How to make money as a chef or caterer in Thessaloniki

Where customers for chefs and caterers actually come from in Thessaloniki

Customers in Thessaloniki who hire chefs and caterers come from several directions. Private events - birthdays, anniversaries, small weddings, family dinners - make up steady work. These are often booked through word of mouth or through online search when someone types 'catering Thessaloniki' or 'private chef near me'. Workplace catering for offices and small companies happens, especially in the city centre and business districts. Schools and institutions sometimes hire for events. Hotels, restaurants and event spaces occasionally need extra kitchen hands or specialized cooking. Online platforms where people post tasks or search for services play a growing role - someone looking for a caterer may search and find your profile rather than ask a friend.

The size of Thessaloniki matters: it is large enough that there is real work to find, but small enough that word of mouth and direct relationships still drive a lot of bookings. Build a presence where people search - a profile with your services, prices and booking option - and keep doing good work so people recommend you.

How to set your first prices and talk about money

Setting prices in Thessaloniki as a new chef or caterer means looking at what already exists - search for other caterers in the city, check their rates, see what they charge per person, per hour, or per event. Your experience, the type of work (simple meal prep versus complex event catering), ingredients cost and travel all affect what you should ask for.

Start with numbers you can stand behind: if you do a job that takes four hours and costs you forty euros in ingredients, you need to price it so you make money after materials, transport, and any tools or containers. New providers often underprice at first because they want the booking - this is a risk because it sets expectations low and makes it harder to raise prices later. Better to start honest about what your work is worth than to regret low rates after fifty jobs.

Talk about money clearly: quote a total price per event or per person, make clear what is included (ingredients, serving, cleaning up, or not), and discuss payment before you start. Many customers expect to pay after the work is done or when the event ends. Websta handles this through card payments which go to your own bank account - the customer pays, you receive the money.

What your first ten customers usually look like

Your first customers as a new chef or caterer in Thessaloniki are often people you already know or who found you through someone they trust. A friend recommends you. Someone sees your profile online and books a small job to try you out. A family hires you for a birthday dinner. Someone in a workplace asks if you do catering. The jobs are often smaller than you might hope - a dinner for six people, a small office lunch, a celebration for ten - rather than big events. This is normal. Small jobs matter because they are how you build experience, get testimonials, and create the network that leads to bigger work.

Early customers are also often flexible and forgiving of small mistakes because they know you are starting out. This changes as you grow - later customers expect more polish - so use the early jobs to learn what works, what takes longer than you thought, and what to charge.

What you need to sort out as self-employed in Greece

Working as a self-employed chef or caterer in Greece means you have tax and registration obligations. The Greek tax authority (AADE) and social insurance (IKA or equivalent funds for self-employed people) require that you register your activity and declare income. If you work alongside a job, you still need to register as self-employed if you earn money from catering.

You must keep records of what you earn and spend - materials, transport, equipment. When customers pay you through Websta by card, those payments are tracked and reported to the tax authorities. You are responsible for declaring this income.

Health and safety rules apply: if you cook in customers' homes or deliver food, certain rules about food handling and storage apply. Check with the local municipality or the food safety authority in Thessaloniki about any specific requirements for private catering or cooking in non-commercial kitchens.

Before you start, contact AADE or a tax advisor to understand your obligations. Getting this right from the start is far easier than sorting it out later.

What goes wrong in the first months and how to avoid it

New chefs and caterers in Thessaloniki often make the same mistakes. Underpricing is the first one - taking jobs for too little because you want the work. You then end up spending more time than the money is worth. Avoid this by knowing your costs and what your work is worth before you quote.

Communication breaks down: a customer thinks you are bringing drinks, you assumed they would provide them. A time slot gets confused. Booking details are unclear. Write everything down - what food, how many people, what date and time, what the customer provides, what you bring, what happens after - and confirm it before the job.

Not following up with customers. After you do good work, you should ask if they would recommend you or if they need catering again. Most new work comes from people you have already cooked for. Asking feels awkward but it works.

Not having a clear way for people to book or contact you. A profile on Websta with your services, photos, prices and online booking means someone can find you, see what you offer, and book without emailing or calling back and forth. This also handles payment securely.

How a Websta profile helps you earn from catering in Thessaloniki

A profile on Websta gives you a page that looks like a website - it shows your services, what you charge, photos of your work, and lets people book or contact you. When someone in Thessaloniki searches for a caterer or chef, Websta helps them find profiles in their area. Your profile appears in that search.

You set your own services and prices. You add photos. People can see what you do before they contact you. The online booking and contact form mean customers can reach you without you having to manage email or phone calls constantly - though you will need to respond to booking requests.

When a customer books and pays by card through your profile, the money goes to your own bank account via Stripe - not held by Websta, not in an app wallet, but to your bank. You get paid for the work you do.

Having a profile with clear prices and services also means you have a page you can send to anyone who asks about catering - friends, colleagues, people you meet. It shows you are professional and serious about the work, and it saves you from explaining the same thing over and over.

Starting out: small steps to real income

Making money as a chef or caterer in Thessaloniki is not fast or effortless, but it is doable. Start by setting up - decide what services you offer, what you will charge, and build a profile where people can find you. Cook some jobs, learn what works, adjust your prices as you go. Keep track of what you earn and spend, and sort out your tax situation.

Your first year will likely involve a lot of small jobs, some long hours, and gradual growth as people start recommending you. This is how most people in this trade start. The money comes, but it comes from work - planning menus, shopping, cooking, serving, cleaning up - and from building a small but real customer base over time.