How to start a meal prep business
Short answer
To start a meal-prep business: build a weekly rotating menu, price by the plan (e.g. 5 or 10 meals), set a weekly order cutoff a day or two before your cook, take paid pre-orders, then batch-cook to the exact portion count and hand off by pickup or delivery. Running on a weekly drop with a cutoff is what makes prep predictable — you buy and cook only for confirmed orders.
Build a weekly menu and plans
Offer a small rotating menu and package it into plans (single meals, 5-packs, 10-packs). Plans lift average order value and make batching easier because portions are standardised.
Set your weekly cutoff
Pick an order cutoff a day or two before your cook day so you can shop to the exact count. The cutoff is the single most important setting — see how to set an order cutoff.
Cook to the count, pack with labels
After the cutoff, work from a production sheet that totals every meal ordered, and print per-order labels for fast, accurate packing. Refunds adjust the count automatically.
Take payment up front and grow
Collect payment on order so cash is in before you shop. As you grow, add local delivery and a custom domain. See how to know how much food to make for the core method.
Frequently asked questions
How do meal prep businesses take orders?
The reliable way is a weekly order window with a cutoff: customers order and pay in advance for the week's menu, orders close at the cutoff, and you cook to the exact portion count. PlateTicket runs this as a recurring drop with an automatic production sheet and packing labels.
How much does it cost to start a meal prep business?
Beyond ingredients, packaging, and any required permits, the software cost can be zero — PlateTicket's Starter plan takes orders online for free, and paid plans add delivery and the production sheet. Your biggest early lever is avoiding waste by cooking only to confirmed pre-orders.
How do I know how many meals to cook each week?
Take pre-orders to a weekly cutoff and let the system total them by meal. That gives you an exact production count so you shop and cook precisely for confirmed orders — no guessing, no leftovers. This is the core of cook-to-demand meal prep.
Do I need a license for a meal prep business?
Usually some form of food-business registration, permit, or licensed kitchen is required, and rules vary widely by region. Check your local health authority's requirements before selling — see our region-aware overview on whether you need a license to sell food.
Orders in. Plates out.
Open your first drop in minutes, get paid up front, and cook exactly what sold.
Start selling — free Try the live demo