Food & Drink Side Hustles
230 Side Hustle School episodes feature people earning money with food and drink businesses — home bakers, hot sauce makers, meal prep services, food truck operators, specialty importers, and more. Food is one of the most universal side hustle categories, and these stories span every budget, every skill level, and every corner of the market.
- Veteran Turns Sweet Compulsion Into Obsessive Candy Hustle
Veteran with OCD turns candy organization obsession into a side business. Ellen Laguatan's quirk becomes her hustle. Side Hustle School Ep. 3368.
- Q&A: "How to start a meal prep side hustle?"
How to turn meal prepping into a profitable side hustle. Monetizing your cooking skills beyond meal delivery services. Side Hustle School Ep. 3360.
- Trader Joe's Sign Artist Earns $43,200 Selling Tea-Stained Prints
How a Trader Joe's sign artist earns $3,600/month selling tea-stained vintage prints online. Side Hustle School Ep. 3347.
- Proud Mainer Brings Whoopie Pies to the World
Former stay-at-home mom bakes Maine whoopie pies in bulk, generating $25,000+ monthly with Cape Whoopies. Side Hustle School Ep. 3340.
- Game of Cones: Two Women Make Architecturally-Inspired Ice Cream
How two women turned architecturally-inspired ice cream into a multi-million dollar business after a Coachella debut. Side Hustle School Ep. 3333.
- Food Tour Guide Chomps Down on $100,000 Profit
How a former marketer built a Colorado food tour business generating $100k profit in its first year. Side Hustle School Ep. 3303.
- Q&A: “How many ‘wine-of-the-month’ clubs are there??”
Subscription box and "of-the-month" clubs: market saturation or untapped demand? What makes the monthly club model work. Side Hustle School Ep. 3300.
- Q&A: “Should I have a logo before I launch?”
When should you design a logo for your side hustle? Learn if early branding helps or hurts product validation. Side Hustle School Ep. 3269.
- TBT: Hand-Written Recipes Become Kitchen Wall Art
Hand-written recipe cards transformed into framed kitchen art. One maker's sentimental side hustle has brightened 150+ homes. Side Hustle School Ep. 3267.
- The Coffee Grinder That Made $300,000
Petroleum engineer sells $300,000 worth of coffee grinders on Amazon. How he found and scaled the perfect resale product. Side Hustle School Ep. 3231.
- Line Chef Makes Millions Cooking Up Apron Empire
Chef builds multi-million-dollar apron company while cooking in restaurants at night. Side Hustle School Ep. 3224.
- College Grad Shares “More than Mac & Cheese” Student Recipes
College student earns $1,000+/month with student recipe blog beyond mac & cheese. Side Hustle School Ep. 3189.
- Q&A: “Is there a market for fancy cookware rentals?”
Can you rent luxury cookware to food stylists and influencers? What to know about this niche market. Side Hustle School Ep. 3164.
- Coffee Lovers Brew Quick Fix Into $1 Million Hustle
Cold brew coffee side hustle built by General Mills employee and endurance athlete into $1M business. Side Hustle School Ep. 3147.
- Q&A: “How can I launch a no-recipe cooking channel?”
Teaching cooking without recipes: can improvisation-based food content become profitable? Side Hustle School Ep. 3118.
- First $1,000: Coffee Gear Affiliate Site Brews Profits
How one coffee enthusiast earned $1,000 with an SEO-driven affiliate site recommending gear. Side Hustle School Ep. 3061.
- Q&A: “Can you really publish a book in a week?”
Can you write and publish a book in one week? We break down speed-publishing myths vs. reality for first-time authors. Side Hustle School Ep. 3055.
- Internet Trolls Eat Their Words In This Comedic Cake Hustle
Troll-inspired cake business that turns internet negativity into a hilarious side hustle. Side Hustle School Ep. 3049.
- TBT: Food Blog Grows to Thriving Culinary Ecosystem
Food blogger builds thriving culinary community with seasonal meal plans, live demos, and kitchen tool discounts. Side Hustle School Ep. 3001.
