Caling All Calif. Legal Cake Bakers!

Business By mareg Updated 11 Jun 2007 , 11:34am by alicegop

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mareg Posted 8 Jun 2007 , 5:13am
post #1 of 10

I want to get legal but have NOT a CLUE what to do for California. I know we cannot have a home bakery icon_cry.gificon_cry.gif How did you go about getting your licence?

Thanks so much for your help!

9 replies
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Erlyns_Treats Posted 8 Jun 2007 , 5:17am
post #2 of 10

I would also like to know heres a BUMP

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tobycat Posted 8 Jun 2007 , 5:27am
post #3 of 10

Oh, you mean there are some legal ones here in CA? icon_confused.gif

Our system makes me so sick sometimes!

Anyway, I'm just a for fun baker, but I did look into the legal thing once a few months ago. You need a legal kitchen to start -- and that can't be in your home. You can use a legal kitchen in a church for example and then run the rest of the business out of your home.

There's a link somewhere on here that goes to the CA business bureau or someplace like that, but it's a confusing place to muck around in. I got the runaround between the chamber of commerce and 3 or 4 other places. The left hand definitely didn't know nor care what the right was doing. They just read their code and slammed the door (er phone) in my face.

Good luck - hope you're able to make it work.

S.

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bcake1960 Posted 8 Jun 2007 , 5:28am
post #4 of 10

Me too!!!

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mareg Posted 8 Jun 2007 , 2:55pm
post #5 of 10

anybody know the link?

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ShirleyW Posted 8 Jun 2007 , 2:59pm
post #6 of 10

The only legal home bakers I know of in California are ones who can afford to build a separate structure on their property, and even then, only if their neighborhood is zoned for commercial business.

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alicegop Posted 10 Jun 2007 , 3:42pm
post #7 of 10

CA is totally ridiculous! It makes it impossible to be part time or hobby icon_sad.gif I'm hoping to buy the house next door to convert to a kitchen that hobby bakers can rent out....... but that is assuming I can get the zoning (and some way to come up with the money) and both seem pie in the sky.

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Cascades Posted 11 Jun 2007 , 5:27am
post #8 of 10

I have a legal kitchen built in an outbuilding that I had existing on my property. We added on another 200 sq. feet and now I have a total of 400 sq feet. I was able to get it passed throught the city because my neighbor had a real estate office on his property. My house was built in 1889 and the town was built up around mine and my neighbors houses.
It is a unique situation. Even though we are not zoned commercial, I was able to get a home occupation permit as long as I called it a catering kitchen and promised to deliver all my cakes. I do strictly weddings, it would be too hard to deliver more than that.

The health department was no problem, as long as the kitchen was not connected to the house. It was a long year getting all the permits and going through all the regulations. I did alot of the work myself( it helps when your contractor is your boyfriend!) I bought all used equipment at the restaurant auction ( many visits!) Total cost was about $25,000.

It was all worth it. I absolutely love it. Looking forward to the future.

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Cascades Posted 11 Jun 2007 , 5:30am
post #9 of 10

Oh, by the way, I live in th Central Valley, Newman CA

Anne

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alicegop Posted 11 Jun 2007 , 11:34am
post #10 of 10

Cascades, do you have any advice for what CA requires for the kitchen? If I'm going to convert an old house into a kitchen what do you think I will need to do?

I looked up Newman on google maps, too bad you're an hour and a half away.

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