Many of us are drawn to the food industry to pursue craft and excellence. We love making beautiful and delicious food to share with those that appreciate it. Most of us love seeing people happy and in community. We are pulled closer to our connection with food craft when our efforts are received with joy, encouragement, and excitement. We witness appreciation and intrigue. Once you have proficiency, many start acknowledging your efforts and focus on learning by suggesting and prompting you to open a business. These prompts and suggestions are flattering and exciting. However, they can become drivers or external motivators before you have had time to understand and wonder what you truly want or aspire to achieve.

This book was written to encourage you to chew on the possibility and viability of starting a bakery, food truck, cafe, micro-bakery, or ghost shop. Considering business start-up as a potential option for you will help you gain some clarity and provide some insight into what your employers have gone through and or are going through. It opens up a perspective you might not have considered an employee and an essential part of another person’s business.

The book is a pause button offering some time to reflect and think about the answers to the following questions:

• What might it mean to you to open a business?
• Does business creation align with your values, goals, and or visions?
• What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
• What would make a potentially viable food business?
• If you move forward with business creation, what are the logical steps?
• What are the existing successful business models?
• Where does it make sense to open a food business?
• How are start-up businesses funded?
• How do you differentiate potentially promising business ideas from those that do not have as much promise?
• What is a brand, and what are the ways of marketing?

This book intends to offer an introduction upon which you can build. Each chapter will offer:

• Learning objectives
• Content to match learning objectives
• Companion resources from the library
• Video content to reinforce understanding