Photo by airtechrefrigeration.com.
WalletPop reports that operating a new catering company or food-related business is difficult to do from home, so the concept of shared kitchens is compelling. Rent space or buy a membership to a shared facility, and a budding chef gets access to commercial equipment in a sanitary space. In many locales, it’s great way to grow a home-based business into something more, but beware the local authorities.
Shared kitchens are a great resource for small catering companies or specialty-food start ups. In this case, Kitchen Chicago had the proper license from the city Health Department, but Flora Lazar was told she needed a separate business license for her candy company, which resulted in an inspector visit. In fact, all 11 tenants at Kitchen Chicago apparently need a license to use a licensed facility.
On the one hand is public health concerns, all legitimate. Making sure the kitchen and food preparation meets sanitary codes is critical. So is being able to track the food in case of a food-borne illness. But how many licenses does it take to safeguard the public?
Photo by airtechrefrigeration.com.