The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance that establishes an application and permitting process for home cooks and sidewalk vendors to sell food legally out of their kitchens.
The motion to authorize the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKOs) program was first introduced by Supervisor Holly Mitchell. It paves the way for a more robust ecosystem to support permitting and oversight by the Department of Public Health.
Under the new ordinance, chefs will be able to prepare, cook and serve food to consumers from their homes in compliance with the California Food Safety Code. The home-based businesses can also be approved for commissary use for up to two food carts.
Per State law, MEHKOs are only allowed to sell up to $100,000 per year or 90 meals per week. The cap for commissaries increases to $150,000 in annual sales and 200 meals per week. The initial application cost is $597, and MEHKO entrepreneurs must also pay an annual permit fee of $347 to cover inspections.
Alongside Mitchell, Supervisor Hilda Solis passed a separate motion to allocate $600,000 in American Rescue Plan Act recovery funds to cover the initial application fee for 1,000 eligible MEHKO permittees.
“MEHKOs represent an important economic vehicle for entrepreneurial County residents – especially women, immigrants, and communities of color – to create new opportunities in the formal economy,” Solis said. “MEHKOs will create new financial lifelines for many residents, including undocumented residents, who may otherwise face barriers operating their own businesses.”
Hugo Zamora, who has operated his business, Hugo’s Pizza, out of his porch in Boyle Heights for four years, believes that further regulation ultimately benefits his customers.
“I think it’d be a great idea and would also help my customers feel more confident that the service we provide is clean and up to standard,” Zamora said. “I know we’re doing things right but they also have to be be sure we’re doing things right.”
Los Angeles County becomes the 15th jurisdiction in the state to authorize MEHKOs. The ordinance takes effect on November 1, 2024.
