How to start a food business (Part 1)

Oct 11, 20226 min read

Updated: Oct 16, 2022

How to Start a Food Business (Part 1)

So you want to be a caterer or you're thinking about starting small in the food & hospitality industry? We can help you with that! This is a step by step instructional blog about how to secure your permits from the DOH for special events such as conferences, farmer's markets or pop up events. This is the very 1st step for those who are just starting out with a product they want to introduce to the public.

You've created an out of the world banana bread, you've learned to mass produce it and you want to start selling it. You want to try selling plate lunches at the farm'ers markets. Your friend hired you to cater a small private event because they sampled your homestyle cooking and they loved it so much. Your colleague is recommending you as the chef for the upcoming 2-day work conference. These are perfect examples of situations in which you can apply for a Special Events Permit and a Food Establishment Permit.

If you want to start a food business, there are 3 parts to it. Part 1 is learning to navigate DOH & their permits. Part 2 is getting connected with a commercial kitchen. Part 3 is for the business registration procedures.

DOH Permits

What is a ‘Food Establishment Permit’?

If you plan on doing events AND you want to sell your food & products outside of the events, you will need both a Food Establishment Permit and the Special Events Permit.

This is a yearly permit. The DOH will permit the space you are using for 1 year. The space will be permitted under you instead of commercial kitchen. When you are using it, you are permitted to use that space.

$200 for 1 year permit
If you have a food establishment, restaurant or lunch wagon, this is the permit you apply for.
If you don’t have to have a food establishment, but you are cooking & selling food products year round, you can still apply for this permit.
This permit is for foods that are being prepackaged such as small batch plate lunches & bentos that are being sold outside of a specified event.
The DOH inspector will do an initial inspection. Then, they meet up with you again to observe your operations during a second inspection.

What is the best permit I can get for a 1 time event?

If you are only doing events and you won't be selling your food & products outside of the events, you will only need to apply for the Special Events Food Establishment Permit. The DOH can’t permit something temporary for a year. So the special events is a temporary permit for a temporary location for a temporary setup.

A special events permit is good for farmer’s markets, pop-up events or if you are a caterer and you are just starting your business. This 1 time special events permit is ideal if you want to try a catering a 50 people wedding or a friend is hiring you to cook & prepare breakfast for a small conference. The DOH has options for this permit that range from $50 to $155. The least commitment costs $50, which is a permit for 5 days at 1 location for 1 event. If you want to book for 31 days, that will be $155.

Permit information:

You can also use this Special Events Food Establishment Permit for farmer’s markets or reoccurring events up to 31 days at 1 location.
The least days you can get the permit for is 5 days. But the 5 days has to be used at 1 location for 1 event i.e. 5 Saturdays at a farmer's market, a 5 day festival at a beach park or a 5 day conference. And the 5 days must be used within 1 yr.
The same rule applies for 6-31 days. The permit is good for 1 location for 1 event. If you are doing doing various events at different locations, you will need more than 1 special events permit.
The commercial kitchen signs the form before you turn in the form. We will go over the procedures regarding renting a commercial kitchen in Part 2.

Permit Cost (1 - 31 days):

1 to 5 events for $50

6 to 10 events for $75

11 to 19 events for $100

20 to 31 events for $155

*$100-200 permit applies for food trucks

Do I need a sink at my event and a written procedure?

You only need a sink if you are planning to prepare foods & drinks at your event. If your foods are not covered and if they are not prepackaged, for example, you are pouring juice into cups and you are scooping soup into bowls, then you will need a sink. If you will be scooping or serving, you will need a sink. If you have an open platter of fruit, if you need a sink.

However, if you are only serving prepackaged foods such as bentos, plate lunches & canned sodas, then you will not need a sink. This is because there is no food prep going on at the event so a sink is not necessary.

A written procedure is only needed if you choose time control instead of temperature control. These are details of the food preparation process that you will learn in the food certification class at DOH.

Sink

If you only have prepackaged foods, like canned juices and bentos, you don’t need a sink.
If you don't dispense anything, you don't need a sink
Bentos, canned sodas & juices are good options for a no sink requirement.
If its something you pour like lemonade into a cup then you will need a sink

Time Control - Written Procedure

You can choose time or temperature control (you will learn about this in the certification class)
Time control is a better option if you don’t have the equipment necessary to keep food hot for the temperature control option.
A ‘Written Procedure’ is required for time control
Get the ‘Written Procedure’ approved by supervisor on the day you turn in your application for the permit.
The ‘Written Procedure’ is known as the ‘Using Time as a Public Health Control’ form

Using Time as a Public Health Control - Written Procedures

Written Procedure Requirements

A ‘Written Procedure’ is a form you will fill out if you choose Time Control. The ‘Written Procedures’ is where you explain the timing of your production, how your foods will be prepared and what you will do if there is any extra foods leftover that isn’t consumed within the 4 hr expiration time.
You will list all of your foods here
Take special notice to the diary, eggs & cheese products
When does 4 hrs period start (when the food leaves temperature control or enters danger zone)?
What will you do if it gets close to 4 hrs?
Access the template from the DOH website - “Using Time as a Public Health Control” (Under Forms → Using Time As a Public Health Control) Food list
Tell DOH the general idea of what you will be serving and how you will keep it safe
Yogurt, eggs, cheese, ham are cautionary ingredients
You don’t have to put the every ingredient on the list but the cautionary ingredients should be noted
If you are not sure, ask the certification teacher or a supervisor from the food safety branch

Temperature control

Keep the food at 135 temperature or higher
Make sure the temperature does not go into the danger zone
You will need equipment for temperature control

Should I attend the Food Handler Certification Class?

Yes, you have to if you want to sell food to the public.
The certification is good for 3 years
The online class option is easier but costs money
The class is 2 hrs, at the end of the 2 hrs, you take a 30 minute test. If you pass without getting more than 12 questions wrong, you get your certification same day.
Free classes in person, register here

More example of a Special Event Permit

You are just starting out your catering business. You don’t have a lot of money to buy a brick & mortar. You want to try catering & delivery to see if you even like this industry. Who knows...you might find out that you hate hospitality because you just don't like catering to people's every needs. Or, you may come to find out...you love the restaurant industry because you love feeding people!

You get hired to cater breakfast for 100 people for a 2 day conference at the State Capitol. You will be applying for the Special Events Food Establishment Permit which costs $50.

This is how you should fill out the application and the ‘Written Procedure’ form. We have also included pictures of a successful application and what a successful permit will look like.