Food and drink businesses with online ordering
Everyone eats every day. Food businesses in Kenya range from roadside smokie vendors to cloud kitchens delivering through apps. Online ordering, WhatsApp menus and delivery riders have opened new models with lower start-up costs.
What these methods share
- Food safety and licences: county public health licences, medical certificates for food handlers, and KEBS standards for packaged products.
- Consistency: same taste, same portion, every time.
- Costing: know your cost per plate or unit, including packaging and delivery.
- See food and baked goods online and catering.
446. Cloud kitchen (delivery-only restaurant)
What it is: A kitchen that sells only through delivery apps and WhatsApp, without a dining area. How it works: Menu → listings on delivery apps → orders → riders deliver.
| Skills | Cooking, menu costing, operations |
| Cost & equipment | Kitchen, equipment, licences |
| Where to find work | Delivery apps, social media, offices |
| Payment | App payouts (minus commission), M-Pesa |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Weeks |
How to start: Test a small menu; price for app commissions. Pros: Lower rent than restaurants. Cons & risks: App commissions; competition. Scam warning: As usual: fake suppliers and fake "app listing agents". Kenya notes: County food licences apply even without a dining area.
447. Food truck or mobile food stall
What it is: Selling food from a mobile unit at events, offices or busy areas. How it works: Fixed schedules and event bookings.
| Skills | Cooking, customer service |
| Cost & equipment | Truck/stall, equipment, permits |
| Where to find work | Events, campuses, business districts |
| Payment | Cash/M-Pesa |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Weeks |
How to start: Check county permits for mobile food vending. Pros: Go where customers are. Cons & risks: Permits and location rules. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Event bookings via social media help fill slow days.
448. Street food vending (with M-Pesa and WhatsApp orders)
What it is: Selling smokies, eggs, chips, samosas, mahindi or similar from a stand. How it works: Daily sales; regular customers order ahead on WhatsApp.
| Skills | Food prep, hygiene |
| Cost & equipment | Stand, cooking equipment, permits |
| Where to find work | Busy streets, stages, schools |
| Payment | Cash/M-Pesa |
| Realistic earnings | Low |
| Time to first income | Days |
How to start: Pick a location with steady foot traffic; get permits. Pros: Low start-up cost. Cons & risks: Permit enforcement; weather. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: A Lipa na M-Pesa till speeds up sales.
449. Meal prep and office lunch delivery
What it is: Preparing healthy weekly meals or daily lunches for professionals and offices. How it works: Weekly menus → orders → batch cooking → delivery.
| Skills | Nutrition-aware cooking, logistics |
| Cost & equipment | Kitchen, containers, delivery |
| Where to find work | Offices, gyms, busy professionals |
| Payment | Weekly/monthly subscriptions |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Weeks |
How to start: Start with one office building. Pros: Predictable orders. Cons & risks: Delivery timing. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Health-conscious meal plans are growing in cities.
450. Home bakery
What it is: Baking bread, cakes, cookies and pastries for orders and shops. How it works: Orders via social media; supply to cafés.
| Skills | Baking |
| Cost & equipment | Oven, ingredients |
| Where to find work | Social media, shops, events |
| Payment | M-Pesa |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Days |
How to start: Perfect a few signature products. Pros: Low start-up cost. Cons & risks: Scaling needs licensed premises. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Packaged baked goods for shops need proper labelling and standards.
451. Juice, smoothie and fresh drinks business
What it is: Selling fresh juices and smoothies from a stall or delivery. How it works: Daily production; office and gym supply.
| Skills | Hygiene, recipes |
| Cost & equipment | Blenders, refrigeration |
| Where to find work | Offices, gyms, events |
| Payment | M-Pesa |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Days |
How to start: Start with a stall; add delivery. Pros: Health trend. Cons & risks: Short shelf life. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Bottled juices for sale need standards compliance.
452. Coffee roasting and coffee shop
What it is: Roasting Kenyan coffee for sale, or running a small café. How it works: Source beans → roast → sell packaged or brewed.
| Skills | Coffee knowledge, roasting, barista skills |
| Cost & equipment | Roaster or café equipment |
| Where to find work | Offices, cafés, online buyers, tourists |
| Payment | Sales |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Months |
How to start: Barista training; small-batch roasting. Pros: Kenyan coffee is world-famous. Cons & risks: Equipment cost. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Coffee trading is regulated; buy from licensed sources.
453. Yoghurt, dairy products and ice cream production
What it is: Making yoghurt, mala or ice cream for sale. How it works: Small-scale processing → packaging → sales.
| Skills | Food processing, hygiene |
| Cost & equipment | Equipment, refrigeration, licences |
| Where to find work | Shops, schools, events |
| Payment | Sales |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Months |
How to start: Get training and the required dairy licences. Pros: Steady demand. Cons & risks: Cold chain. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Dairy processing is regulated by the Kenya Dairy Board.
