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Personal Chef Industry

I am a pastry chef in Seattle WA and am currently making the transition to Personal Chef. I am not part of any organizations, therefore, I have been figuring the in's and out's of getting started on my own. However, there is an area I need some help with.
Kitchen rentals.
After a gruelling search I have finally found a beautiful space. The owner has allowed me to be the "first" as an outsider rental.
My question is What do I need to be a legal renter? Business license? Food handlers, etc..
Any information would be most helpful.
It is my understanding as well as the landlord's that I only need my business license and food handlers permit.
I want to make sure I am legal.
Thanks to all who can give some insight.

Make sure this relationship doesn't come as a surprise to the local health department. Health Department approvals are based on approving an establishment because it is designed properly for what the owner intends to do. It doesn't mean you have a green light to cook however and whatever you want in the space. For example, as a personal chef, cooling down food is a huge part of what we do. If this kitchen were set up for hot food service only, there may not be sufficient or proper refrigeration for what you want to do. You also need to make sure that the license covers your business and not just his. There can also be lease issues depending on how strict his lease is. You can probably work around all of these things eventually but you definitely want to check them out ahead of time.

Thanks for your reply.As far as everything being legal for the kitchen I will be cooking in, it is. The kitchen I will be cooking out of is actually a place where customers come in and cook with personal chefs and take home the food that was prepared. Frozen meals for people to come in and buy are also offered. So in all aspects of what I am trying to do, it could'nt be more perfect.
What I am worried about is me. What do I need to be legal? Do I need any other documentation other than my license and food handlers permit?

Well if your sure the health department is happy you're at least 75% of the way there. You'll also want to make sure your business name is registered (not the same as a business license), that you have a bookkeeping system set up (including a separate checking account for your business), and probably most important -- that you have adequate liability insurance. As far as "legal" goes that's about it.

OK- I guess what I am not really getting is the liability insurance. I am constantly seeing it referenced but I'm not quite sure how to or how it workk! Is it just regualr liability insurance that you get from any provider or is there a certain avenue I have to travel down?
To be honest, I am really frustrated. I am just starting out. I don't belong to any organizations. Though I am thinking it would be very helpful right now. I guess I am really just trying to figure out how the heck to get started. I guess the first thing would be to get a name and apply for my license.
I think I should take a step back and reevaluate.
I know it would make things easier if I joined the APCF. I'm just not sure which program would be best. Basically, I want to know what I need to get started and how to prioritize each step.
Yikes, I feel like I am writting a book.
What I really need is a little or actually alot of advice!
Help!

At the risk of sounding like a salesperson -- what you really need to do is join and get the training package. The struggle that you're going through is exactly why these associations exist -- to eliminate that struggle.

Contacts for liability insurance (your local insurance provider might be able to cobble together some liability insurance for you, but you will spend a lot of time trying to explain what your business is and what kind of coverage you need. And many providers can't be bothered.) will be given to you -- the association has already worked with these providers to explain the business type and coverage needed.

The training materials will give you a game plan on how to get started, what to do first, what bases need to be covered, how to budget, how to form a business plan, etc. Plus, you then have access to a forum where you can commiserate with other new personal chefs who are trying to get their businesses off the ground, as well as a large pool of experienced personal chefs like myself, who, instead of being outside raking leaves, are procrastinating by helping new personal chefs!

Have some people managed to get it going without any help from an association/training materials. I'm sure. But they had to be special people to make it work. And it had to have taken them a lot longer. I certainly couldn't have done it!

Don't worry about a name and licensing yet -- first you need a business plan and to start a budget -- the training materials come with a to-do list that will help you prioritize.

I can't make the decision as to where to join for you -- you have to go with where you think you'll feel most comfortable and which organization seems to fit your needs best. Obviously I'm a little biased! This organization gave me the greatest access to experienced personal chefs, a clear business framework and training materials for a reasonable price.

If you're still up in the air, try contacting personal chefs in your area who can tell you what they've gotten from their association. You can call the 800 number for APCA and they can put you in touch with PC's that have some time to talk to you about the program.

It can be hard to take the plunge but at some point, you just have to jump in! The turning point for me was when a 50 year old acquaintance was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. He said that at least he'd been able to work at something he really loved. I immediately panicked, being in a job that made me miserable. I did NOT want to wind up in a hospital bed somewhere thinking "I wonder if I could've made it as a personal chef? That would have been fun."

Well, I did, and it is. But even if it didn't work out, at least I wouldn't have always wondered... Sometimes you just have to give it a shot!

To borrow a phrase from Meredith, "at the risk of sounding like a salesperson," I'm going to do exactly that...sound like a salesperson. I just returned from New Jersey last evening where Candy and I conducted one of our regular "The Business of Doing Business as a Personal Chef," seminars. There is now a cadre of new personal chefs who have a huge leg up on getting their businesses off the ground and running. They came from Floriday, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and a couple of other states, all to get their business jump started.

There was a lengthy discussion on Liability Insurance...how to buy it and where...do you use your own local broker (at your own risk) or do you save (in one example) more than a thousand dollars a year from the local quote to the APCA carrier quote FOR THE SAME COVERAGE!

The reason we exist is to help people like you get your business started successfully. If we don't succeed, then you don't succeed...and we have a pretty good track record.

As Meredith indicated...you can certainly start on your own...and go ahead and make all the mistakes we've already made. Or you can take advantage of our experience and the experience of hundreds of other personal chefs and leap frog past all the mistakes that we've made on your behalf.

You can check the web site to find out when and where the closest seminar to you is being held and when. Jump on in...the waters fine.

Good luck in whatever decision you make.

Jim Davis
Eastern Regional Director
APCA

Thankyou all so very much for your advice. I value your input.
Bottom line is....I need to stop spinning my wheels!
What I would like is, to know where to start and how to prioritize each step after.
My dilemma- do I pay $600+ to hopefully get the answers??
That my friend, is the question
Thanks again. I will be making a decsion ver soon. I will keep you posted.

quote:

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...My dilemma- do I pay $600+ to hopefully get the answers??

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I cannot speak for everyone else, but I do not see a dilemma. I would rewrite your sentence to read:

do I pay $600 to get the answers? because since I joined APCA I've gotten to the point answers! Not only on my business questions, but marketing, sales, cooking, and moral support.

Hello Blush Butter,

Welcome, and thanks for your good questions on the forum. Every question forwards the action for potential personal chefs so we appreciate your participation.

I'm a little confused by an earlier post you made where you said:

"The kitchen I will be cooking out of is actually a place where customers come in and cook with personal chefs."

Have you spoken with these personal chefs you'll be sharing the kitchen with? Aren't they helping you with information and advice?
They must all have Liability Insurance and Safe Food Handling Certifications if they are operating personal chef businesses.

If you haven't had an opportunity to talk with them, you might want to make time especially since they are operating in your own town and know all of the hoops you will need to jump through to operate within the parameters of your local statutes.

Candy

That was a mistake. The chef's are not personal, they are certified chef's.
I am appreciative to all who have shared their knowledge as well as their suggestions.

Lisa