California’s Micro Enterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO) permit allows home cooks to legally operate food businesses from their homes. The law, which was passed in 2018, requires that the counties choose to participate. So far, 17 counties, including Los Angeles, have done so.
Heidi Pickman from California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity (CAMEO)outlines the steps home cooks must take to obtain a permit. These include passing a food safety test, developing a menu, creating standard operating procedures and passing a home inspection. Los Angeles will waive the license fee for the first 500 chefs.
Cook Academy, a free eight-week class offered by COOK Allianceprepares chefs for this business, with qualified graduates receiving a $3,000 grant. MEHKO businesses can earn up to $100,000 annually, a significant reduction in start-up costs compared to traditional restaurants.
Pickman says the average start-up cost to open a brick-and-mortar facility is $400,000, while a food truck requires $50,000 in capital. Commercial kitchen rentals, when available, set operators back $45,000. A MEHKO business has a low overhead of a few thousand dollars for permits, equipment and food inventory, resulting in a more viable path to entrepreneurship.
