New legislation authored by SF Supervisor Jackie Fielder would make it easier for licensed businesses to sell food prepared out of their home kitchens utilizing an existing state law.
Fielder’s bill would allow qualifying vendors to prepare and sell food in their own homes, as current city regulations require them to pay for access to a commercial commissary kitchen, which can cost around $1,000 a month, as Mission Local reports. Vendors would still have to meet food safety requirements, including annual inspections, food manager certification, and food-handling training.
The new legislation would enable the city to adopt the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation Program (MEHKO), a state program that went into effect in 2019. According to Mission Local, Fielder requested a report from the Budget and Legislative Analyst on the potential costs and impacts of establishing the program in San Francisco, which is expected by mid-October.
Leila Ovando, director of food justice equity at Nuestra Causa, told Mission Local the legislation could help reduce the financial and regulatory hurdles faced by migrants, working-class entrepreneurs, and families trying to start small food businesses.
Catherine Brinkley, a professor of human ecology at UC Davis, said street vendors can also contribute to broader economic development by bringing customers and activity to city streets.
“Studies have shown that street food vendors are economic amplifiers,” Brinkley said, speaking to Mission Local. “They bring dollars in and they activate streets, making them safer.”
Other Bay Area counties, including Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, and Santa Cruz have reportedly already adopted MEHKO. Santa Cruz launched a pilot program in 2024, which required coordination among its health, building, and fire departments to conduct home kitchen inspections.
Olga Zuniga, deputy director of environmental health for Santa Cruz County, told Mission Local the program has been successful, and the department has recommended making it permanent.
Contra Costa County’s two-year MEHKO pilot program was also reportedly a success.
“After two years, we had minimal issues come up,” said Vanessa Cordier, an environmental health specialist with the county health department, speaking to Mission Local. “I’d say it’s a success because it gave people an opportunity to open up a business.”
The bill will be assigned to a committee in 30 days, which will decide whether to send it to the full Board of Supervisors.
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