- First $1,000: From Malibu Bartender to At-Home Bar Designer
Malibu bartender turns home bar design into $150,000/year with custom tools and virtual cocktail classes. Side Hustle School Ep. 2998.
- Coffee Lover Bets Beans On Workplace Coffee Subscriptions
Workplace coffee subscriptions side hustle built by a corporate HR executive in Salt Lake City. Side Hustle School Ep. 2965.
- Q&A: “How can I negotiate better terms with my suppliers?”
How to negotiate better supplier payment terms without damaging relationships. Strategies for small business owners. Side Hustle School Ep. 2953.
- TBT: Microbrewery Tours Expand to Hops and Brewing Classes
Microbrewery tour guide in Chicago turned craft beer passion into hands-on brewing classes and tours. Side Hustle School Ep. 2952.
- Woman on Food Stamps Earns $86,000 Teaching People to Bake Bread
How a woman earning $86,000 teaching sourdough baking went from food stamps to financial independence. Side Hustle School Ep. 2937.
- Q&A: “What’s the downside of getting funded?”
What are the real downsides of taking outside funding for your business? Weigh the risks of losing control and managing debt. Side Hustle School Ep. 2936.
- TBT: Cookie ATM Becomes Pop-Up Hit
Oakland bakers' cookie ATM evolved into thriving pop-up and DIY kit business. Where they are now. Side Hustle School Ep. 2924.
- Failure Friday: Sugar-Coated Advice Crumbles Cake Dreams
Custom cake baker's pricing mistakes and bad advice tank Charlotte business. What went wrong and why it matters. Side Hustle School Ep. 2890.
- First $1,000: Artisan Chocolatier Hits Sweet Milestone
How an artisan chocolatier in Seattle earned $1,000 with handcrafted chocolates. Fresh ganache, bold flavors. Side Hustle School Ep. 2823.
- First $1,000: Coffee Cart Business Brews Up Baltimore
How a Baltimore entrepreneur earned $1,000 with a seasonal pop-up coffee cart. Sweet success from a simple setup. Side Hustle School Ep. 2809.
- TBT: Project Manager Boosts Local Food Truck Owners
Project manager streamlines food truck operations in Portland, Oregon. How he boosted success for local vendors. Side Hustle School Ep. 2798.
- First $1k: Asian-Inspired Popcorn Delights in Vancouver
Asian-inspired gourmet popcorn side hustle in Vancouver. How a digital marketer hit $1,000 in revenue. Side Hustle School Ep. 2795.
- TBT: Detroit Food Truck Owner Revs Up Ghost Kitchen
Detroit food truck owner expands into ghost kitchens. Where are they now? Side Hustle School Ep. 2742.
- First $1,000: Kitchen Tools Affiliate Blog Whips Up Profits
Kitchen tools affiliate blog helps home chef earn first $1,000 through high-end product recommendations. Side Hustle School Ep. 2732.
- TBT: Cookie Baker Goes from Farmers’ Market to Grocery Store
Home baker scales from farmers' markets to nationwide grocery store distribution. A "Where are they now?" update. Side Hustle School Ep. 2693.
- Q&A: “How can I launch my Australian snack box?”
How to launch an Australian snack box subscription on a tight budget with paid ads. Side Hustle School Ep. 2688.
- First $1,000: Tea Seller Finds Sales and SereniTea
Herbal tea seller Cassie turned her Seattle garden into an e-shop and earned her first $1,000. Side Hustle School Ep. 2662.
- Failure Friday: Monthlong Ad Budget Gets Spent in One Day
Kitchenware seller spends entire monthly ad budget in one day due to advertising error. Side Hustle School Ep. 2652.
- Q&A: “How can I earn MY first $1,000?”
Earn your first $1,000 with graphic design and baking. Strategies for Sarah's creative side hustle. Side Hustle School Ep. 2600.
- TBT: Recipe Blogger Posts “Dumb” Articles for Google
Recipe blogger leverages Google SEO tactics to build audience. Why online recipes are absurdly long—and it's Google's fault. Side Hustle School Ep. 2581.
