The Prep List

Start and scale a profitable food business with insights from Hotplate’s blog.

The Prep List

Microbakery May Updates

Apr 28, 2026

Microbakery May Updates

Apr 28, 2026

Apr 28, 2026

Hotplate bakers dominate the New York Times’ Top 22 Bakeries list

Sep 12, 2025

Hotplate bakers dominate the New York Times’ Top 22 Bakeries list

Sep 12, 2025

Sep 12, 2025

Drops as a model for selling food

Sep 8, 2025

Drops as a model for selling food

Sep 8, 2025

Sep 8, 2025

What Hotplate does

Sep 1, 2025

What Hotplate does

Sep 1, 2025

Sep 1, 2025

Trending

Microbakery May

The Prep List

Bake Up Pastries: 11 years running a cottage bakery in LA

Bake Up Pastries: 11 years running a cottage bakery in LA

How a Danish baker in New Jersey built a six figure microbakery

How a Danish baker in New Jersey built a six figure microbakery

Cloud and Crumb: From Stanford PhD to full-time baker

Cloud and Crumb: From Stanford PhD to full-time baker

Kate’s Cookie Co: Building her business one batch at a time

Kate’s Cookie Co: Building her business one batch at a time

Lindsey Bakes Bread: From beginner to home baker mentor

Lindsey Bakes Bread: From beginner to home baker mentor

Matjip: This software engineer quit tech to start a Korean microbakery

Matjip: This software engineer quit tech to start a Korean microbakery

Gabriel’s Bagels: Atlanta’s best new bagel, six years in the making

Gabriel’s Bagels: Atlanta’s best new bagel, six years in the making

Microbakery May Updates

Microbakery May Updates

Starting Your Business

The Prep List

How to scale your recipes like a pro (with free Google Sheet template)

How to scale your recipes like a pro (with free Google Sheet template)

Cooking up a side hustle on Hotplate

Cooking up a side hustle on Hotplate

How baked goods businesses grow on Hotplate

How baked goods businesses grow on Hotplate

How bagel businesses grow on Hotplate

How bagel businesses grow on Hotplate

How bread businesses grow on Hotplate

How bread businesses grow on Hotplate

How pizza businesses grow on Hotplate

How pizza businesses grow on Hotplate

How ice cream businesses crush it on Hotplate

How ice cream businesses crush it on Hotplate

What Are Cottage Food Laws? A Beginner’s Guide for Home Chefs & Bakers

What Are Cottage Food Laws? A Beginner’s Guide for Home Chefs & Bakers

So, you want to start a side hustle?

So, you want to start a side hustle?

Texas Cottage Food Law: How to Comply with SB 541

Texas Cottage Food Law: How to Comply with SB 541

The new Texas Cottage Food Law: What changed with SB 541

The new Texas Cottage Food Law: What changed with SB 541

Meet the Chefs

The Prep List

San Pedro Sourdough: fresh-milled grains, organic flour, community connection

San Pedro Sourdough: fresh-milled grains, organic flour, community connection

Gold Acre Farm: how one family left city burnout to start the citrus farm of their dreams

Gold Acre Farm: how one family left city burnout to start the citrus farm of their dreams

How Gooey Center 15x’d sales on Hotplate

How Gooey Center 15x’d sales on Hotplate

This grilled branzino popup sells out in a minute

This grilled branzino popup sells out in a minute

Meet Soaked Bar

Meet Soaked Bar

Meet Orange Peel Group

Meet Orange Peel Group

Meet Hali Home Bakes

Meet Hali Home Bakes

About Hotplate

The Prep List

Drops as a model for selling food

About Hotplate

Drops as a model for selling food

About Hotplate

About Hotplate

What Hotplate does

About Hotplate

What Hotplate does

About Hotplate

About Hotplate

Bake Up Pastries: 11 years running a cottage bakery in LA

Sarah Yang 5/15/26 Sarah Yang 5/15/26

Bake Up Pastries: 11 years running a cottage bakery in LA

Read More

How a Danish baker in New Jersey built a six figure microbakery

Sarah Yang 5/14/26 Sarah Yang 5/14/26

How a Danish baker in New Jersey built a six figure microbakery

Read More

Cloud and Crumb: From Stanford PhD to full-time baker

Sarah Yang 5/13/26 Sarah Yang 5/13/26

Cloud and Crumb: From Stanford PhD to full-time baker

Read More

Kate’s Cookie Co: Building her business one batch at a time

Sarah Yang 5/13/26 Sarah Yang 5/13/26

Kate’s Cookie Co: Building her business one batch at a time

Read More

Lindsey Bakes Bread: From beginner to home baker mentor

Sarah Yang 5/12/26 Sarah Yang 5/12/26

Lindsey Bakes Bread: From beginner to home baker mentor

Read More

Matjip: This software engineer quit tech to start a Korean microbakery

Sarah Yang 5/11/26 Sarah Yang 5/11/26

Matjip: This software engineer quit tech to start a Korean microbakery

Read More

Gabriel’s Bagels: Atlanta’s best new bagel, six years in the making

Sarah Yang 5/7/26 Sarah Yang 5/7/26

Gabriel’s Bagels: Atlanta’s best new bagel, six years in the making

Read More