Since I can't legally do it out of my home, because here in California you have to jump through so many hoops you feel like you belong in a circus.

I decided to look for a certified kitchen to rent. Well...I have two coffee cafe's that would be willing to help me out. Only thing they don't have an oven. So I called the inspector and he said I would need to have a hood system installed with a commercial oven. Well, I thought what about getting a table top convection oven. I figured it would be small and it might slide with the inspectors. WRONG!!! They won't go for it. I got this tip on maybe getting a home oven/range added to an already certified kitchen....WRONG again...it was a no go. The hood system alone will cost me $5,000 not including the oven.

So here I go again blindly calling places. I decide ok so maybe I need to invest in getting my own retail place. Can't find a 750 sq ft space to save my life. Even at that I would have to fix it up and that is more $$$. I thought about applying for a grant but...I don't think any would award me a grant. I don't really want to get a loan because I have one slow month and I am in hot water.

I opened the phone book and thought I would call the local specialty bread baker here in town. I talked to someone there who said it might be something they could do. She said she would have him call me today...no call. I will try again tomorrow. But I fear my licensed business is going down the tubes!!!!

And I just got another wedding cake order for next month. I have several brides with appt. to see me and no place (legally) to bake/decorate the cakes!!!!

I can only hope and PRAY for some devine intervention!!! Lord Jesus...please help me...please open a door for me.

I guess I just needed to vent and ask for some advice and encourgment!


Thanks for reading

Sounds like you've addressed the one who can help you the most with a prayer already!
I am gong through a similar situation, so my thoughts are with you! Don't give up!! I know it is definitely frustrating, but sometimes our determination just needs to be tested to be sure we'll stick to the plan.

Happy Baking,
Beth

have you tried any places that are only open in the evening, like nightclubs etc. they are usually closed during the daylight hours, probably have kitchens and may just be happy to accomodate you. i understand your fustration.

Hi MrsFish94:

Where in CA are you located? I'm in Lincoln (near Sac), and was planning on researching starting a business too. Good luck!

Would you be allowed to rent a licensed church kitchen?

I am in Modesto, CA. So I am close!!! But every county is different. Lincoln is in San Joaquin County..right? They may have other laws.

I tried calling Churches...Of course none would help me out. At least the ones that I called who are close to my home. My Church I know for sure doesn't rent out at all.

I would need to work in the evening so my husband could watch the kids.

I would bake on one day and decorate the next. At home I bake in the morning and decorate at night after I put the kids to sleep. Works out great.

Thanks for those suggestions...I know there is someone or something out there...I just need to find it. But it is so frusterating.

Thanks again!!!

We're also in a similar boat. It's so frustrating looking for premises.We've found a good location, put in an offer to lease, the landlord takes forever to get back to us with a response/counteroffer(more than 2 weeks over the 10 day deadline) and then concedes NOTHING! Wants the max price, will only give 1 month free rent, not two, and wants to rush us to take possession even though he took forever to respond to us, so we lost valuable time - it's driving us crazy. We can't even negotiate too much because I heard through the grapevine that three other women have approached him to open the same kind of place, so if we're too demanding he has three other options. I think that one of our major mistakes (we'll do it right next time if this one doesn't work out) is that we don't have our own broker/agent, we are dealing with just the landlord's leasing agent (to be fair, the agent seems to be trying his best for us, and being forthright) but it makes me wonder ... if we brought our own agent with us, might we have more clout or maybe things would go a bit smoother? So, my advice...phone a commercial leasing agency and tell them you want them to find you a location and represent you. They'll do much of the legwork for you and give you advice so that you're not being taken advantage of.

Also, every place we've looked at has a certain amount of money they will give a new tenant to ready the place - you get a certain amount per square foot - say $10-15. This allows you to upgrade bathrooms, replace floors, paint, etc. If you leave the premises when your lease is up, you can't take floors, toilets, etc with you, right? So, the landlord has to pay for all this, soon after you're open for business. I don't know about the range hood, but you could find out if a landlord would pay venting to the outside, and you pay for the hood (you can't take the venting hole with you, right?) But you'll probably remove the hood and re-sell it.

Anyway, good luck and keep at it. We've been trying for almost a year, but we're not quite ready to give up yet.

ALWAYS apply for grants even if you think you won't win one. Also check out the SBA (Small Business Administration) in your area. They are there just to help people like you start small businesses, and if it's woman-owned so much the better!!

The time you spend doing paperwork for grants will be paid back a hundred-fold if you land one. It's a gamble, sure, but better than playing the lottery. There is a LOT of money out there if you can figure out where it is. Start with the SBA like I said -- it's their job to help you succeed and they really want to. You might also contact your local Chamber of Commerce for leads. And -- long shot -- post an ad on Craig's List for your area looking for rented/shared facilities -- it's free so can't hurt, right?

Well...I spoke to Russ at DeLuxe and.....

Thanks so much Its a Cake!!!! It is an oven I can use without a hood system!!!! I am so excited!! It is a little more than I wanted to spend but...I can still do it. The rental kitchen I am using is 1/2 block from the farmers market ...so on Saturdays or Thursdays (that I don't have orders)...I can set up a booth and make some extra money to help pay for it!!! I will have it paid for in no time!!! I am so thankful!!! Thank you God!! And for everyone who is praying for me! I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Well, for now anyway.

Thanks everyone!!

mrsfish94,

I just bought a deluxe oven off of ebay, it is a CR-2-4. I'm wondering if this is one of the models that doesn't need a hood. I think that it is. What model are you going to buy? I'm in the process of putting in a commercial kitchen, also.

I wanted to purchase that one!!! But it's a little more than I can pay so I was going to get the CR 1/2-4 since I don't bake full sheet cakes. ( just 1/2 sheets put together)

wow! if you don't mind me asking ....what did you pay?

