In partnership with
🌱 Walk into any upscale restaurant kitchen and you'll see the same problem: chefs want fresh, flavorful microgreens but their suppliers deliver wilted, days-old greens that lose half their punch before hitting the plate. They're paying premium prices for mediocre quality because local options don't exist.
Here's what most people miss: microgreens aren't just a trend anymore. They're a $1.5 billion global market growing at 12% annually, and restaurants will pay 5-10x grocery store prices for locally grown, same-day delivery greens. This newsletter shows you exactly how to capture that demand with a business you can start in a 10x10 space for under $2,000.
Today's Idea
Grow premium microgreens indoors and sell them to restaurants, meal prep services, and health-conscious consumers. You're delivering ultra-fresh greens within hours of harvest, something no distant supplier can match.
You're offering what Big Agriculture can't: same-day delivery of pesticide-free greens with flavors so intense that chefs build menus around them. No farmland, no tractors. Just racks, lights, and seeds in your spare room, basement, or garage.
Ideal Customer
Upscale restaurants and farm-to-table establishments paying $25-40 per pound for fresh microgreens, tired of wilted supplies from distant farms, need reliable same-day delivery
Meal prep companies and juice bars looking for locally sourced, organic ingredients to differentiate their offerings and justify premium pricing to health-conscious customers
Farmers market shoppers and CSA members who prioritize organic, pesticide-free produce and will pay $8-12 for a 4oz container of living microgreens they can harvest at home
Wedding planners and event caterers searching for edible garnishes and unique presentation elements that photograph beautifully and taste amazing
Health-conscious home cooks and wellness enthusiasts who want the freshest, most nutrient-dense greens possible and understand that day-old beats week-old every time
Grocery stores and specialty food shops in affluent neighborhoods wanting to stock premium local products that command higher margins than commodity produce
We don’t do “business as usual”
The world moves fast, but understanding it shouldn’t be hard.
That’s why we created Morning Brew: a free, five-minute daily newsletter that makes business and finance news approachable—and even enjoyable. Whether it’s Wall Street, Silicon Valley, or what’s trending at the water cooler, the Brew serves up the context you need in plain English, with a side of humor to keep things interesting.
There’s a reason over 4 million professionals read the newsletter daily—and you can try it for free by clicking below!
Why It Will Succeed
Quality gap you can exploit: Most microgreens lose 30-50% of their flavor traveling 1,000+ miles. You deliver within hours of harvest. Chefs taste the difference immediately.
Restaurants pay premium for reliability: High-end restaurants gladly pay $30-40 per pound for ingredients that elevate dishes. Your same-day delivery means zero wilting, zero excuses.
Year-round income with no weather risk: Climate-controlled growing produces consistent crops every 7-14 days, 365 days a year. Restaurants love predictability. You're building subscriptions, not gambling on seasons.
Low startup, fast payback: Launch with $1,500-2,000 in a spare room, break even in 3-4 months. Most growers report 40-60% profit margins once established.
Multiple revenue streams: Restaurants, farmers markets, subscription boxes, CSA programs, and grocery stores. If one channel slows, others pick up slack.
Sticky customer relationships: Once a chef builds your greens into their menu, switching is hard. You become their partner, not just a vendor. Many growers keep clients for years.
Scale without massive capital: Start small, prove it works, then expand. Successful growers go from bedroom setups to warehouse facilities, adding herbs, lettuce, and strawberries as they grow.
Getting Started and Building an MVP
Core Features
Climate-controlled growing space with proper ventilation, temperature management, and humidity control for consistent year-round production
Tiered growing system using shelving racks and LED grow lights to maximize vertical space and increase yield per square foot
Seed starting and germination setup with blackout periods, proper watering systems, and growing medium that produces healthy, flavorful crops
Harvest and packaging station for cleaning, weighing, and presenting microgreens in restaurant-quality containers or living trays
Direct delivery logistics enabling same-day or next-day delivery to restaurants and customers within your local area
Basic inventory management tracking seed varieties, growing cycles, harvest dates, and customer orders to maintain consistent supply
Customer relationship system for managing restaurant accounts, subscription boxes, and recurring orders with simple invoicing
No-Code/Low-Code Tech Stack
For a microgreens business, you need minimal tech since most work is physical, but smart tools help manage customers and operations efficiently.
Website & Online Store: Squarespace ($16-23/month) is perfect for showcasing your products with beautiful photos, accepting online orders, and managing subscriptions. Their built-in commerce tools handle everything without coding.
Customer Management & Invoicing: Square (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) gives you point-of-sale for farmers markets, online ordering, invoicing for restaurant accounts, and inventory tracking all in one platform. Free to start.
Order & Delivery Management: Route4Me (starts at $149/month, only needed at scale) optimizes delivery routes when you have multiple restaurant stops. For starting out, Google Maps works fine.
Email Marketing & Subscriptions: Mailchimp (free up to 500 contacts) lets you send harvest updates, availability alerts, and recipe ideas to customers. Grows with you as your list expands.
Scheduling & Booking: Calendly (free tier available) for scheduling farm tours, restaurant meetings, and CSA pickups without back-and-forth emails.
Accounting: Wave (free for basic features) handles invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reports. Simple enough for non-accountants, powerful enough to hand to your tax person.
Social Media Management: Later (free for 1 social profile) schedules Instagram and Facebook posts showing your growing process, harvest days, and customer shoutouts. Visual content sells microgreens.
