Finally Found A Place To Run A Cake Business.............
Decorating By susanscakebabies Updated 23 Apr 2007 , 12:11am by mconrey
I am so excited. I found a place to work through a lot of help of others. It is a great space and lots of potential. Last week I found a great deal on some used equipment to get started. All commercial equipment from a restaurant. Now I just have to get the place set up and cleaned up.
Have one HUGE hurdle though. The Health Dept. They kinda SUCK! I went to get the paperwork started today and OMG, I am so confused. If anyone had any advise I would love to hear it!! I am in CO if that helps at all.
Thanks
In Minnesota the Dept. of Agriculture does bakeries, but this is what I learned from my inspector.
Have your plan before starting anything written and drawn out. Then, when ready, ask them to go over it with you in your new location. They can tell you step by step what needs to be changed and fixed before they will allow you to open.
The inspector is your best friend during this time, do what they say and they will work with you....
Best word of advise from my inspector, ask before you do, so you don't have to redo...
Great thanks for the advice. Sounds like a good idea to me. I keep asking them questions hoping they won't go crazy. I also have to follow the rules of any type of caterer which seems absurd considering I dont use half of what they do. At least the place I am using is already established with a health cert and I am just using a room in their place. Hopefully that will be a huge hurdle already overcome.
Sorry I don't have any advice for you! I am in Colorado to and I agree the Health department is terrible and not very helpful. I found a kitchen to rent and I am starting the paperwork with the HD but they just told me I have to purchase a commercial mixer since the kitchen I am using doesn't have one!! Which I feel is crazy. I can't imagine hauling a mixer like that with me back and forth. Hope you have better luck!
Thena
They are the same here. Everything needs to be commercial. Pain in the Rear. Do you have to follow standards of a caterer too?? We should keep in touch and lend advise as we have it. I know the counties are different here but it still may help.
From what the HD told me I will be classified as a mobile unit?? Not sure what that means. I am going to get the paperwork in the next couple of days so I should know more then. I would definitely love to keep in touch! This process gets to be very aggravating at times.
Did you find a commercial mixer? If so where and how much?
Thena
Yes it is aggrevating.
No not yet. I almost got one but it wasn't running great so I passed it up. I am still looking. I would bet a commercial grade kitchen aid would work, no?! Not sure how they classify you as a mobile unit. But would love to hear more on that. Maybe that is a bit easier to get cert.
I have a professional 8 quart Kitchen Aid, and I am hoping that they will aprove this! After I explain what it is I do and that the mixer will be something I have to cart around with me hopefully they will approve my mixer. If not I guess I will have to find a kitchen that has a commercial mixer that I can use. Which could be another problem!
When I find out more about the mobile unit I will let you know. Did they tell you that you have to go in and interview with them, and that it cost you $34 an hour to do that.
Thena
I think a kitchen aid Pro would work. I know in my caffeteria in high school we used them a lot. The health dept had no problems with them. I am from Canada though, so that might make a difference.
34$ an hour for the interview?? YIKES!!!
Good luck
Here its $45 an hour. Luckily she said it should be pretty short and sweet. They sure like to keep the little guy down though.
I just had my first inspection with the health dept and she told me the professional mixers arent' a big concern. It is more of a motor issue for you as the baker. SHe said they dont' worry about that b.c it is not a health issue like a fridge or oven would be. So I would check locally but I liked that answer. 
Oh and I passed my inspection, that I didn't even know I was going to have, My next one is my pre opening. YEAH!!
Congratulations! That is sooooo exciting!!! Are you actually renting a retail space or just kitchen space?
Thena
Thank you! I am renting a room in a bar/restraurant. They are letting me cook in their kitchen and then I have a room all to myself with its own entrance for all the finish work and to meet with customers. Pretty great set up.
Congrats on finding a kitchen. Hope you get through all the red tape quickly!
Thanks. SO far they are being amazing. I was so nervous and it has gone great so far(knock on wood) with the health dept. I think everyone scared me soooo bad that it was better than I expected.
That is great! It sounds like a perfect setup. Did the HD inspect the kitchen? I am waiting for the HD to setup a plan review. Did you have to do that? I am wondering what all is involved??
Thanks. Yeah I did an unexpected review. I had called the lady I am dealing with to go over what I need to do and how since I was joining an existing business. She was coming down this way so met me and we did my whole first walk and she approved it. Yeah! I just need to get my papers in now and she told me all of what to do there. She has be so nice and great to work with. Everyone scared the poop out of me but it has been fairly low key. I think the key is to communicate with them alot and do as they request, Which to me seemed like lots of common sense for a clean healthy work place. I would contact your dept down there and just ask lots of questions. If they are anything like up here you will do just fine.
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