The street food market is increasing very fast across all cities and towns in the world. Here in this article, we put a list of the most profitable street food business ideas that are suitable in any city as such. Also, you can start these ventures with very small startup investments.
In recent times, you can find even a lot of organized retails that are offering street foods in a designed way. Also, they are offering franchise opportunities to new entrepreneurs. Some of the most successful ventures are tea stalls, Pani Puri, and even vada pav.
The food preference of people is very region-specific. In fact, every city has its own specialty. Dosa, Idli is popular in the southern part of the country. Whereas, Chhole Bhature is Punjabi food. Allu Tikka is food from Delhi NCR. And Litti Chokha is from Bihar. Simply, you can find a lot of tasty but not-so-healthy food that is popular throughout the country.
Due to the cost-effectiveness and unbeatable taste and flavor, people consume street food very often. Whether it is a work break in the office or a small evening trip with the family, most of the population depends on street food every day.
Hence, we can conclude, starting a street food business is a highly lucrative business these days. However, the business demands hard work, long working hours, and direct customer interaction.
List of the 10 Street Food Business Ideas
#1. Biryani Stall
Basically, biryani is the main course of food. It’s highly popular too. Biryani comes in a variety of tastes and flavors. A Take-Away Biryani counter is a low-cost business. And you can open the stall even by outsourcing the biryani. You must set up the stall in a high-traffic area where people like to consume biryani regularly.
#2. Chinese Food Stall
Some of the most popular Chinese foods are chow mein, Egg rolls, cutlets, roasted chicken, spring rolls, sandwiches, etc. People from all over the world consume Chinese food on a regular basis – almost every alternate day. These foods are delicious and tasty. Also, you can prepare a lot of foods with almost the same ingredients.
#3. Cold Drinks Stall
Due to the hot and humid weather of the country, people consume cold drinks throughout the year. You can open a cold drinks stall even with a Rs 50000 capital investment. Though the profit margin is very less per unit sale, you can earn a satisfactory profit if you increase the volume. Also, you can sell chips, chocolates, and other ready-to-eat packaged food items from the same stall.
#4. Idli & Bara Stall
Idli, bara, dosa, uttapam, Upma, etc are typically South Indian food. However, these are popular as breakfast or even a main meal food item throughout the country. A small food stall in a high-traffic area is a highly lucrative venture in metro cities and small towns.
#5. Momo Stall
This is another highly popular food item that people consume frequently. Even big companies are now coming into the stall-type business. Therefore, a lot of franchise opportunities are also available these days. The chicken momo, veg momo, and pan-fried momos are major selling food of a momo stall.
#6. Pani Puri or Golgappa Stall
Who doesn’t love Panipuri? It’s also popular as Phuchka or Puchka. Due to the high demand, you can find Pani Puri almost everywhere – from restaurants to the streets. However, the best ones are often found on the roads, and people have their favorite destinations. Initiating a Pani Puri stall is a highly lucrative business in a low-investment segment.
#7. Pav Bhaji Stall
In Pav Bhaji, Pav refers to soft bread. Basically, it is a fast food dish from India, consisting of a thick vegetable curry, fried, and served with a soft bread roll. Some of the most popular dishes are cheese pav bhaji, paneer pav bhaji, fried pav bhaji, mushroom pav bhaji, etc.
The food is highly popular in the northern and western parts of the country. Currently, people all over the country consume pav bhaji on a regular basis.
#8. Popcorn Stall
If you want to start a part-time street food business, then a popcorn stall is a perfect option for you. Generally, people consume popcorn in the evening time. The children prefer popcorn in tiffin time. Popcorn can be cooked with butter or oil. Nowadays, you can find a popcorn-making machine that produces popcorn automatically.
#9. Sweet & Snacks Stall
Basically, the sweet and snack stalls originated from the western part of the country. Though the taste slightly differs regionally, this type of shop is very popular throughout the country. Most of these types of shops sell different types of sweets, Dahi, and snack items like potato chips, Samosa, Namkeen, etc. You can prepare the food at home and sell those items from the food stall.
#10. Tea Stall
Opening a small tea stall is a profitable and self-rewarding business. Depending on your investment capacity, you can establish the store in any size. Also, you can consider buying a franchise. A tea stall business is perfect to start a venture not only in metro cities but also in small towns.
Nowadays, people search for good food at a reasonable price. Hence, the demand for street food items is increasing very fast. Apart from the above list of street food business ideas, you can open any type of street food stall with products that have local demand. A street food stall in the right location has the ability to generate sufficient profit.

Rupak Chakrabarty
Rupak is the founder of MUVSI. He is a small business consultant by profession. His mission is to make people know how to make money and understand personal finance for a better living.