If you operate a consumer packaged goods company, are seeking pilot food production space or are launching a meal delivery or restaurant commissary business, then you know just how tough it can be to find the ideal kitchen space.

First, you must find a space that has the requisite plumbing, HVAC and hood infrastructure along with food-grade wall and floor finishes along with adequate storage and production space to help your food operations You will need all of that in a space that also aligns with your budget.

Even after you have successfully rented out a production space and completed the tenant improvements to fit it out for your production needs, your preparation work is not done. One of the most important tasks associated with setting up a commercial kitchen involves familiarizing yourself with the wide array of Local, State and Federal food regulatory requirements that apply to your facility and operations.

In order to help you understand the expectations of regulators, we have created this guide to commercial kitchen requirements for California foodmakers. We explore both statewide requirements and provisions specific to Los Angeles. While there are many fantastic communities in California to build a food business, the City of Angels serves as the perfect launch point for many, many new culinary enterprises every year.

Must-Know Commercial Kitchen Requirements in California

If you intend to operate in a commercial kitchen in Los Angeles, the following information will help you do so legally and safely:

Los Angeles Food Permits

Food permits in Los Angeles County are issued and managed by the Department of Public Health’s Environmental Health Division. This entity issues permits for food businesses operating within its jurisdiction.

When seeking a permit for your food-making operations, it is vital that you identify the relevant regulators for what you are making and how you are selling it.  Then it is a matter of filling out the appropriate applications, paying the relevant fees and demonstrating compliance with the relevant requirements. You can consult the LA County variable fee schedule to determine how much your permit will cost. The cost of the permit varies from $100 to in excess of $1,000. For a Tenant Food Operator permit that allows your business to operate in multi-tenant facilities like Amped Kitchens, the annual fee is $180.  

In order to apply for a tenant food operator permit, the Department of Public Health requires you to submit the application along with a copy of your lease, a floor plan of your production space, the food handlers manager card and a variety of basic company documents. If you are operating out of a multi-tenant facility like Amped Kitchens, the management will often make the application submission on your behalf. 

California Safety Standards

California’s safety standards for commercial kitchens are based on the requirements established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration. Commercial kitchen inspections are typically performed by both the County as well as the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Federal regulators may also play a role depending on your products and distribution channels.

During an inspection, representatives of the relevant Health Departments will assess your commercial kitchen to verify that it meets food safety standards and to confirm your operations follow required practices for safe storage and manufacturing of food. Specifically, inspectors will be examining the compliance of each of the following:

• Building
• Appliances
• Food handling practices
• Production Processes
• Storage Environment

If your facility is found to be in violation of one or more provisions of the relevant Health Code, the CDPH may require you to discontinue operations until all concerns are remedied. Strictly adhering to these regulations will not only help you avoid any disruptions to business operations, but will most importantly protect your customers.

For those who distribute wholesale food products that include meat, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will also play an oversight role to ensure that your business adheres to relevant safety guidelines relating to the preparation and storage of animal proteins. 

Another entity that works to protect consumers from food-borne illness and ensure they have the dietary and other information available on the foods they buy is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While many FDA, USDA, and California food regulations overlap, each entity has also established some unique requirements. Failing to comply with any of these can expose your business to significant liability. 

General Food Handling Requirements

Commercial kitchens operating in California are required to adhere to all federal safe handling best practices and established guidelines relating to food delivery, storage, packing, prepping, cooking and more.

You are responsible for ensuring that your food is stored in accordance with appropriate temperature guidelines. When preparing food products, you must also make sure you have cooked them at or above recommended heat levels to eliminate foodborne contaminants. Failure to adhere to these scientifically based requirements can result in illness and other serious consequences for the consumer of those products.

During inspections, health department staff will review your food storage and preparation protocols. They may inspect packaging on food products and will want to review your labels for accuracy and conformance with all of the relevant labeling and disclosure obligations. Additionally, health department personnel will inspect your refrigeration units and freezers to ensure that they are maintaining required temperatures.

Local Guidelines and Regulations of Health Departments 

In the state of California, anyone involved in preparing, storing, cooking or serving food must possess the appropriate food handling certification. The owners or others involved in oversight of your production can satisfy this requirement by obtaining a Certified Food Protection Manager certificate. Your other production staff will need to have a California Food Handler Card.

In order to obtain these certificates, managers and employees must complete an approved training course and pass an exam.

The California Food Handler training courses lasts approximately three hours covering the basics of food safety and the importance of avoiding cross-contamination.  Once you pass the test the food handler certificate is valid for three years. The Certified Food Protection Manager course is more comprehensive and detailed, lasting at least eight hours and attendees’ certificates are valid for five years.

Foodmakers looking to sell their products through traditional wholesale channels (stores, restaurants and the like) rather than limiting themselves to direct-to-consumer options, will need to request a Processed Food Registration (PFR) from the Food and Drug branch of the State DPH. 

Access a Shared Kitchen in Los Angeles with Amped Kitchens

If you have ever used a shared kitchen in Los Angeles, then you know that you will likely share your production areas with other users, sometimes even simultaneously. Unfortunately, this sort of sharing can interfere with the efficiency of your operations and elevate the risk of cross-contamination.  A shared facility can also be a difficult place to make certain kinds of specialty items like gluten free, kosher and other items for which cross-contamination is an enhanced risk.

At Amped Kitchens, we have revolutionized the classic shared kitchen model so that every tenant gets their own exclusive full-time space with access to key amenities like on-site cooled, dry and frozen storage, multiple loading docks and high temp dishwashers. When you partner with Amped Kitchens, you also have access to office space, packaging areas along with the support of Amped Kitchens’ friendly and client-centric staff. We offer annual leases and longer terms for food companies looking for rapid access to top-quality production space.

Amped Kitchens delivers speed and lower costs solutions for companies at many levels of experience and size. Compared to finding and renting out a standard commercial space on your own which likely requires you to design and pay for a suite of costly tenant improvements to outfit it for your commercial kitchen operations, Amped Kitchens is a fast and relatively simple solution to the many facility related requirements of commercial kitchens. Additionally, it often takes many months or more to properly modify even a built out kitchen to comply with state and federal regulatory requirements as well as the specifics of your production. 

Amped Kitchens has done the hard work of finding and building out the space for you.  We offer compliant commercial kitchen spaces that are ready for you to move your equipment in, finalize your operating permits and start producing. Ultimately Amped Kitchens saves you both time and money while simultaneously delivering immediate value to your business. 

Ready to learn more about our shared kitchens in Los Angeles? If so, then schedule your tour today. All of our kitchens are move-in ready and comply with all applicable California regulations.