I live in Long Beach, CA and am just starting out in cake, cookie and cupcake baking/decorating. I would like to find a commercial kitchen to rent, whether it's a shared incubator type of commercial kitchen that rents to individuals just starting out, or restaurants that will let me rent per day when they are closed for business so that I can use their facilities. CA doesn't allow home baking. I only get orders periodically so I only need a kitchen perhaps a few days a month right now. Is it best to approach a restaurant owner by phone and ask if they rent out their kitchen to cake baker/decorators by day, or will they laugh me out the door and say, "no way"? I asked my Wilton cake decorating instructor but she was VERY mysterious and guarded with her info and would not share this info. Also, is it necessary to pay a deposit, and do I have to bring my own supplies (pans, turntables, stand mixer)?
Am I better off trying to pay a church for the use of their kitchen? I would like to bake for farmer's market as well as fill cake orders. Do I need a health permit and safeserve certificate if I work out of someone else's kitchen that already has a health permit?
I'm totally in the dark.I called my local Health Dept but got voicemail runaround and no one returned my call.