Catering License

How to start a Catering Business legally.

(The information presented has not been reviewed by a lawyer or accountant. We do not offer legal or tax advice in any way, shape or form.)

Every catering business is required to register with their municipality/county and/or state for tax purposes if they plan on collecting sales tax or hiring employees. To register with the municipality/state you plan on doing business in, go to their website for more information. (You can find the county/state website by searching for "Your County/State Business Permit"). Once you're at the website, click on the appropriate link and it should tell you how to regsiter a new business.

Please do not skip this step. Registering does not take much time and it's very easy to do. Also, it's possible for business owners to face serious fines and/or prision time for not running a business the legitimate way.

Another thing to research is zoning laws to see if you are permitted to prepare food from your home kitchen. If zoning laws allow you to prepare food from your home kitchen, check with the public health department to see what the requirements are for you to legally prepare food from your home kitchen. (It usually involves a separate siink for cleaning, equipment calibration, non-slip mats, proper ventiallation, etc...).

The most likely scenario is that you will have to do all your food preparation at a commercial kitchen. Don't let this stop you from starting your catering business.

Many churches and local organizations have commercial kitchens that welcome the chance to rent out their facilities so finding a commercial kitchen should not deter you from starting a catering business. Simply call or email and ask; "Do you allow catering businesses to rent your kitchen"? If yes, great! If not, ask if they know which kitchens might and thank them for their time.

The next lesson is about the importance of business insurance.