I don't mind at all. It's a 1999 model in excellent shape. I paid 1200.00 plus 350.00 shipping. I'm really excited about it. It should be here any day. I talked with the man I bought it from. He just purchased it in Sept. for his bakery. It was a floor model in showroom for DeLuxe and they were updating. It was truly a prayer answered. I had been looking forever. good luck with your business.

oh...you are truly blessed!!! That is a great price!!!

thanks and blessings to you!!!

mrsfish94 and tawnyachilders,

Do both of those models not need the hood system.
I am looking into starting my own comm. kitchen.
It would be nice to save that money for the hood
system .
I can use information you can give me.
thank you

I love the board, I am so glad I found it.
marie

Yes! Russ at Deluxe Ovens told me he has a letter from the state of California that says it doesn't need a hood system!! I would call him directly and ask about your state. They are table top ovens. The larger one will bake 4 full sheet cakes ...so that is like 8 1/2 sheets in one shot. I maybe mistaken on that... But I have to say...it is a God send!!!

and thanks again to...."Its a Cake" who told me about them!!!!

Thank you for the information.
hhmmmm
I wonder if they need a hood system in Georgia.
I'll have to do some research.

Thanks again.

I would call Russ at Deluxe Ovens first...he would know!!! Super nice guy to work with...and he knows his stuff!!!

I'll do that.
I looked at these ovens on the internet.
They look very nice and that they would do the trick.
I originally was thinking about a deck oven like a Blodgett.
(I bake bread too)
but with the additional cost of the hood system it is a lot to start with.
I could always get an additional oven later....
Thanks for you help.
If you have anymore advice or information
Please feel free to post .
I can take all the help I can get

Thanks,
marie

Well...I ended up calling the bakery guy back about renting his kitchen. Turns out he needs a cake decorator!!! They do desserts there...just not cakes. I am going by there tomorrow to check it out. He was really nice!

As for purchasing the oven...the kitchen I was to visit on Sunday...the lady didn't show. So I decied to call the bakery guy back today....and I am glad I did.

I'll keep you all posted!!!

mrsfish,
Good luck

Mrsfish94,

I'm soooooooooo glad I had the oven info to share. It's really makes me happy to know I could help

I hope I get to use the info myself someday, but until then, this is definitely the next best thing.

Best wishes! Keep us posted!

Shalom,
itsacake!

In the state of Texas, all nightclubs have to have a commercial kitchen. By the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Codes, they have to be able to serve food. Most of these places have all the equipment you need, but never use it themselves. Try going to one of those places. You might just be surprised!

Well...I did meet with the Bakery guy (David) He was so nice!!! He told me they had had someone who did cake decoration for them but only would do the cake if he had them frosted already. I like filling and frosting...so that wasn't a problem for me. He also asked if I wanted him to bake the cakes for me!! Which would mean I could just show up and already have the cakes baked. I never even considered that. I would pay him for the sheetcakes, of course. I now have lots to think about and pray about.

Oh and this place is really big. They have two ovens...a huge harth style and a huge convection. They just roll the rack in the oven and bake. With my business being small...I don't know if I could really use that big of an oven. It bakes like...16 full sheet cakes at a time. It really was fasinating to see.

I like the idea of a bigger business...just not to the point that I have to work, during my time with my kids. I want to expand but I don't want more then two wedding cakes a weekend. With this set up I could do like....6 but I would never be home!!!LOL!!!

Sorry I am trying to work this out while I write this out....
Any suggestions would be so helpful!!!

Just wanted to respond about finding a licensed community kitchen. The best places to check is with the local cooking school in your area. They always know teachers or caterers who have or use licensed kitchens. Also, give a call to the local caterers, they usually only use their kitchens at the end of the week and weekends and sit empty the rest of the time. To save time and rental money, come prepared with everything you can mixed and ready to go ie: dry ingredients, eggs and butter at room temp. Pans ready with parchment etc... Make sure you bring everything you need instead of using their equipment even paper towels. Good Luck!

HI - -
I posted a 'commercial kitchen space needed' in www.craigslist.org and
got serveral responses - - from caterers and from serveral people who
actually do just that - - rent out space in commercial kitchen. I pay $25 per hour, which seems like a lot, but the kitchen comes complete with a bank of convection ovens, walk-in refrigerator, freezer space, commercial mixers, etc. All I supply are my pans, small utensils and ingredients.
Give craigslist a try and good luck!
Rose

I called the bakery again yesturday....And he (david) said that just the day before he had to turn down two cake orders. So he got to thinking he needed to get some pricing for me and get someone in there. I haven't given him my web address or any photos of cakes because I don't have many detailed wedding cakes. This weekend I plan on frosting my dummy rounds and decorating three cakes. The last one I do will have a colored frosting with white decorations....otherwise the others will just be white on white with flowers and bows.

I tried to make the MMF posted here...with little luck. I let it rest overnight, (last night) to see how it will come out. I wanted to do one fondant cake...but if it is this combersome...I may not.

Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragment!!!!

I will try Criags list....if this other deal doesn't work out.

On Tues I delivered my cake photos and a sample of MMF (after letting it rest it turned out great) and I made some MMF roses out of it. They looked great so I added one for him to see. Well, it's Thursday and no call or email. I am feeling a bit defeated because, I guess I know what he wants in a cake decorator and I can do it...I just don't have the pictures to back it up. I am planning on calling over there tomorrow to get my book back and ask one more time...if he would just rent me space. I don't need to work for him...just the use of his space. Also he told me that there is a local wholesale bakery that sells pre-made sheet cakes. They are not far from my home...I may be able to do it that way....just order sheet cake blanks and build the cakes myself. I wonder if the health inspector would go for that????