This side hustle usually starts as a hobby and evolves into a money making venture. After being in the restaurant business for many years I can tell you sharp knives are a must! A sharp knife makes the job easier, and safer. A sharp knife also makes the end product look better because it does not have smashed, ragged cuts. So, how do so many restaurants keep their knives so sharp? The answer is that they use a knife sharpening service.
What is a knife sharpening service and how does it work? Usually once a week or every two weeks a representative from the knife service delivers a set of sharp knives to the restaurant or supermarket. At the time the knife service picks up the old knives for sharpening. Yes, you are right! The restaurant has at least two sets of knives. For this business you have the chance to sell or rent knives to the restaurant or just sharpen the cutlery the restaurant already owns. For most restaurants seeing is believing. To get started you need a dozen blades of your finest work. Drop one off at each restaurant for a two week trial. Gradually as the restaurant’s knives begin to dull the cooks will want to try yours and this technique will open the conversation up. Avoid fast food, and sushi restaurants. A knife service is not practical for fast food and sushi chefs know how to sharpen their own knives.
How you choose to set your business up is your choice, but be prepared to discuss your knife sharpening program with the restaurant manager or owner. Decide if you are going to sell or rent the knives to the restaurant. You can make it easy on the customer by having sharpening service price tiers based on whether the knives are rented, bought or just being sharpened. Be prepared if the restaurant only wants to by one set of knives as a back up for what they already own. Also be prepared if the restaurant just wants multiple chef and paring knives, or any other style knife the restaurant uses frequently. Do not miss the opportunity to showcase your skills and products to the cooks too. Trust me, they will pay for your service too. While talking to the cooks pass on some small tidbits about caring for their knives in between sharpenings. This an easy way to sell a knife steel. For steels always sell a steel that is two inches longer than the length of the customer’s chef’s knife. This makes the process of using a steel safer and more efficient. For added marketing let the cooks know which knives you found to be the easiest to sharpen and keep their edge the longest. This will sell your knives and service and the cook will take your name with you to whatever restaurant they may cook at in the future.
This can be a full time job, but the reason why I am listing it as a side hustle is because of the batch processing. In other words the pick up and drop off every week or every other week. This allows you to work your full time job if needed and sharpen knives in your off time. I suggest as always to have multiple forms of payment available such as cash, Cash App or PayPal. For ease of contact texts or emails work great. This will allow you to communicate with the owner operators of the restaurant at a time convenient to them. A restaurant is a busy place the last thing a manager wants to do is to be stopped during a high volume time. Arrange your pickups and drop offs for slow times for the restaurant and during lunch or supper.
The equipment side of a knife sharpening service depends on your skill set. Most of the guys that I have seen in the business have an obsession with perfectly sharp knives and their hustle started off as a hobby and turned into a business. These guys are are able to sharpen with a stone or electric sharpener. So if you are one these people, then this might just be your next side hustle.
