EXPERT ADVISING
Food & Restaurant Businesses
Help from experienced restauranteurs and food experts on all aspects of running a food business buying or selling a food business, to food costing, menu development, home kitchen operations, and more.
Whether you are a culinary entrepreneur, chef, baker, food truck operator, or home-based food operator, Solano-Napa SBDC is here to help, from launching to growing and managing, through the full life cycle of your business!
Solano-Napa SBDC can help your business with general guidance and food, restaurant, and hospitality industry specifics.
Our food team have decades of real world experience working in and operating successful food and hospitality businesses of all types.
Expert Advising for Restaurants
From the full life cycle if your restaurant — purchasing or launching a restaurant to growth and expansion to selling your business — SBDC is here to help!
We help restauranteurs in Solano and Napa Counties at no cost with:
- Planning and launching your restaurant
- Compliance with food safety regulations
- Permitting and design support
- Buying or selling your restaurant
- Financial management, budgeting, and access to capital
- Business planning and strategy
- Operations and supply chain management
- Equipment and operations review
- Menu development and food costing
- Beverage programs
- Marketing and customer service
- Additional restaurant needs such as HR, accounting, and commercial lease/location support
Restaurant Business FAQs
What services do you provide for restaurants?
We help restauranteurs in Solano and Napa Counties at no cost to plan the launch, growth and expansion of your restaurant. Our business advising covers a wide range of needs, excluding legal and tax advising.
So if you need help with your restaurant concept, financial concerns, raising capital, marketing your restaurant, raising the bar of your hospitality service, help with your accounting, and issues with hiring or managing employees, get started with the SBDC at no cost. We are here for you.
Do you help food trucks and mobile food businesses?
Absolutely. We have expertise helping food trucks and knowledge of the unique characteristics of food truck businesses. As always, we can help you at no cost in Solano and Napa Counties.
I haven’t started my restaurant yet, can you help me?
Yes, and it’s better if we can help you earlier in the process, so you avoid costly mistakes. We can help you with plan and review:
- Your financial model, pricing, costs, etc.
- The location you are targeting and your commercial lease
- Permitting and design, so you can avoid mistakes and correct any problems beforehand – each location is different and issues and depends on your menu, zoning and permitting
Can I request assistance with specific challenges, like adapting to new food trends or expanding my restaurant to new locations?
Yes, our SBDC advisors are equipped to help you address specific challenges and opportunities. They can provide guidance on adapting to changing trends, expanding, or making strategic decisions to keep your restaurant or food business competitive and profitable.
Are there any grants or funding opportunities available through SBDC for restaurants?
We do not provide grants directly, but we can assist you in identifying and applying for various funding opportunities, including grants, loans, and other financial assistance programs for which your restaurant or food business may qualify.
Note, however, that grant opportunities are increasingly rare, highly competitive, and often for very small amounts (e.g. $5,000 or less), so not enough to cover the launch or growth of a restaurant. Thus, more of our efforts focus on helping restaurants find and secure capital from bank loans and other funding. All of this support is at no cost to you.
Is SBDC advising only for startups, or can established restaurants and food businesses also benefit from it?
SBDC advising is suitable for both startups and established businesses. Whether you’re just starting or looking to grow and improve your existing restaurant or food business, SBDC advisors can offer tailored guidance and support from experienced restauranteurs and food professionals who have successfully run their own businesses.
Expert Advising for Food Production
If you’ve got a food product business you want to improve, grow, or launch, you found the right place. We help food businesses in Solano and Napa Counties at no cost with:
- Planning and launching your food production business
- Permitting and design support
- Buying or selling your food production business
- Planning needs and support finding a commissary or shared kitchen space, or your own rental or purchased commercial kitchen space
- Access to capital and financial planning
- Equipment and operations review
- Regulatory compliance and quality control
- Market research and expansion strategies
- Food costing and pricing
- Supply chain management and ingredient sourcing
- Dealing with copackers, brokers and distributors
- Process improvement and operational efficiency
- Marketing and customer service
- Additional advising such as HR, accounting, and commercial lease/location support
Food Manufacturing FAQs
What services do you provide for food production businesses?
