In the last few years, we’ve seen the emergence of the meal prep delivery business industry. And thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the meal prep delivery industry has exploded. This is due to people’s reluctance to go out and (in some places) government mandates stopping people from going out.
In this time period businesses have had to adapt and change in order to keep from going under. One of the changes we’ve seen is the shift to meal delivery. And thanks to the circumstances mentioned above, people have fully embraced meal prep delivery companies.
This industry growth looks to be set to continue even after the pandemic. This is thanks to the real benefits of meal prep delivery: convenience and deliciousness. Most people nowadays don’t have time to go grocery shopping, prepare ingredients, and cook a meal. And, let’s be honest, a lot of people also aren’t exactly a chef in the kitchen. Thankfully for them having their meals preprepared and delivered offers them time-saving convenience as well as a delicious, nutritious meal.
Thanks to the immense business potential in the meal prep industry and considering the lack of meal prep businesses in several towns and cities, it is safe to conclude that 2021 is a great time to set foot in the meal prep industry. But where to start? Well, we already have an article telling how to start a meal prep business but here are some things you should consider before getting started.
Meal Prep Delivery Business Models
If you are going to start a meal prep business then you should know some business models that make for success. A lot of successful meal prep delivery companies rely on these models, so we suggest you consider them for your business.
The Meal-Kit Delivery Model
With this business model, customers order meal kits on an on-demand and subscription basis. With subscriptions, customers can select how many kits they want to be delivered per week and your business delivers those kits accordingly.
The customer browses recipes/meals on your meal prep website, adds a recipe/meal to their cart, or selects how many meals they would like to be delivered along with the frequency of delivery, and then make the payment. Your business will then deliver the meal(s) on the requested dates.
This business model is valuable to your customers because it saves them time on meal planning and shopping, makes it easy to cook festive meals such as on Easter and Christmas Eve, and teaches exciting recipes. Pre-prepared ingredients in accurate proportions also reduce clutter and shorten clean-up time.
Goal-Oriented Meal Delivery Model
Customers who follow a special diet and/or have certain health goals need cautiously prepared meals made with handpicked ingredients. Not only do these meals have long prep times but they are also expensive for daily consumption. The goal-oriented meal delivery model assists customers who require special diets by subscribing to week or month-long meal deliveries.
Some examples of goal-oriented meals for customers may be diabetic-friendly meals, gluten-free meals, vegan meals, or even lean-protein, high carbs, and keto diet meals.
In this business model, customers browse goal-oriented meals on your meal prep delivery website, subscribe to a meal, make payment and you deliver the selected meal(s) routinely.
This business model is valuable to your customers because it does not require customers to be health-conscious while eating meals, saves time shopping, and reduces meal prep time. Pre-prepared ingredients in accurate proportions reduce clutter and shorten clean-up time, and assists customers in achieving their health goals
Pre-Cooked Storable Meal Delivery Model
This model is the one most preferred by customers. Busy professionals and students living alone can’t always be available at home to accept routine delivery of meal kits containing various raw ingredients. This means that they are more inclined towards pre-cooked frozen meals like instant noodles, rice, lentils and beans, frozen burritos, and frozen pizzas.
Pre-cooked storable meal delivery websites are different from grocery delivery websites in that the products sold on them require the bare minimum efforts to prepare for eating (like reheating or adding seasonings).
The customer will browse pre-cooked meals on your website, add meal(s) to their cart, select the order quantity, select days they would like to have meals delivered, make payment, and your meal prep delivery business delivers all the meals at once.
This business model is valuable to your customers because it is easy to preserve meals and requires bare minimum efforts to prepare for eating. Pre-cooked storable meals also save time shopping, ensure the least possible clean-up time, assist customers in achieving their health goals. This model is suitable for consumers with busy life schedules. Each meal is delivered on the date specified by the customer.
Things to Consider Before Starting a Meal Prep Delivery Business
After considering what meal prep delivery business model you will use, there are some more things you should consider such as:
1. What’s your meal prep business concept
2. Writing a meal prep business plan
3. Where to obtain funding
4. Where to find a meal prep workspace
6. Ordering supplies for your meal prep business
7. Getting your shipping strategy setup
8. How will you create a meal prep business ordering platform
9. HR for your meal prep business
10. Advertising your meal prep business
If you’d like to learn more details about the above points check out our article on How to Start a Meal Prep Business.
Wrap Up
The meal prep delivery industry is set to grow and increase. And with the lack of meal prep business competition in a lot of towns and cities, it is safe to say that now is a great time to start your own meal prep delivery service business. But before you start you should consider what we mentioned above to ensure that your meal prep business starts off strong.
Finding a meal prep delivery ordering platform, software to manage orders and your kitchen, and tools to help you run your meal prep delivery business can take time and money. Luckily, Sprwt’s all-in-one meal prep delivery service software has all those features and more. Book a demo with Sprwt here to learn more about how Sprwt’s software can help your business.