- TBT: Chef to Elite Athletes Preps for Championships
Private chef for elite athletes expands nutrition business amid new culinary trends and sports demands. Side Hustle School Ep. 2574.
- TBT: Sound Designer for Live Events Pumps Up Jam
Sound designer builds second income from conferences and corporate events. Thriving post-pandemic resurgence. Side Hustle School Ep. 2567.
- Failure Friday: Gourmet Chef Gets Lost in the Sauce
Philadelphia chef's gourmet food truck strategy backfired—here's what went wrong and why it matters. Side Hustle School Ep. 2491.
- Q&A: “How do I develop my side hustle skill set?”
How to choose a side hustle when you have multiple skills. Strategy for narrowing options and avoiding decision paralysis. Side Hustle School Ep. 2478.
- Failure Friday: “We didn’t realize every order was free…”
Restaurant owner's DoorDash setup error costs $1,500 in free orders—a cautionary tale for platform integration. Side Hustle School Ep. 2456.
- First $1,000: Mocktail Tours Support Sober-Curious Visitors
Mocktail tours for sober-curious visitors in Washington, DC. How a tour guide built this niche experience. Side Hustle School Ep. 2452.
- Failure Friday: Chicago Coffee Roaster Grinds to Halt
Chicago coffee roaster's side hustle fails—and what it teaches about scaling too fast. Side Hustle School Ep. 2449.
- Q&A: “OpenTable isn’t good, how can we do better?”
How can restaurants get a better reservation platform than OpenTable? Side Hustle School Ep. 2376.
- Q&A: “Should I hire celebrities on Cameo to shoutout my cookie hustle?”
Should celebrity shoutouts on Cameo help grow a home-based cookie business? Weighing the marketing strategy's ROI. Side Hustle School Ep. 2363.
- Failure Friday: Fortune Cookie Writer Fails to Foresee Profit
Why a fortune cookie writing side hustle crumbled before it could profit. Side Hustle School Ep. 2351.
- Q&A: “Navigating regulations for selling herbal remedies…”
Selling herbal teas and tinctures? Learn how to navigate FDA regulations, ensure product quality, and market safely. Side Hustle School Ep. 2345.
- Q&A: “I’m a personal chef in New York City…”
Plant-based cooking classes in NYC: how to attract health-conscious clients with engaging lessons. Side Hustle School Ep. 2314.
- TBT: “I’ve been keeping bees for the past five years…”
Bay Area beekeeper earns $40,000/year selling honey part-time. Five years of consistent hive management. Side Hustle School Ep. 2245.
- First $1,000: “Budget Bliss Weddings” Cuts the Cake
Budget wedding planner Rachel hits her first $1,000 milestone. How she specialized in affordable ceremonies. Side Hustle School Ep. 2228.
- Q&A: “How to stand out with an end-of-year sale?”
How to create compelling end-of-year sales for retail businesses that aren't holiday-dependent. Side Hustle School Ep. 2164.
- Failure Friday: “My maple syrup was stolen by a Canadian cartel…”
Maple syrup reseller loses inventory to Canadian cartel—a sticky failure with surprising lessons. Side Hustle School Ep. 2162.
- Health-Conscious Coffee Lover Steeps Into Crowded Market
All-natural steepable coffee flavoring bags with organic spices instead of syrups. Side Hustle School Ep. 2054.
- TBT: Cayenne Pepper Throat Lozenges Spice Up Flu Season
Fire Drops creator earns $7,000/month with cayenne pepper throat lozenges. Now expanded to Honey Hots and Elder Embers. Side Hustle School Ep. 2014.
- Failure Friday: “The experience of hearing rejection was important…”
Facing manufacturer rejection while building KindRoot plant-powered lozenges. How she learned to trust herself. Side Hustle School Ep. 2008.
- Q&A: “How many ‘wine-of-the-month’ clubs are there??”
Monthly subscription clubs from wine to pickles: market saturation or opportunity? Side Hustle School Ep. 2006.
- TBT: San Francisco Service Delivers Healthy Meals
San Francisco meal prep service generates $5,500/month. Sandeep Rajmandari's LocalFoodz update since turning $2K into $2M. Side Hustle School Ep. 1993.