We help food businesses in Solano and Napa Counties at no cost to plan the launch, growth and expansion of your food business. Our business advising covers a wide range of needs, excluding legal and tax advising.
So if you need help with your food product concept, financial concerns, raising capital, marketing your business, selling your product at farmers markets or through brokers and distributors, help with your accounting, and issues with hiring or managing employees, get started with the SBDC at no cost. We are here for you.
I need help with planning my production and permitting needs, can you help me with this?
Yes, and it’s better if we can help you earlier in the process, so you avoid costly mistakes. We can help you with plan and review:
- Your financial model, pricing, costs, etc.
- The location you are targeting and your commercial lease
- Permitting and design, so you can avoid mistakes and correct any problems beforehand – each location is different and your needs depend on the food your are producing, quantities, zoning, and more.
Contact us early in your process to help you.
Can you help me find a space for my food business?
Solano-Napa SBDC has expert Business Advisors who can help you estimate your production needs and parameters and support you in finding space that will suite your needs — at no cost.
We do not work as real estate agents in any sense, but we have expertise with commercial real estate and can help you on your journey — and that includes identifying and analyzing your options, and connecting you with valuable resources to secure the space you need.
Moreover, with our financial expertise, we can help you plan your budget and the best options for securing a location.
If you are looking for shared space, you can also check out our Food & Restaurant Resources page, which includes commissary / commercial rental info info to start from. We can help you on your journey to find the space that is right for you.
I need help with food formulation, can you help me with this?
We do not have a commercial kitchen ourselves or food formulators, but we can help you find resources for your new or growing food business. Our expert Business Advisors can also help you through the process of scaling up your recipes, food costing, and much more.
Can you help me with finding a co-packer?
Yes. You can check out our Food & Restaurant Resources page, which includes co-packer info to start from.
Note that finding a co-packer is a critical decision that can make or break your food business; we suggest working with our expert Business Advisors as early as possible in the process.
Can I request assistance with specific challenges, such as adopting new technologies or improving product quality in my manufacturing business?
Yes, our SBDC advisors are well-equipped to help you address specific challenges, whether it’s adopting new technologies, enhancing product quality, or optimizing your production processes.
They can provide tailored guidance to make your manufacturing business more competitive and efficient.
Expert Advising for Home Kitchen Operations
In California, there are two types of permits that can allow you to produce and sell food from your home: a Cottage Food Operation (CFO) or a Micro Enterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO).
CFO permitting is available in both Solano and Napa counties (and throughout CA), but MEHKO permitting is only available in Solano and limited other counties that have adopted it (counties can decide whether they want to participate in the program).
Home Kitchen Operations FAQs
What is a Cottage Food Operation (CFO)?
A CFO permit allows you to make foods from your home kitchen that can be stored on a shelf at room temperature (i.e. non-potentially hazardous foods). You can bake, roast coffee, make tea and spice blends, mix nuts, make candy, or make jams and preserves.
CFO permit is available in Solano or Napa County, provided you meet the requirements.
Our no-cost expert Business Advising can help you determine if a CFO is appropriate for your business.
What is MEHKO?
The Micro Enterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) permit allows you to prepare, cook and serve food prepared in your home kitchen directly to consumers, either through delivery, take-out or dine-in at the house.
This options is for Solano and limited other counties. This is because while MEHKO was established in California, only some counties have adopted it so far. Solano County approved MEHKO for Solano County businesses in March 2019; at this time, Napa County has not.
Unlike CFO permitting, MEHKO is for making cooking and serving hot, restaurant style meals.
There are a number of MEHKO stipulations, but most notably for Solano County: food must be cooked and served on the same day and an approved MEHKO can serve up to 90 meals per week.
