Wednesday, June 4, 2025

LA County Issues More Than 100 Home Kitchen Business Permits in Six Months

Program allows residents to legally operate mini-restaurants from their home kitchens while meeting health standards

Los Angeles County has issued more than 100 permits for Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations since launching the program in November 2024. The initiative creates a legal pathway for residents to transform their home cooking into permitted food businesses while ensuring compliance with health and safety standards.

“I am immensely proud that this new program has issued over 100 permits, a significant milestone that highlights the tremendous potential of this program to empower our residents—especially women, immigrants, and communities of color,”  said Hilda L. Solis, Los Angeles County Chair Pro Tem and Supervisor for the First District.

The program allows individuals to prepare and sell meals directly from their home kitchens to consumers. Under state law and the LA County MEHKO Ordinance, operators may serve up to 30 meals per day and 90 meals per week, with annual gross sales capped at $100,000.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health administers the program through permitting, inspections, and public health oversight. The Department of Economic Opportunity partners in the initiative, which was approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in May 2024.

“The County’s MEHKO program is about more than food—it’s about equity, entrepreneurship, and honoring the cultural richness of L.A. County’s communities,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “For far too long, talented home cooks have been excluded from the formal economy.”

To support new operators, the County offers a limited-time subsidy funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, providing a one-time waiver of the $597 MEHKO application review fee to up to 1,000 eligible operators through June 30, 2026.

Potential applicants can enroll in the COOK Academy, a free training program offered in partnership with the Department of Public Health and COOK Alliance. The program provides food safety education, compliance training, and a $3,000 grant upon completion.

“Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations offer an opportunity for residents to turn their culinary talents into thriving home-based businesses, all while sharing the rich cultural traditions that make our communities so vibrant,” said Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

“Home cooks are part of the cultural and culinary heart of LA County,” said Kelly LoBianco, Director of the Department of Economic Opportunity. “The MEHKO program creates a clear, supportive pathway for these entrepreneurs to operate legally, safely, and sustainably.”

For information on MEHKO permits, visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/business/microenterprise-home-kitchen-operation.htm. For information on Department of Economic Opportunity support, visit opportunity.lacounty.gov/mehko.