So you want to make more money this year but how? There are people who are doing it by charging the bastards around your table for that great steak you made for them. Sure you want to charge that good for nothing cousin that shows up empty handed every holiday for dinner but you won’t. It is a family function. Are you that good a cook? Do you at least have a few things you think you can make better tasting than anyone else? There are people now turning their cooking skills into cash with the help of a website. You too can be a brave entrepreneur hosting strangers in your own home. Better yet are you sick of the same old places to eat? Are you willing to experiment with someplace with something new to eat?

It reminds me a little about the bed   and   breakfast hotels idea where you eat with other renters of rooms. It is a bit awkward but can be interesting. If you can handle   the heat, it can be a profitable experience for you. Food is expensive and restaurants can be even more expensive but you gotta eat. It can be arranged that within 12 hours 8 strangers can show up at your doorstep expecting a great meal. You can do it. You just did it this holiday season. Well not for strangers, just your strange friends and relatives. They will be hungry. You can arrange to feed people anywhere even in the back rooms of a friends bar if necessary.

Start with a Sunday Brunch or something. The point is that you don’t have to own a restaurant or even be a real chef. There are hundreds of people who just like to cook selling seats at their dinner table. Yes, I said selling. It is all part of a growing dining trend called the Air B & B of food. There are websites like the house sharing website called Feastly,  EatWith  and  cook app  that will assist you in finding paid customers. They will take a 15 to 20% per cent cut to connect passionate chefs with adventurous eaters who can choose from many different types of cuisines and pay less than restaurant prices. We all know that the food business is risky business, time consuming and expensive. For aspiring chefs sites like these offer a low risk to test their abilities out.

You can charge whatever you want and it can include wine or beer a beverage that you think will go well with the dinner.  Pamela Brewer a Feastly chef quit her day job sitting in front of a computer who is now focused on becoming a TV chef. Her experiences on Feastly chef business has helped her find her voice, be independent and confident. Her guests like eating new food and the chef being right there explaining just about anything to them. There are currently 990,000 licensed restaurants in the United States making $680 billion dollars   per year. These new home restaurants are now looking to grab a piece of that pie.  

A lot of these on line dinners are popular. Some households are hosting 2 to 3 dinners a week and are turning the corner and making a profit. It is a way that someday you can build your very own personal brand. We know that the dinner table is the first social network. I still think it is all uncharted territory. Regulations vary from state to state. In many cities home based restaurants are not eligible for food service permits and run the risk of being shut down.  So, do your homework and see if you can get customers to eat your brand of grub.