Our no-cost expert Business Advising can help you determine if MEHKO permitting is appropriate for your business.
What is the difference between CFO and MEHKO permitting?
The main difference between MEHKO and CFO permits in California are:
One, MEHKO permitting is only available in counties that have opted to allow it for their counties (Solano County is one of the few that have allowed it; Napa County has not at this time).
Two, the types of foods they allow you to prepare and sell. MEHKO permits are for a wider range of hot, restaurant-style meals, while CFO permits are typically for non-hazardous, shelf-stable foods that can be stored at room temperature, such as baked goods and jams.
Note that you cannot have both a MEHKO and a CFO in the same kitchen.
Do I need a separate kitchen for MEHKO or a CFO in California?
Both MEHKO and CFO permits allow food to be made in the exact same home kitchen that you live and cook in. However, the specific requirements may vary depending on what you are planning to offer as well as your location, so it’s essential to check with local authorities for details.
Our no-cost expert Business Advising can help you to determine if your business meets the requirements.
How can I learn more about MEHKO?
We offer two MEHKO workshops per year for Solano food entrepreneurs (note that Napa County has not opted into MEHKO). Check out our workshop calendar to find our next workshop to get started.
In addition, our Business Advisors are available to help you with next steps to get your business up and running.
What are the requirements for a MEHKO permit?
A MEHKO is only available in California counties that have adopted it, including Solano County.
It is specifically for hot, restaurant-style meals* from your home kitchen. You cannot have both a MEHKO and a CFO in the same kitchen. In addition:
- You will have to apply and provide detailed info about your kitchen/facility, the food you are preparing, you and anyone involved, and more
- Your facility must be approved by the health department (i.e. pass inspection)
- You/the operator must have a current Food Safety Manager certificate
- Any other persons involved with the MEHKO must have a current Food Handler certificate
*There are specific limitations here, so check with us first!
There are additional considerations, so we urge you to start early and make sure MEHKO is a match for your concept and facility.
You can request no-cost business advising from our food & restaurant experts
What are the production & sales limitations of a MEHKO?
Per California state law:
- Food must be cooked and served on the same day.
- You can serve up to 90 meals per week, no more than 30 meals per day.
- Your sales cannot exceed $100,000 sales per year.
- Food must be sold direct to consumer (i.e. not wholesale, not to restaurants).
- If delivered, food must be delivered by an employee or family (e.g. no using Door Dash).
What types of food products can you prepare and sell with a MEHKO permit?
A MEHKO permit allow you to cook and serve a wide range of hot, restaurant-style meals from your home kitchen. MEHKO permits vary depending on the county you are in; requirements for Solano County are provided in the FAQ above.
How do I apply for a MEHKO permit, and what is the application process like?
The application process for a MEHKO permit varies by jurisdiction.
You will need to contact your local health department or regulatory agency, fill out an application, and undergo an inspection of your home kitchen to ensure it meets safety and hygiene standards. It also depends on the type of food you want to prepare and serve and quantity, as well as other issues.
Our no-cost Business Advising can help you through this process.
Are there any specific health and safety regulations I need to follow when operating under a MEHKO permit?
Yes! You will need to adhere to specific health and safety regulations, which can include proper food handling, labeling, and storage, as well as maintaining a clean and sanitary kitchen environment. You will also need to be certified for food safety. These regulations are in place to protect the health of your customers.
Our no-cost Business Advising can help you through this process.
What should I do if I want to scale up my food business beyond the MEHKO or CFO permit limits or start a commercial kitchen operation?
If you wish to expand your food business beyond the limits of a MEHKO or CFO permit or operate a commercial kitchen, you will need to comply with additional regulations, such as obtaining a commercial kitchen license or a food establishment permit. It’s essential to consult with your local health department or regulatory agency for guidance on scaling up your business.
Our no-cost Business Advising can help you through this process.
