7 Unique Ways Food Lovers Can Make Money During Coronavirus

The surge of creativity from American entrepreneurs during coronavirus is being displayed in many forms: from new e-commerce businesses to banking on social media popularity. However, for the culinary lovers, there remains many ways-some untapped- to create income during the pandemic. Chef Jonathan Scinto is a TV Show Creator, Host, Food Artist and Entrepreneur from Long Island, New York. The “food-preneur” utilizes rustic Italian flavors and Asian influences to create what Chef Jonathan calls “Itasian”, a fusion of Italian and Asian cultures.

For those that believe as he does: “You eat with your eyes, then your mouth, so it’s important to grab your attention at first sight then first bite,” then read on for 7 ways to make money during the pandemic and keeping your clients wanting more:

 #1 When did you decide to become a chef?

 “I’ve been fascinated with food since I was a toddler. While most toddlers were watching Sesame St., I became glued to “The French Chef” a.k.a Julia Child and Emeril Lagasse,” says Chef Jonathan. “I would try to speak like Julia Child’s accent and “BAM” away like Emeril, by whipping up crazy concoctions in my parent’s apartment in Queens. Their food point of view on TV led me to become a Chef Today!”

#2 Shortly after graduating college, you worked at Post Perfect in Client Services, a post production facility in NYC in the early 2000’s. You worked with A-list clients like HBO’s Sopranos, Sex & the City, Mariah Carey, and Alicia Keys. What was that experience like?

“Working in a corporate environment for the first time was a big mental adjustment for me,” says Chef Jonathan. “As an entrepreneurial spirit, I had to pull back that mindset, hold off on the creative ideas and follow a manual of rules. Being around A-List Celebs gave me insight into their methods, routines and trained me to become a great listener. It helped me develop networking and quick response negotiating skills. It shaped me into who I am today.”

#3 Because of the quarantine, many Americans are brainstorming ways to make money working from home. What are some opportunities for food lovers to be entrepreneurial right now?

“There are many!” says Chef Jonathan. “Here are my recommendations for food lovers looking to make money during the pandemic,”:

• PERSONAL SHOPPER: “With the demand of services, like Instacart on the rise and less people being allowed in stores at one time, there’s a huge need right now to get groceries and supplies for people,” says Chef Jonathan. “This could be done on a daily or weekly basis. You would drop-off their supplies to their front door for a reasonable fee. Just have a website and PPE ready to go!”

• RESTAURANT DELIVERY SERVICE: “Restaurants are struggling right now with their dining rooms closed,” says Chef Jonathan. “Brands like Doordash are charging astronomical fees to the restaurant owner, taking away a majority of their profits for deliveries. You can offer restaurants a flat rate delivery fee and stay within a 3-5 mile radius so you can deliver for several restaurants. Plus, it will help give a higher level of safety for the customers by using using the same delivery service and not different drivers, staying within social distancing guidelines.”

• SELL YOUR HOME-MADE TREATS: “With only a few of the big box food stores opened because of the pandemic, get those creative juices flowing, design a label and grab some jars to start selling your delectable treats on your own website or by listing it on sites like Etsy or eBay,” advises Chef Jonathan. “Check FDA guidelines and county Dept. of Health regulations.”

• LIVE COOKING CLASSES: “Teach your followers right from your very own home kitchen,” says Chef Jonathan. “Setup class offerings, like Pasta making and advertise on social. Tell them what supplies to buy or for a small fee ship them the ingredients. Charge per class or make a cooking series for a larger fee. Host the classes from Facebook live, Zoom or Instagram live. The classes can be paid thru Venmo, PayPal or Google Pay.”

• SELL YOUR RECIPES: “Create magazine worthy dishes for mom and pop, startups and national brands using their products,” advises Chef Jonathan. “This will build a long-term partnership with many brands and increase your engagement. The best method is to reach out to the brands directly on Instagram, by sending a private message about your collaboration offerings.”

• COOKING SHOW: “YouTube takes time to generate income right away,” says Chef Jonathan. “As an alternative, you can film your own show from your cell phone with a tripod and by downloading an editing program to your phone. Advertise your subscription service online and upload your videos to UScreen to have it seen on multiple streaming platforms. You can even release buzz clips and teasers thru your social media.”

•  VIRTUAL FOOD EXPERIENCES: “You can setup a subscription service to take your followers on a journey thru your personal tastes and dining experiences,” recommends Chef Jonathan. “Host a virtual in-home pop-up restaurant, meal ideas for travelers and cultural experiences for foodies.”

 #4 When quarantine lifts, how do you predict chefs and restauranteurs will change their business models due to the pandemic?

 “In my opinion, restaurants will have to expand the delivery service to a larger radius, make curbside now part of their daily menu’s, develop a menu geared towards faster service times for curbside pickup to element outside traffic,” says Chef Jonathan. “They’ll need to implement their own apps to have online ordering more efficient and it will help cut out the big fees from online providers. Adding a full bar menu to go will be a huge revenue generator, they’ll just have to be creative with the packaging of the cocktails. Eye candy sell!”

#5 You’ve had guest appearances on TV shows like Food Network “Chopped” and FOX’s MasterChef. What was that like, and how can aspiring chefs strive for that level of public exposure?

“It was truly a career changing experience,” remarks Chef Jonathan. “Cooking on TV is nothing like being behind a line. You have to make sure you nail the flavors for the judges and be visually appealing for the camera, because the viewer can’t taste it at home and the food you just made is sitting around for a while. You have to be able to think quick on your feet and expect the unexpected. For chefs and cooks wanting to be on TV, make sure you have a unique food point of view and are comfortable talking on camera about your food. You have to be persistent and patient, it’s a process.”

#6 What are some of your favorite foodie travel destinations, and do you draw inspiration from those places for your own dishes? And, how?

“I’m a little biased being form New York, so NYC is my go-to,” says Chef Jonathan. “The flavors and vibe are hard to match, it’s a melting pot of cultures. I get a creative adrenaline rush when I go into a restaurant like Eleven Madison Park, and eat from their 10-course menu. I use that theme now, for my tasting experiences.”

“Besides my home town, I would say I draw inspiration from a few other cities like Chicago, Nashville and Los Angeles,” says Chef Jonathan. “The World Food Championships is another place I draw inspiration from because you have 400 plus chefs, home cooks and BBQ Teams competing at the NASCAR meets SUPERBOWL meets Iron Chef of food sport, battling it out on the biggest stage for $300,000 in cash and prizes. You get to watch all of these amazing recipes being created and plated, it definitely gives you a jolt of, “Oh I need to try that”.”