Anybody in Texas making cakes for sale? I just started getting serious about this and now seeing that there are many requirements to be doing this. I was getting info on starting a business and have completed my first step-filing my business name but it seems that I cannot really do business quite yet. Any advice is appreciated.

TIA

I am just doing cakes for family and friends right now but I have wondered what would be required if I decided to start doing business from my home (in Texas).

Hopefully someone here will have more info.

Cindy

Hi. I also live in Texas and make cakes for sale. I started by advertising in my area and got really busy. We recently built a house and decided to have 2 kitchens. My second kitchen is for my cake business. I am in the process of having it inspected by the health department. My other advice would be to open a DBA and a website would help too.
traci

Hi Everybody,

I also wanted to bake from home, but it is difficult in Texas. You have to have a separate kitchen that has no access to the house, in other words you have to go outside of your home to get to it. The kitchen has to be in code with what the health department for Texas and your county health department require....then you have to get special zoning permission from the city since a house is a residential property rather than commercial. Lots of trouble and lots of $$$. I wonder how many people actually go through all of that trouble...I guess thats why the majority of bakers just keep things quiet while working from home.

http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/bfds/foods/faq.html

Berta

Thanks for all you input guys. The city I live in has its own health department so I had to go through them and turns out that since I live in apartment-all I have to do is get permission from the owner or property manager. I'm assuming because apartment realty has to carry their own permits is all I can think of so I'm good to go and very relieved. I guess when it is time to purchase a house, I will definitely know that there will be things I need to consider.

If you don't mind me asking what area of Texas are you in. I would like to start baking out of my home, and I am in the San Antonio area. But I don't know what the regulaitons are here.

Hi Momorox,

I was surprised to read you could do it from your apartment....be extra careful and keep handy the name of the person who told you that. There are so many regulations such as a 3 compartment sink, cooling thermometers, and commercial quality dishwasher, that must be met and most apartments do have any of them. If you have the name of the individual at your health department who told you that, at least if there is ever a problem you can say "hey, this person said it was ok".

Thank you for your concern. I do have his name. I think within cities that have their own health department is what makes a big difference too. I know my aunt won't let her even have a business running out of her home at all-even with guidelines-can't happen.

As for SA-I would check with the Texas Food & Drug Licensing department and ask if San Antonio has their own health department and if not then you will have to go through Texas guidelines.

When I called Texas Food & Drug at first is when they told me that my town had their own health department and to go through them. I ofcourse realized that the night before when in Wendy's and noticed their placque for City of Baytown Health Department.

I would recommend more research. They always say ignorance of the law is no excuse, and if you are caught operating out of unlicensed facility, you can be denied a future license. Most cities, especially the big ones, have their own health department, Houston & Austin included. You generally have to follow the state health regs first, and add on any that are required by the city as well. I've been looking into starting my own business and have found that I can't even utilize the restaurant kitchen of a friend. Requirements for a commercial kitchen for food products consumed off-premises are far more stringent than those even for restaurants. I have resorted to renting bakery space on an hourly basis, so I have a place to hang my license but will still decorate at home on the DL.

Also (not to rain on your parade-I hope for your sake it really is that easy) make sure you are following zoning laws, too, although as long as you don't have exterior signage or a lot of foot traffic that shouldn't be a problem. In Austin, you can't even have an addition for the sole purpose of operating a home business without a zoning variance, so adding on a 2nd kitchen is out of the question for me too.

Good luck.