Food services refer to all commercial activities, operations, services, and organizations that prepare food and beverages you consume outside your home. Examples of food services include restaurants, bars, food trucks, cafes, snack bars, vending machines, schools, university and office canteens, and institutional caterers. It also includes activities like food packaging, storage, transport, and delivery. This article sheds light on the must-have skills and equipment to start a food delivery service business.

Important food service skills for a successful career
If you are looking for a lucrative career in food service, you need one or more of the following skills to be competitive and employable:

• Culinary skills: These include all the skills crucial for those involved in handling, preparing, cooking, and presenting the food to the customers. These skills include cooking and bartending.
• Food handling: It refers to a person’s experience following established safety procedures while handling food and equipment.
• Customer service: This is one of the most important skills, as a satisfied customer is crucial to improving your business.
• Time management: It is essential for business owners and employees, as it can affect customer service and other aspects of business like logistics and food delivery.
• Physical stamina: It is important for anyone who prepares, cooks, serves, or delivers food. They work long hours with a lot of physical activity, including standing, moving things, and handling heavy equipment.

In-demand food service jobs
Various job opportunities are available in the food industry. While some jobs require professional degrees, others look for experience and training. Some of the lucrative jobs in the food service industry are as follows:

• Cook and chefs
• Waiters
• Servers
• Bakers
• Food stylist
• Food photographer
• Restaurant manager
• Busser
• Butchers
• Warehouse Specialist
• Purchase manager
• Drivers
• Food packaging specialists
• Food delivery persons
• Accountants
• Equipment operators
• Quality managers
• Social media managers

Essential food service equipment
You should choose equipment based on the type of food service business you want to start. Though a restaurant and a food truck may be involved in food preparation, the type of equipment differs vastly. Here are some of the essential pieces of equipment that are necessary to start a food service business:

• Ovens
• Microwaves
• Ranges
• Grills
• Friers
• Deep freezers
• Food processors and blenders
• Meat and vegetable choppers
• Ice Makers
• Stoves
• Refrigerators
• Pans

What is food service packaging

Food service packaging refers to food packaging for take-out and home delivery. Your material should be biodegradable and conform to local guidelines and laws. Some of the food service packaging materials you require are

• Beverage cups
• Plates
• Trays
• Bowls
• Spoons, forks, chopsticks
• Single service and takeaway bags
• Containers with lids
• Beverage and ice cream carriers
• Straws
• Stirrers
• Tissues

Tips to start a food delivery service
The growth of cloud kitchens, accurate GPS systems, and the convenience of ordering food online have led to a surge in food delivery. If you are a chef and keen on starting a food delivery service, here are some tips that can help you:

• Decide on how much you can invest.
• Conduct a comparative study on existing platforms and decide your prices and commission.
• Decide on the routes and areas that you want to cover.
• Make yourself visible in your locality and popularize your menu.
• Update your menu frequently, categorize it, and upload it to popular websites and platforms. Add pictures of the dishes.
• Ensure you always have good internet and do multiple trials to check if the online system for orders and payments works well.
• Be prepared to hire additional staff to help drivers in case of a rush of orders. If you cannot deliver food on time, they will likely give you a negative review that others can view.