5 Signs Your City Is a Great Fit for a Food Tour
Feb 26, 2025Have you ever thought about starting a food tour in your city? Maybe you’ve visited other cities and joined a food tour, only to think, “My city has amazing food and history too—why isn’t there a tour here?”
The good news? Your city might be the perfect fit for a thriving food tour business. But how do you know for sure?
After running some of the top-ranked food tours in the country, I’ve discovered five key factors that make a city ideal for a food tour. If your city checks off these boxes, you might just be sitting on a huge untapped business opportunity!
1. Your City Has a Walkable Downtown or Historic District
One of the biggest factors for a successful food tour is walkability. Guests don’t want to drive from stop to stop—they want to stroll, take in the sights, and experience the local charm.
Ask yourself:
✅ Does my city have a downtown or historic area with restaurants close together?
✅ Are the sidewalks and streets pedestrian-friendly?
✅ Are there interesting landmarks, murals, or public spaces that add to the experience?
Even smaller towns can host amazing food tours if they have clusters of great food stops within a few blocks. If your city is easy to explore on foot, that’s a great sign!
2. Your City Has Unique, Locally-Owned Restaurants
A great food tour isn’t about chain restaurants—it’s about highlighting the heart of a city’s food scene: locally-owned spots with character and history.
Think about the restaurants in your area:
✅ Do you have mom-and-pop eateries, family-run restaurants, or historic dining spots that tell a story?
✅ Are there dishes unique to your city or region (like a famous sandwich, seafood dish, or dessert)?
✅ Do some restaurants already have a loyal local following?
Even if your city isn’t known as a foodie hotspot, having just a few standout restaurants with passionate owners can create a powerful food tour experience.
3. Your City Has a Story to Tell
Food tours aren’t just about eating—they’re about storytelling. People love learning the history, culture, and hidden gems of a city while they eat their way through it.
✅ Does your city have a rich history, famous events, or unique cultural influences?
✅ Are there fascinating local legends, historic buildings, or famous people tied to your food scene?
✅ Are restaurant owners willing to share behind-the-scenes stories about their dishes and business?
Even small cities and towns have stories that deserve to be told—and a food tour is the perfect way to share them!
4. Tourists or Locals Are Looking for Things to Do
A great food tour needs customers, but that doesn’t mean you need millions of tourists passing through your city.
✅ Are there steady visitors (tourists, business travelers, college parents, cruise ship guests, etc.)?
✅ Do locals love to support local businesses, explore new restaurants, or enjoy experiences?
✅ Does your city host festivals, conventions, or seasonal events that bring in people?
Many successful food tours thrive without a huge tourist population by catering to locals looking for unique experiences in their own backyard. If people in your city love to eat out and explore, a food tour could be a perfect fit!
5. There Are No (or Few) Other Food Tours in Your Area
If your city already has a well-established food tour, you might have competition. But if there’s no food tour at all—or only one with a different focus—you could fill a gap in the market.
✅ Is there currently no food tour in your city?
✅ If there is a tour, could you offer a different experience (brunch tour, evening tour, history-themed tour, etc.)?
✅ Have you seen interest from locals or visitors in more food-related experiences?
If your city is missing a food tour—or there’s room for a fresh take on the experience—you may have just found a perfect business opportunity.
Get on the waitlist!
The Food Tour Founders course will be instrumental in helping you start your own food tour. Be the first to know when the Food Tour Founders course is live!
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.