Do you need a commercial kitchen space to accommodate your growing wholesale, meal prep or other food business? Interested in a shared-use commercial kitchen in Los Angeles, but not sure how to start?
Shared kitchens come in a variety of types from hourly or daily options shared with many other food makers to full-time, private spaces in a multi-tenant facility (like Amped Kitchens). Once you have identified the right shared kitchen option for your business, you will want to become familiar with the commercial kitchen requirements. Permitting and licensing is a crucial part of getting any food business off the ground and a shared option often makes this much easier.
This guide from Amped Kitchens will provide the information you have been looking for to get started in a shared kitchen. As the premier provider of commercial kitchen rentals in L.A. County, Amped Kitchens knows exactly what it takes to get licensed and operational here in Los Angeles.
Join us as we cover shared-use and multi-tenant commercial kitchen requirements, fee schedules and application process.
Why Do You Need a Kitchen in a Shared or Multi-Tenant Facility?
Before we turn our attention to commercial kitchen requirements in Los Angeles, let’s first highlight the benefits of renting at a shared or multi-tenant kitchen facility instead of renting (or buying) your own stand-alone production space.
The most obvious advantage of renting in a shared commercial kitchen facility is that you can start producing in your new space almost immediately. The shared kitchen facility already has the infrastructure and finishes in place, which makes obtaining permits and getting your operation up and running a lot less complicated.
Additionally, renting a shared commercial kitchen is often the most budget-friendly option. Multi-tenant kitchens are able to spread the overhead expenses and operating costs of maintaining the facility across many renters. As a result, the individual expenses of each tenant are lower than what that same tenant would pay in their own facility.
Another important perk of shared kitchen rentals is the critical support resources that top providers like Amped Kitchens offer to their tenants. Amped Kitchens’ staff assists you in navigating the health department requirements at the front end and provides on-site storage, dock and warehouse assistance and much more to help your business scale quickly and efficiently. And working in a shared complex gives access to the community and networking possibilities of lots of other food makers.
How to Get Started
Before you rent a shared-use commercial kitchen in LA, you will first need to:
Step 1: Acquire ServSafe Certification
At a minimum, at least one supervisory employee of your team will need to obtain a ServSafe Manager certificate. Your other production employees will also need to obtain ServSafe Food Handler certificates.
ServSafe is one of the premier names in food handling and production safety. The company offers various courses for food managers, handlers and others in your organization. The online manager course at ServeSafe costs $179 and includes an online proctored exam. The ServSafe Food Handler California-specific online course and assessment costs just $15.
Step 2: Acquire General Liability Insurance
In addition to obtaining your ServSafe certifications, before you start operations you will also need to apply for general liability insurance.
While you should expect that the shared kitchen facility you choose has its own insurance, you will be required to obtain general liability insurance to protect you and your assets from a variety of business risks.
The cost of your general liability insurance can vary based on a number of factors that insurance companies use to determine your premiums including:
- Your claims history
- How long your business has been in existence
- The type of food you prepare
- The size of your facility
- How much coverage you require
The owner of your commercial kitchen will be able to let you know their specific insurance requirements. We suggest doing plenty of research and obtaining multiple quotes before choosing an insurance broker or provider. This work will help you find a rate that aligns with your business needs and budgetary requirements.
Step 3: Fill Out a Tenant Food Operator Application
The next step in getting started in a shared kitchen in Los Angeles involves filling out a tenant food operator application, commonly referred to as a (TFO). The TFO application will generally be submitted to the manager of Amped Kitchens (or another facility where you are working) who will submit the materials along with the fees to the Los Angeles County Health Department.
The LA County Department of Public Health will require you to pay a processing fee of $180 along with your application fee.
You will also be responsible for ongoing license fees from the Department of Public Health that can be paid on either a quarterly or annual basis. The annual fee for a tenant retail food operator is $150 versus a quarterly fee of $55 so you will save $70 per year by paying annually. For Tenant wholesale food processors, the annual rate equates to even bigger savings with an annual fee of $222 versus the quarterly of $110. To review and confirm all Health Department fees, you can visit their website.
Step 4: Apply for the Processed Food Registration from the State (for Wholesale Production)
After completing the LA County TFO application, food makers who plan to sell via wholesale distribution channels must also obtain a Processed Food Registration (PFR) from the State of California’s own Department of Public Health (CDPH). The State requires all wholesale food makers to obtain a PFR to manufacture, package, label, or warehouse food in California.
You will apply for your PFR from the CDPH’s Food and Drug Branch (FDB). The FDB will require an application for food manufacturing in Los Angeles which can be found at CDPH 8611 the CDPH also charges a fee based on a variety of factors including the size of the facility, number of employees, and your production activities.
Check Out the Amped Kitchens Los Angeles Locations
If you are looking for a commercial kitchen in Los Angeles, Amped Kitchens can be an ideal partner. Amped Kitchens offers rentals of private kitchens at two locations in Los Angeles–North L.A. (Lincoln Heights) and South L.A. (not far from USC)–ideally suited for Consumer Packaged Goods makers, restaurants needing central kitchens and companies offering meal delivery services
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 storage, multiple loading docks and high temp dishwashers. When you partner with Amped Kitchens, you also have access to office space, packaging areas and the support of Amped Kitchens’ professional, client-centric staff. We offer leases for food companies looking for rapid access to top-quality production space.
Amped Kitchens delivers speed and lower-cost solutions for food makers of almost any size. Our multi-tenant, state-of-the-art facilities have played host to some of the best producers in the country and we recommend reaching out to join us. And the diversity of our tenants from small to multi-national in scope means you will have access to a unique community offering unparalleled opportunities for networking and growth.
If you are ready to learn more about leasing opportunities at any of Amped Kitchens’ locations, please fill out this contact form, and one of our experts will reach out to you to give you more details and schedule a tour.