Build Steps
1. Design Your Growing Space
Identify a 10x10 foot minimum space (spare room, basement, garage) with access to electricity and water
Ensure proper ventilation to prevent mold and maintain air circulation
Plan for 4-6 shelving units that maximize vertical space without blocking light or airflow
Budget $200-400 for space prep including cleaning, waterproofing floors, and installing ventilation fans
2. Build Your Growing System
Purchase wire shelving racks (4-tier units work best, $80-120 each from Home Depot or Amazon)
Install LED grow lights on each shelf (Barrina T8 strips are reliable, $25-35 per 4-pack)
Set up basic 10x20 growing trays with drainage holes ($1-2 each, buy 50-100 to start)
Test your setup with one shelf before scaling to ensure proper light distance and coverage
3. Source Quality Seeds and Supplies
Order organic microgreen seeds from True Leaf Market or Johnny's Selected Seeds ($20-40 per pound, each pound yields 10-20 trays)
Start with reliable, fast-growing varieties: sunflower, pea shoots, radish, and arugula
Buy coconut coir or soil-based growing medium (avoid synthetic mats initially)
Stock up on spray bottles, scissors, and food-safe containers for packaging
4. Master Your Growing Process
Run test batches of each seed variety to learn germination times, blackout periods, and harvest windows
Document your process: soaking times, seeding density, watering schedule, days to harvest
Practice harvesting techniques that keep greens fresh and presentation-quality
Aim for 7-12 day grow cycles depending on variety, allowing you to harvest multiple times per week
5. Build Your Customer Base
Contact 15-20 local restaurants with samples of your best greens (bring them in clear containers, freshly harvested that morning)
Attend farmers markets to test pricing, gather feedback, and build a direct customer list
Create a simple Squarespace site showing your products, growing process, and ordering options
Offer restaurants a trial week: free samples, then discounted first order to prove reliability
6. Establish Operations and Delivery
Set delivery days (Tuesday/Friday works well for restaurants)
Create a simple order form using Square or Google Forms for weekly restaurant orders
Invest in insulated bags and coolers for transport to maintain quality
Build buffer inventory so you never miss a delivery due to growing delays
7. Scale Based on Demand
Add new shelving units as you secure consistent orders (each unit can generate $200-400/month)
Introduce new varieties once your core crops are dialed in (basil, cilantro, specialty mixes command higher prices)
Consider subscription boxes for home customers ($25-35/week for a mixed variety pack)
Reinvest profits into better equipment: automated watering systems, larger space, or commercial-grade lights
Monetization Strategies
Direct Restaurant Sales: $25-40/lb for specialty greens, $15-25/lb for standard. Target 5-10 accounts ordering 2-5 lbs weekly. Monthly potential: $2,000-6,000.
Farmers Market Retail: Sell 4oz containers for $6-8 or living trays for $10-15. Good markets move 30-60 units per day. Saturday revenue: $300-700.
Subscription Boxes: Weekly boxes at $25-35 with 3-5 varieties. Just 20 subscribers generates $2,000-2,800 monthly. Upsell specialty herbs and edible flowers.
CSA Programs: Seasonal memberships at $200-300 for 10 weeks. Partner with other farmers for complete shares. Revenue is upfront for better cash flow.
Wholesale to Grocery Stores: Supply specialty grocers at $12-18/lb. Establish 2-3 accounts moving 10+ lbs weekly. Monthly potential: $1,000-2,500 per store.
Workshops and Farm Tours: Host classes at $30-50 per person for 8-12 people monthly. Generates $240-600 per session plus starter kit sales at $40-60 each.
Marketing Strategies
Direct Outreach to Chefs: Visit restaurants 2-4pm with fresh samples. Leave pricing sheet, follow up in 48 hours. Personal relationships beat ads.
Instagram Content: Daily posts of growing process, harvest videos, chef testimonials. Use #farmtotable, #microgreens, local tags. Tag restaurants featuring your greens. 3-5 posts weekly, free.
Farmers Market Presence: Attractive booth, living trays, taste samples. Collect emails for weekly updates. Cost: $25-75/day. Generates immediate sales and subscription leads.
Food Blogger Partnerships: Send free product to local food bloggers and wellness influencers (5,000-50,000 followers). One good post drives 10-20 customers.
Google My Business: Claim listing, add photos, get restaurant reviews. Show up when people search "fresh microgreens near me." Free and effective.
Meal Prep Partnerships: Approach meal prep companies and juice bars about exclusive supply deals. Offer custom blends. Steady wholesale volume.
Referral Program: $50 credit per new restaurant referral. 30-40% of new accounts come from chef word-of-mouth.
Expanding and Improving
Add high-value specialty crops like micro herbs (basil, cilantro, mint), edible flowers, and baby greens that command $40-60 per pound from restaurants
Scale to larger commercial space when demand exceeds home capacity, moving to 500-1,000 sq ft warehouse with vertical farming racks and automated systems
Introduce hydroponic or aquaponic systems for year-round lettuce, herbs, and vine crops with higher yields and less labor per square foot
Launch consumer subscription app using a platform like Subbly to automate weekly deliveries, customer management, and recurring billing
Partner with local breweries or coffee roasters to upcycle spent grain and coffee grounds as growing medium, reducing costs and adding sustainability story
Develop value-added products like microgreen pesto, salad dressings, or dried microgreen powder for longer shelf life and higher margins
Create wholesale distribution network supplying multiple growers' products to restaurants, becoming the aggregator for local urban farms
Offer consulting and setup services helping others launch microgreen businesses, selling growing systems, and providing ongoing mentorship at $1,000-3,000 per client
Your spare room could be harvesting $5,000 a month in six months. The restaurants in your city are already buying microgreens. They're just not buying them from you yet. Start with one shelf, one seed variety, and one restaurant. Everything else builds from there.
Thanks for checking out another edition of Easy Startup Ideas!
If you have any comments or suggestions on how to improve this newsletter, please let us know by commenting below.
As an Amazon Associate and affiliate of various partnership programs, the owner of this publication may receive commissions to linked products or services in this newsletter at no additional expense to the reader.