Chef Next Door in California

Chef Next Door is live. Home-cooked meals are available in approved California areas, and homemade baked goods in most states. This page explains how our marketplace works under California food laws for home kitchens, home bakers, and delivery.

How to get a home food permit in California

Home kitchens (MEHKO)

Home cooks who sell hot, made-to-order meals on Chef Next Door must hold a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) permit. A MEHKO permit is issued by the environmental health agency in the cook's county or city. Only jurisdictions that have approved a MEHKO program can issue these permits, so MEHKO listings are only available in those areas.

Meals from a MEHKO home kitchen are prepared, cooked, and served the same day. Every MEHKO listing on Chef Next Door shows the cook's permit number and the agency that issued it, so you can see that the kitchen is permitted before you order.

Official MEHKO permitting requirements (California Department of Public Health)

Home bakers (cottage food)

Home bakers who sell baked goods and other shelf-stable foods on Chef Next Door operate as Cottage Food Operations. A cottage food operator registers with their county environmental health agency, and only foods on the state's approved cottage food list can be sold: things like breads, cookies, cakes, and jams.

Cottage Food Operations requirements (California Department of Public Health)

Delivery

Home-cooked meals from home kitchens are available for pickup. Under California law, courier delivery of home-kitchen meals is only available to customers with a disability that limits their ability to pick up food. Baked goods and other cottage foods can be delivered. Your delivery options are shown at checkout.

Food safety complaints

If you have a food safety or hygiene concern about an order, contact us in the app (Order details → Report a problem) or at info@chefnextdoor.app. You can also file a complaint with your local environmental health agency: File a consumer complaint (California Department of Public Health)

Fees

Customers pay a service fee of 14% of the food subtotal (minimum $2.49) at checkout. When you choose courier delivery, the delivery fee shown at checkout is the courier's cost. Sellers pay no fees to use Chef Next Door and keep 100% of their food prices. If our fees for home kitchen sellers ever increase by more than 2%, we will notify them in writing at least one month before the change takes effect.

Insurance

Chef Next Door does not carry liability insurance covering food sold on the platform. Each seller is responsible for their own food, permits, and any insurance they choose to carry.

Platform registration

Chef Next Door LLC is registered with the California Department of Public Health as an Internet Food Service Intermediary for Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations.