Chef Forum banner

Licensed Caterer

717 views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  chefross 
#1 ·
Having a young daughter and another one on the way, took me away from restaurant life into a Corporate 9 to 5 type role. I miss the restaurant life and just having an opportunity to make a name for myself through the restaurant. It's hard having to do your own marketing like...hello I'm still a Chef don't forget about me. Thankfully, I still have a strong following and people push for me to do pop ups and events on the side. However, unless I am doing these events in people's homes, these venues aren't letting me cook in their facilities without being a licensed caterer. Is it worth it to go through the process of getting myself licensed? It's funny because I tried renting a space to do my wife's baby shower and I got denied the opportunity to cook in their facility even with showing proof as a reputable Chef. I am not looking to necessarily make money but I want to gain exposure for greater opportunities I can't refuse. So is a license necessary? Please give me your thoughts. Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
Yes and no.

Here's the facts:

You have a following of people that want you to cook for them.

You can not cook from your home and bring the food to their venue because you don'e have a licensed kitchen to work from.

You cook at people's homes with their food and their equipment.

You don't need a Chef's certificate or license per se, but a serve safe certificate from your state's health department would be prudent.

Business license and liability insurance would be needed if you intend to make this a permanent business venture.

.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top