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California

Coffee Roasting

This topic contains 1 reply, has 1 voice, and was last updated by  David Crabill 9 years ago.

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  • #16839

    Anthony

    I live in Sacramento County. I am a Phoenix Arizona transplant where it was not permitted to roast coffee out of one’s home. I was excited to learn that CA actually allows this under the cottage food permit. That said, I have a little different situation. I could roast out of my backyard and leave it at that, but that is not my business model. I am looking to take my roaster mobile. I would like to outfit a trailer with my roaster, enabling on-site roasting for cafes that are looking to have thier own coffee beans/blends roasted. I would like this trailer to be a nice well-refined product delivery tool…so I am looking to have it house my roaster, but also be equipped with an espresso and drip coffee machines so I can serve out of the trailer (at festivals, fairs…etc). I realize that I may be required to keep my business to business vs. business to consumer interactions/encounters separate, but that really would not be very difficult. That said, I am wondering if this business model is even possible. The bottom line is that coffee is cut-throat. I see the best business model being one that allows the business to travel to where the demand is…and I want to fulfill that demand on both a business to business and consumer level. Can this be done and what do I need to make this happen? I am asking because the specialized trailer I am looking to have built will cost me between $45k and $60k. Clearly, I don’t want to have a trailer fabricated and find out that my business model is not permitted or possible. Any ideas or insight, from those who monitor this thread, is appreciated.

    #16855

    David Crabill
    Keymaster

    For a business this unique, you really need to speak with the health dept directly. Although there’s no substitute for that, I will clarify that the cottage food law in CA only allows dry coffee beans, not prepared coffee as you’re suggesting. The cottage food law also only allows your products to be made in your home kitchen, and nowhere else. For those reasons, you definitely wouldn’t fall under the CA cottage food law.

    This sounds more like a mobile food unit. It’s probably doable, but I’m not sure what you need to do.

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