Los Angeles County officials have passed an ordinance that could benefit thousands of small food business owners starting this fall.
The Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations Ordinance provides exemptions and even allows some chefs to cook at home, provided they pass inspections by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
The new state law, now passed by LA County, aims to streamline the process for the more than 50,000 local food vendors to obtain permits and financial support.
“It can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000 a month to have a professional kitchen come in here to serve the food, regardless of the event,” said Nekia Hattley, a chef in Leimert Park.
Hattley and co-chef Marcel Douglas are attracting locals with recipes for jerk mushroom and jackfruit tacos, but renting kitchen space cuts into profits.
L.A. County supervisors said the ordinance will also help minority business owners. A statewide survey by the COOK Alliance found that 84 percent of sidewalk vendors and home cooks are women, and 48 percent identify as Black, Latino or multiracial.
The regulation will enter into force on 1 November 2024.