- TBT: Adventurous Kitchen Tool Set Goes Global
QD Foodie kitchen tools reach six figures globally. Marci Heit's charming collection now in stores worldwide. Side Hustle School Ep. 1965.
- Q&A: How can I sell my delicious hot chocolate recipe?
Selling a hot chocolate recipe to a larger company: Is it feasible, and how do you find the right buyer? Side Hustle School Ep. 1922.
- Failure Friday: “They said it was a wonderful opportunity…”
Private chef gave free meals to Instagram influencers—and earned nothing. What Chris Spear learned about marketing mistakes. Side Hustle School Ep. 1917.
- Failure Friday: “My first customer bought out of pity…”
How a reusable cutlery seller overcame early market rejection and imposter syndrome to build $2,000/month business. Side Hustle School Ep. 1910.
- TBT: “Pizza City USA” Becomes Book, Podcast, and Festival
Pizza City USA founder expands walking tours into book, podcast, and festival in Chicago. Side Hustle School Ep. 1909.
- Failure Friday: “I dropped out of Stanford and left my business at the same time…”
Dropped out of Stanford while running a vegan banana ice cream business from his dorm. What went wrong and why it matters. Side Hustle School Ep. 1882.
- Failure Friday: “What you didn’t hear was how unfocused I was…”
How unfocused side hustles collapse: a 3D printed cookie cutter business owner's cautionary tale. Side Hustle School Ep. 1868.
- TBT: “Walking Dead” Sugar Cookies Provide Sustenance for Apocalypse
TV-themed sugar cookies earn social worker $4,000/weekend at conventions. Bombshell Baking Company update. Side Hustle School Ep. 1860.
- Failure Friday: Self-Guided London Food Tours Fail to Excite
Why a self-guided London food tour startup failed despite parent business success. Side Hustle School Ep. 1826.
- TBT: “Radical Tea Towels” Promote Historical Progress
Radical Tea Towels hits $1M sales milestone. British family's political tea towel business update. Side Hustle School Ep. 1825.
- Marketing Analyst Serves Up Gluten-Free Profit
Home chef earns $5,000/month from gluten-free recipe blog. Marketing analyst turned food blogger. Side Hustle School Ep. 1821.
- Failure Friday: “All I had to do was hit the record button…”
What went wrong when an online cooking club host forgot to hit record during a 200+ member Zoom call. Side Hustle School Ep. 1805.
- Unofficial Schitt’s Creek Cookbook Folds in the Cheese
How two sisters earn $3,000/month with an unofficial Schitt's Creek cookbook. Self-published during lockdown. Side Hustle School Ep. 1795.
- TBT: Wine Tour Business Pivots During Pandemic
Wine tour operator pivots to virtual tastings and private label wine sales during pandemic. Heathen Wines' evolution. Side Hustle School Ep. 1713.
- No Code, No Problem: Easy-to-Build Apps for Everyone
No-code app builder helps marketing clients create professional apps without coding skills. Miami side hustle. Side Hustle School Ep. 1709.
- TBT: Extra-Strong Coffee Supports Firefighters Nationwide
Muertos Coffee generates $4,000/month supporting firefighters nationwide. Extra-strong brew from Sacramento. Side Hustle School Ep. 1706.
- Q&A: How to start a meal prep side hustle?
How to monetize meal prepping into a $5,500/month business. Listener from Santa Barbara turns weekly food prep into revenue. Side Hustle School Ep. 1696.
- Failure Friday: Tea Supply Chain Meets Its Matcha
When a tea supplier's supply chain crumbles during the pandemic, Luciana Torous learns hard lessons about business resilience. Side Hustle School Ep. 1665.
- Q&A: Does the “funnel process” really work?
Does the marketing funnel process actually work for selling? Chris breaks down entry-level to premium pricing strategies. Side Hustle School Ep. 1663.
- Cheese Connoisseur Makes Legen-dairy Creations
Charcuterie and cheese boards turn into a side hustle when a Boston remote worker gifts her creations to healthcare staff. Side Hustle School Ep. 1655.
