This month, health permits for operating home-based mini-restaurants have arrived—an option for individuals or families passionate about cooking or looking for extra income by selling food from their own home, using their own recipes.
You won’t be able to eat at these homes, but people can pick up the food, or it can be sold through a food truck. All of this is part of the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) program.
On Monday, November 18, Shannon Brantley received the first permit for a home kitchen mini-restaurant in Los Angeles, and many more are expected to follow. Brantley will officially launch Angel City Dumplings, the first home-kitchen mini-restaurant to receive a permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
She and her husband, Stuart Brantley, own the first MEHKO-permitted business in L.A. County, under the MEHKO program that took effect on November 1.
So far, Brantley’s home business, along with another home-based business called Venditti’s Pizza in Stevenson Ranch, have passed public health inspections and received permits, according to records. Advocates say that 50 more businesses are in the permit process, and the county is expected to have 100 MEHKOs by the end of the year.
The program is designed to help legitimize the sale of prepared foods from home, making it safer and more regulated, according to the county. Proponents argue that it benefits single mothers who care for children or elderly parents and are unable to leave the home for work, as well as providing a second source of income for immigrant families with tight budgets.
“A lot of people were doing this underground. They’ll come out of the shadows, get a permit, and pay taxes,” said Roya Bagheri, executive director of Cook Alliance, a nonprofit that supports the emerging home-cooking business industry in California through classes, grants, and networking spaces.
“For a lot of people, they’ve never done this before. They know how to cook and have amazing recipes—but we help them start their business,” she added.
She also said that immigrant cooks are particularly interested in the program, as it allows them to showcase authentic, ethnic foods, which spreads cultural pride. “We hear from immigrants who say, ‘I haven’t been able to find this type of food from my own country.’”
The idea originated in 2019 with state legislation allowing limited at-home restaurants to operate, but only if counties opted in. Riverside County was the first to do so. Since then, Riverside Environmental Health has issued 294 permits, with around 100 businesses still in operation as of October. San Diego County has been running the program for over two years.
Bagheri believes that adding L.A. County will give a boost to food microenterprises and may encourage other counties to follow suit. San Bernardino and Orange counties do not currently allow MEHKOs.
“Los Angeles County was the ‘white whale’ for us. Getting them to opt in is huge,” said Bagheri. “A lot of places look to L.A. as an example, and that will help spread positivity about this type of program.”
The L.A. County ordinance, passed on May 14 by a unanimous vote of the Board of Supervisors, applies to all unincorporated areas and 85 cities—excluding Long Beach, Pasadena, and Vernon, which have their own public health departments.
Each micro-restaurant is limited to 30 meals per day and 90 meals per week. The business cannot exceed $100,000 in annual gross sales. The initial application fee is $597, with an annual inspection fee of $347. The first 1,000 applicants are eligible for a county subsidy to cover the initial application fee.
Most of the businesses, including those that operated underground previously, take orders online, often a day or more in advance, so they know how much food to prepare. There’s usually a quick pickup at the home, and cash is typically not accepted. Businesses are not allowed to use delivery services like DoorDash or Uber Eats, according to Bagheri.
“It’s meant to be small-scale. It’s not creating a restaurant on every street corner,” said Bagheri.
How to Apply for a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) Permit:
- Start the Application
You can begin the application on your county’s Environmental Health website or pick up an application package from the Department of Environmental Health and Quality Office. - Complete the Application
The application package includes:- Health permit application
- “Standard Operating Procedures” form
- Proposed menu
- Food Safety Manager Certificate
- Water testing results (if you have a private well)
- Self-certification checklist
- Submit the Application
You can submit your application by mail, email, or in person. - Pay the Application Fee
After your application is received, you will be invoiced for the application fee. - Schedule an Inspection
An initial inspection will be scheduled to verify compliance with state laws. - Receive the Permit
If your application is approved, you will receive your operating permit after paying the annual permit fee.
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