California has long been renowned for its culinary culture, and a recent legal change is giving home cooks the chance to turn their passion for cooking into a lucrative venture.
New California Law
The Golden State is embracing a new law, Assembly Bill 1325, which has liberated home chefs from the shadows of underground operations, making it legal for them to serve and sell their delectable creations from the comfort of their kitchens.
One such success story is Tacos Don Chai. Owner Bryan Gonzalez never imagined his hobby would turn into a thriving business. In 2020, Bryan found himself jobless when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
“I was left jobless, pretty much, on the day that the COVID announcement was made,” said Bryan. “Just hanging out at home. Started cooking, started cooking for friends. My friends really enjoyed my cooking; my birria is special.”
However, the Health Department eventually shut down Bryan’s operation. He was not the only one facing this predicament, as many home cooks were operating within the underground economy.
Fortunately, Assembly Bill 1325, signed into law in July, has paved the way for home cooks to bring their culinary endeavors out of the shadows and make a legitimate living.
Roya Bagheri, CEO of Cook Alliance, a key advocate for the legislation, noted, “Most people are unaware that it is illegal to sell food out of your home kitchen, not recognizing that they’re breaking any law when they’re just trying to share their food. So, that’s why we helped pass this law in California and are working to spread this across the entire U.S.”
From Cooks to Entrepreneurs
These aspiring home cooks are now known as “microenterprise home kitchen operations,” or MEHKOs. Under AB 1325, they can prepare and serve food in their homes and earn up to $100,000 from their culinary talents. Of course, they must meet strict inspection and certification requirements and are limited to selling a maximum of 90 meals per week.
“It’s really designed that they don’t have to spend much money, besides what’s already in a home kitchen, to be able to create their food and share it with the community in a safe way,” said Bagheri.
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