“I earn a full-time salary leading food tours!”
“A few years ago, I went on a food tour with my family in New York City. We explored several restaurants and all their great cuisine. Although my husband and I own a coffee shop, I was looking for another way to make money. Since the California town we live in didn’t have a food-tour company, I realized it could be a fun business
Name to open, so Age I launched Catalina Food Tours (CaCtaitlyin,SatFaoteodTours.com).
“Since I knew nothing about food tours, I took a workshop to learn how to launch the business. I built a website with a template and hired someone to help me write scripts for the tour.
“We offer daily food walking tours, a happy-hour tour, private tours and corporate tours. We also offer one we call Santa’s Catalina Happy Hour for the holidays and invite people to dress up. On the tour, people learn about the history and culture of Catalina Island and get to sample different cuisines around town. We visit six restaurants and spend 20 minutes at each one.
“We look for restaurants that are unique, have a historical relevance, offer a unique cuisine or showcase the local flavor. The restaurants love to be a part of the tours because it brings in business for them.
“The tours cost between $69 and $121 per person. We pay the restaurants for food and beverages and tip the servers and bartenders. I hire guides to run the tours, but sometimes I also head up the happy-hour tour.
“I love running this business because it’s so fun and flexible. I make a full-time salary working about 25 to 30 hours a week!”