454. Spice blends, sauces and condiments
What it is: Making and selling packaged spice mixes, chilli sauces and condiments. How it works: Recipes → packaging → certification → retail and online sales.
| Skills | Recipes, branding |
| Cost & equipment | Ingredients, packaging, certification costs |
| Where to find work | Shops, supermarkets, online |
| Payment | Sales |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Months |
How to start: Test with friends; then certify. Pros: Long shelf life. Cons & risks: Certification costs. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: KEBS certification is needed for supermarket listing.
455. Drinking water refill station
What it is: Selling purified drinking water refills. How it works: Purification equipment → refill sales → deliveries.
| Skills | Equipment maintenance, hygiene |
| Cost & equipment | Purification system, premises, licences |
| Where to find work | Estates, offices |
| Payment | Per litre/refill |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Weeks |
How to start: Meet water quality standards and testing requirements. Pros: Daily need. Cons & risks: Quality responsibility. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Regular water quality testing and certification are required.
456. School and institution food supply
What it is: Supplying food items (cereals, vegetables, meat) to schools, hospitals and canteens. How it works: Tenders or supply contracts.
| Skills | Procurement, logistics |
| Cost & equipment | Capital, transport |
| Where to find work | Schools, hospitals, institutions |
| Payment | Contract payments (sometimes delayed) |
| Realistic earnings | Medium |
| Time to first income | Months |
How to start: Register as a supplier; meet tender requirements. Pros: Large volumes. Cons & risks: Payment delays; capital needs. Scam warning: Never pay bribes for tenders. Kenya notes: Public procurement rules apply.
457. Mama mboga digital (vegetable vendor with delivery)
What it is: A vegetable kiosk taking WhatsApp orders and delivering. How it works: Morning market sourcing → orders → deliveries.
| Skills | Sourcing, customer care |
| Cost & equipment | Kiosk, phone |
| Where to find work | Estates |
| Payment | M-Pesa |
| Realistic earnings | Low |
| Time to first income | Days |
How to start: Create a WhatsApp catalogue and delivery schedule. Pros: Daily demand. Cons & risks: Perishability. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Estate WhatsApp groups are your marketing channel.
458. Butchery with online orders
What it is: Selling meat with phone and WhatsApp ordering and delivery. How it works: Licensed butchery; orders; delivery.
| Skills | Meat handling, hygiene |
| Cost & equipment | Premises, refrigeration, licences |
| Where to find work | Households, restaurants |
| Payment | M-Pesa |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Weeks |
How to start: Meet public health requirements. Pros: Steady demand. Cons & risks: Cold chain. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Meat must come from inspected sources.
459. Nyama choma and grill business
What it is: Roast meat business with dine-in, takeaway and event catering. How it works: Premises or events; online bookings.
| Skills | Grilling, hospitality |
| Cost & equipment | Premises, grill, licences |
| Where to find work | Local customers, events |
| Payment | Sales |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Weeks |
How to start: Build reviews on Google and social media. Pros: Popular cuisine. Cons & risks: Licensing. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Weekend and event demand is strong.
460. Restaurant online ordering and delivery management
What it is: Managing delivery app listings, menus and orders for restaurants. How it works: Service for restaurant owners.
| Skills | Delivery platforms, photography, marketing |
| Cost & equipment | Phone/laptop |
| Where to find work | Restaurants |
| Payment | Monthly fee |
| Realistic earnings | Low to medium |
| Time to first income | Weeks |
How to start: Improve one restaurant's listings and track sales. Pros: Recurring. Cons & risks: Depends on platform rules. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Many restaurants have poor app listings.
461. Cooking classes and food content
What it is: Teaching cooking in person or online; food blogs and videos. How it works: Classes, YouTube, TikTok, sponsorships.
| Skills | Cooking, presenting |
| Cost & equipment | Kitchen, camera/phone |
| Where to find work | Social platforms, events |
| Payment | Class fees, ads, sponsorships |
| Realistic earnings | Very low to medium |
| Time to first income | Weeks to months |
How to start: Post simple, local recipes consistently. Pros: Large audience. Cons & risks: Slow growth. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Kenyan recipe content is popular locally and in the diaspora.
462. Event and party snack packs
What it is: Supplying snack packs for children's parties, meetings and events. How it works: Orders → packing → delivery.
| Skills | Packaging, logistics |
| Cost & equipment | Supplies, packaging |
| Where to find work | Parents, offices, churches |
| Payment | Per pack |
| Realistic earnings | Low |
| Time to first income | Days |
How to start: Create themed packages. Pros: Simple business. Cons & risks: Low margins. Scam warning: As above. Kenya notes: Birthday parties and school events drive demand.
Summary
- Food methods include cloud kitchens, food trucks, street food, meal prep, home baking, juice bars, coffee, dairy products, spices and sauces, water refill, institutional supply, digital vegetable kiosks, butcheries, nyama choma, delivery management, cooking content and snack packs.
- Licences, hygiene and consistent quality are essential; online ordering expands reach.
Check yourself
Which body regulates dairy processing in Kenya? (three words)
Show answer
Kenya Dairy Board
A kitchen that sells only through delivery is called what? (two words)
Show answer
cloud kitchen
Should you pay bribes to win food supply tenders? (yes or no)
Show answer
no