On a warm, cloudy Tuesday in July, Scott Goodfriend stands ready to lead a small group on his Iconic Foods of the Lower East Side tour in New York City. As they gather at the entrance of a bustling food market in downtown Manhattan, Scott shares a bit of history: “This was the immigrant center of New York.”
He explains how these immigrants brought their rich culinary traditions with them, forming the heart of his food tour. The tour features iconic stops like Ferrara, an Italian dessert haven, and Baz Bagel, a local favorite.
The First Stop: Doughnut Plant
Their first destination is the Doughnut Plant, a 30-year-old establishment with an industrial feel, complete with concrete floors and trays of doughnuts behind a sleek steel counter. Scott explains the shop’s origins:
- Founded by Mark Isreal in 1994.
- Based on his grandfather’s doughnut recipe.
The group is treated to three different doughnuts—Tres leches, Brooklyn Blackout, and blueberry. A seventh grader on the tour bites into one and exclaims, “These are good.”
A Journey from Hobby to Business
- 2019: Scott, now 39, officially launched his food tour business while working full-time in communications.
- 2023: After being laid off from Meta, Scott dedicated himself fully to his company, Ultimate Food Tours.
- May 2023 – May 2024: The business generated over $145,000 in revenue.
A Lifelong Love for Food and History
Scott’s passion for diverse foods began in his childhood:
- Growing Up: Raised in Calabasas, Los Angeles, with parents who loved exploring different ethnic cuisines.
- His father favored Persian food.
- His mother enjoyed sushi and Japanese food.
This culinary curiosity was matched by an early interest in history:
- Family Tradition: Watching the History Channel with his dad.
Career Path
- Education: Graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2007 with a degree in journalism.
- Career Start: Ventured into reality TV, working on various projects in Los Angeles before moving to New York in 2011.
- PR Role: Joined Edelman in 2016, managing projects in Web3 and virtual reality.
- Big Break: Landed a job at Meta in July 2022, working on augmented reality projects. The role came with a $200,000 annual salary.
Turning a Passion into Profit
- Exploring New York: Scott began exploring New York’s neighborhoods and their culinary offerings when he moved to the city.
- Visits to places like Astoria, Queens (Bosnian food) and Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn (Russian community).
- Friends Encouraged: Friends who heard about Scott’s self-guided tours encouraged him to share these experiences.
- He led friends on tours in neighborhoods like Borough Park (Hasidic population) and Sunset Park (Chinese community).
- Eight Years of Tours: Scott gave these tours informally for about eight years without monetizing them.
- He enjoyed it as a hobby and was hesitant to start a business due to the perceived hassle.
- Airbnb Experience: A friend introduced him to Airbnb experiences—local tours sold through the platform.
- Scott posted his first tour in October 2019.
- “The first dollar I made from my Chinatown Food Tour was in October 2019,” Scott recalls.
From Side Hustle to Full-Time Business
- 2021: Expanded his offerings to include the Iconic Food tour and named his business Ultimate Food Tours.
- Built a website in December 2021.
- Balancing Act: Managed the business while working full-time, dedicating weekends to his side hustle.
- Worked about 10 hours a week, giving two tours.
- 2022: The side business generated over $30,000 in revenue.
- 2023: After being laid off from Meta, Scott received another job offer but felt a strong pull toward his food tour business.
- “I made the decision to cut the safety net in early 2023,” Scott explains.
Growing the Business
Today, Ultimate Food Tours offers:
- Six different food tours throughout the week, each priced at $90 per person (including food).
- Average group size: Six to eight participants.
- Popular Tours:
- Broadway Bites
- Famous Sites and Famous Jewish Foods
- Expanded Offerings: Recently partnered with local restaurants to offer private cooking classes.
- Primarily for corporate clients.
- Priced at $150 per person.
- Merchandise Sales: The company also sells branded merchandise on its website.
Future Plans
Scott is working to expand the business internationally:
- Global Expansion: Helping local guides create similar food tours in places like San Diego and Japan.
- Ultimate Food Tours will take a small percentage of the revenue.
- Content Creation: Actively posts content on social media.
- Features a series called Origin Stories, which explores the history of some of New York’s famous foods.
- This series is currently being developed into a long-form streaming show.
The Grind of Entrepreneurship
As the sole full-time employee of his company, Scott estimates:
- 80-hour workweeks.
- While he earns significantly less than he did at Meta, the satisfaction of doing what he loves outweighs the financial difference.
- “This is absolutely my dream job,” Scott says.
Note: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or business advice.
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