David Crabill
@david
active 2 days, 15 hours agoForum Replies Created
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CO has said that anything that’s not in the list is not allowed. Therefore, I assume that you would need to use a commercial kitchen to produce popcorn. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial
In most states, you don’t need to have a permit from the ag dept to sell uncut produce. However, zoning laws prevent most neighborhoods from being used for business purposes. Therefore, it’s unlikely that you will be able to sell from your front yard, but you should check with the dept that manages zoning in your area.
It would probably be allowed under the cottage food law, but really, if your health inspector is okay with it with fewer requirements, then I’d say you’re good to go. They are the ones that regulate the laws, and their word about what’s allowed is final.
Jenn, usually the only way to find info about this is to call the govt dept directly.
Jay, I’m pretty sure that your equipment doesn’t need to follow commercial standards. You should call the ag dept to make sure.
I don’t think it’s different for CFOs. If you also use your kitchen for personal use, it can’t be deducted. I’m pretty sure about that, but not 100% sure. To learn more, you need to contact whatever tax authority there is in your area — the depts that govern this are different for each state, so I don’t know what yours is called.
Yes, you just report it on your quarterly estimated and yearly taxes.
How do they know if you go over? They probably won’t. But, once you go over, you’re no longer operating legally, so if you got sued, you wouldn’t have any legal ground to stand on. The laws are there to protect you — once you leave their umbrella, you’re no longer covered.
Glad to hear your business is going well! And don’t worry about sending more questions.
Thanks so much for the info about that phone number now being invalid! I’ll remove it.
The list of requirements you’d need to go through sounds about right. For a tiny business, it’s not really worth it. The statement that most home food businesses don’t operate under the law also sounds right. And considering that you’re not willing to operate illegally, I think your solution is a great one!
Although direct sales only require a Class A registration, that assumes that the direct sales will not occur in a retail facility, from what I’ve gathered. I guess the first question you need to address is whether your store is allowed to sell food items? There are specific requirements of what and how a retail facility may sell food, and you’ll need to speak directly to your health dept to learn about those requirements. In the end, you may need to get a Class B permit to allow the store to sell your CFO products — even though you own it.
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.
