Sinop food entrepreneurs navigate risks of viral social media trends

Small food business owners face challenges when attempting to capitalize on viral social media food trends. While internet popularity can attract new customers, entrepreneurs must carefully evaluate demand, production costs, and ingredient price fluctuations before adding trending items to their menus.

In Sinop, entrepreneur Ana Paula, a former accountant turned food producer, shared her experiences testing viral recipes like ‘Morango do Amor’ and ‘Morango Cravejado’. She noted that high production costs and customer resistance to necessary price increases led her to discard certain items, such as the ‘X-bolo’, which failed to achieve profitability.

Experts from Sebrae/MT emphasize that creativity must be paired with rigorous planning. Recommendations for small businesses include testing recipes with small batches, calculating all expenses—including packaging, labor, and delivery fees—and monitoring the seasonality of ingredients to ensure financial stability.