- “Side Hustle Bread” Insta Account Sells $100,000
How a Hollywood producer built a $100,000 bread business on Instagram. Sourdough became a family weekend tradition. Side Hustle School Ep. 1646.
- TBT: Tea-riffic Business Holds Up Under Pressure
Tea brand owner navigates COVID challenges with two successful blends. Side Hustle School Ep. 1622.
- TBT: Premium Cocktail Pins Offer “Negronis for Your Homies”
Premium cocktail pins earns $800/month for co-founder in Spain. Tipsy Per Tutti sells "Negronis for Your Homies" designs. Side Hustle School Ep. 1615.
- TBT: Luxury Buttercream Cakes Make Life Batter
Luxury buttercream cakes earn $600/month for Toronto baker Karen Nguyen. Sweet Afternoon Bakeshop thrives on custom designs. Side Hustle School Ep. 1587.
- Counselor Cakes in the Money with Baking Biz
Grief counselor turns pandemic downtime into a baking business with her husband. Whoopie pies and marketing smarts. Side Hustle School Ep. 1583.
- TBT: Bumblebee Linens Builds a New Hive
Bumblebee Linens earns $20,000/month with linens. The handkerchief brand pivoted after weddings stopped—then soared again. Side Hustle School Ep. 1580.
- Catering Chef Cooks Up Private Meals
In-home chef dinners: catering pro Chris Spear cooks private meals on boats, in homes, with minimal overhead. Side Hustle School Ep. 1557.
- TBT: Pastry Chef Grows Retail Shop During Pandemic
Pastry chef expands wedding cake business into retail shop during pandemic. Celestial Cakery's growth story. Side Hustle School Ep. 1517.
- (New Segment!) Failure Friday: A Global Customs Snafu During Childbirth
Canadian tea merchant's $3,600/month business hits customs delays during childbirth. Failure Friday. Side Hustle School Ep. 1511.
- TBT: Wisconsin Beer Lovers Sell Coasters & More
Wisconsin beer coasters and glasses side hustle. How Zach combines his love of beer and home state into a product business. Side Hustle School Ep. 1510.
- “Ordinary Dude” Creates Meditation Books for Men
How an "ordinary dude" earns $500/month selling meditation books for men with beer cans on the cover. Side Hustle School Ep. 1501.
- Cooped Up Nomads Start Online Cooking School
Traveling couple earns $1,000/month helping a Tuscan chef move her cooking classes online. Built during the pandemic pivot. Side Hustle School Ep. 1464.
- Q&A: Is there a better way to do local restaurant delivery?
Food delivery frustrations: exploring better alternatives to DoorDash and Uber Eats. Side Hustle School Ep. 1448.
- TBT: Natural Deodorant Becomes Beauty Line
CPA turns apple cider vinegar deodorant into $10,000/month beauty line. SWAY skincare grew from natural formula. Side Hustle School Ep. 1440.
- Q&A: What kind of partnership agreement do I need?
Partnership contract for a podcast coffee blend business. What agreement protects both parties? Side Hustle School Ep. 1434.
- TBT: Mobile Coffee Roasting Blends Work and Family
Mobile coffee roaster earns $4,000/month blending beans with family life. A neighborhood coffee lover's side hustle update. Side Hustle School Ep. 1377.
- TBT: Coronavirus Triples Sales of Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brew coffee brand Bizzy Coffee saw sales triple during coronavirus after pivoting to 48-ounce bottles. Side Hustle School Ep. 1349.
- Q&A: What should I know before I start a Twitch channel?
Cooking show on Twitch: How to expand from YouTube without doubling your workload. Earn $1,000/month streaming. Side Hustle School Ep. 1348.
- CLASSROOM: Selling a Food & Beverage Product
How to sell food & beverage products: navigate regulations, cottage laws, and earn up to $25,000/month. Side Hustle School Ep. 1346.
- Hardworking Chef Whips Up Artisanal Cheesecakes
Chef turns artisanal cheesecakes into six-figure business from Columbus, Ohio. Shipped fresh, made better. Side Hustle School Ep. 1338.