What a great forum! I've been looking for help on starting a personal chef business and I'm still confused about starting the business. Is it true if I list the business as providing a service instead of providing a product I can get a license without getting a commercial kitchen in Los Angeles county ? I do have a current food handler's cert and ServSafe cert. Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thank you
Thank you for your interest in the personal chef industry and for your nice comment about our Visitors Forum. We have maintained this Open online Forum since 1996 for folks just like you who want to find a place to ask questions about whether or not this is a realistic career path for them. Lots of them are now succesful, happy personal chefs.
I'm not certain I understand your question, but I think you are asking whether or not you need a commercial kitchen to operate a personal chef business. The answer is no, you do not need a commercial kitchen since you will be providing your service in each of your client's kitchens. The one thing you may NOT do, however, is cook in your own kitchen and deliver food to your clients. The local Boards of Health and Zoning Commissions prohibit commercial cooking in residential kitchens with subsequent delivery to your clients, and that is why we provide service for our clients in the safety of their own kitchens.
That doesn't mean that you cannot work out of a licensed commercial kitchen when your business grows, becuse you can and many of our members do. It's nice to be able to have choices as your business grows, That's one of the wonderful aspects of being a personal chef. You can change things as your business evolves.
I hope this is helpful! Best wishes to you in LA. Candy
Thank you for the clarification. Once again, this is a great forum for folks like me who are looking to start a new career as a personal chef and need help and support.
