75 (40%) reported at least $83K a month, the run-rate for $1M a year.
How did food & beverage businesses find customers?
Of 57 with growth-channel information, founders most often credited organic social media (61%), email & newsletters (40%), partnerships & affiliates (32%), word of mouth & referrals (30%), SEO & organic search (28%). Channels are grouped by 1M.chat from what founders said worked.
Related
Partner services
Setting one up yourself?
Sleek
Register an Australian company
ASIC registration, company secretary and address handled in one place. Use code AF774200 at sign-up for a partner offer.
See detailsSleek
Register a Hong Kong company
Incorporation, company secretary, registered address and annual filings in one place. Use code AF748473 at sign-up for a partner offer.
See detailsBizCover
Compare small business insurance (Australia)
Online quotes for public liability, professional indemnity and business insurance packs for Australian small businesses.
See detailsThese are partner links: 1M.chat may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what the case studies say. Disclosure