Foodie-focused Marin County is making a move to make it easier for culinary microbusinesses to get started.
“In post-pandemic Marin County, buying meals from vendors making home-cooked food has grown exponentially as a culinary choice for consumers,” the county said. “Until now, regulations have not given the opportunity for these start-up food entrepreneurs to thrive.”
Now the county has proposed an ordinance to support food microbusinesses and make it easier to become a legal vendor.
At Tuesday’s board of supervisors’ meeting, the Marin County Community Development Agency will present a draft ordinance to establish a permitting process for microenterprise home kitchen operations, or MEHKO. If the board agrees to the idea, it will move to the body’s consent agenda on May 20 for possible adoption, the county said.
The MEHKO program allows home cooks or bakers to start their own permitted mobile vending biz or pair up with an existing one, according to the county. The program would be overseen by the CDA’s Environmental Health Services Division and give participants a food safety and environmental health framework to operate from.
“From an economic vitality and equity perspective, this initiative helps empower local entrepreneurs who traditionally face barriers in achieving business ownership.” Raissa de la Rosa, Marin County economic vitality coordinator
The county also hopes that the initiative will assist up-and-coming cooks who may not have the capital to invest in a brick-and-mortar business, but the talent and passion to begin their culinary calling.
“From an economic vitality and equity perspective, this initiative helps empower local entrepreneurs who traditionally face barriers in achieving business ownership,” said Raissa de la Rosa, Marin’s economic vitality coordinator, in a release from the county. “MEHKO is a step toward addressing longstanding disparities in Marin and encourages more vibrant and available food options throughout the county.”
De la Rosa also said that by creating a path to legal, permitted food preparation and sales, more unpermitted home cooks and vendors will become compliant with the law.
A $56,540 grant was provided for the program from the California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health, the county said. The Marin Board of Supervisors has previously approved $100,000 to assist with reducing and waiving fees for eligible applicants and those in underserved communities.
