How to Start an Edible Cookie Dough Cafe

Part 1 - How to start an Edible Cookie Dough Cafe business - Background

An edible cookie dough cafe serves cookie dough, usually without eggs and other pathogen-carrying ingredients. Many edible cookie dough businesses serve their dough in cartons or on cones in a similar way to ice cream cone. It’s sweet tooth heaven. Bakers or baking enthusiasts who open edible cookie dough shops help their customers relive their childhood memories—eating cookie dough off the beaters or licking the bowl and spatula clean. They help them escape the hustle and bustle of life and relax in a fun environment.

You may also be interested in additional unique business ideas.

Our guide is in 3 parts:

• Part 1 - How to start a Cookie Dough Cafe business - Background
• Part 2 - Our planner tool to see if this idea is the right fit for you
• Part 3 - Action plan to get started

What are the costs involved in opening an edible cookie dough cafe?

Costs involved in starting a small cafe are modest. For less than $500, you can buy all or most of the supplies you need and start selling out of your home. Business licensing and permits may be required to do this, however.

What are the ongoing expenses for an edible cookie dough cafe?

Ongoing expenses for this business are modest and include costs for maintaining liability insurance, licensing, permitting, and of course supplies. You may find yourself spending between $500 and $2,000 per month for a small operation, up to $10,000 per month for a large operation on these expenses.

Who is the target market?

The target market for this product is wide, but the core market is young families. Young children tend to love cookie dough, but so do young adults.

How does an edible cookie dough cafe make money?

Cafes make money by charging customers for edible cookie dough.

How much can you charge customers?

This is a premium product, so you can charge between $5 and $7 for a 4 oz serving, or between $8 and $20 for a 16 oz serving.

How much profit can an edible cookie dough cafe make?

Edible cookie dough has a high markup. While this industry is still new, some businesses have a profit margin between 5% and 10%. A highly profitable business would have profit margins exceeding 10%.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Make your business more profitable by selling related products like various candies and ice cream, sodas, and milkshakes. You could also sell miniature mixing spoons with chilled cookie dough caked on them, similar to an ice cream cone or a “cookie dough on a stick” product concept.

Day-to-Day and Growth

What happens during a typical day at an edible cookie dough cafe?

Just like any bakery, an edible cookie dough cafe has a very specific setup and breakdown process for the day. The business owner and/or his or her employees start the day early by prepping their work areas and cleaning all working surfaces.

They perform a basic accounting of existing supplies and stock as well as any overnight shipments. Some shops chill their dough overnight while others prefer to make their product fresh for the day and “quick chill” before serving customers.

Employees take orders, fulfill customer requests, while business owners keep tabs on the accounting books, order supplies, and monitor employees. At the end of the day, everything needs to be cleaned up and put away. It’s a hectic business that never stops, which is why it’s suited to a specific type of personality.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful edible cookie dough cafe?

Being good at this business means having a keen eye and skill for baking. Professional bakers typically make the best cafe owners (at least in theory), but you also need good business sense. This is especially true if you plan on shipping your product across the country.

What is the growth potential for an edible cookie dough cafe?

Growth potential is huge, though many shops remain a small operation. Since this is a niche product, often seen as a specialty item, most business remain one or two-shop operations. Some companies may expand with branch locations throughout a state. Some brands, like Sweet Megan Edible Cookie Dough are shipped all over the U.S., however. Smaller cafes are realizing they can ship nationwide and forego the need for a large chain business.

What are some insider tips for jump starting an edible cookie dough cafe?

Start off by selling product in your local neighborhood, at PTA meetings, and local community events. Family, friends, and business associates or partners may also be a good way to jumpstart sales.

How and when to build a team

You will probably need a small team to start out — at least 3-5 people. However, it is at all possible, you may want to start the business alone from home. A small cafe running out of a storefront should have enough staff to cover all shifts, Monday through Friday, minimum. Weekends tend to be busy for this kind of business, so you’ll want weekend shifts covered as well. In fact, weekends should be your priority shifts.

Part 2 - Is an Edible Cookie Dough Cafe business the right fit for you?

Part 3 - Action plan to launch your Edible Cookie Dough Cafe business in 90 days