Foodnome announces legal permit for first home restaurant in US

Innovative platform Foodnome has announced that the regulatory authorities have granted permission for the establishment of the first home restaurant in the US.

Meghan McConaghy Chane, a resident of Riverside County, California, will now be able to open a home restaurant.

The home restaurant permit follows the AB 626 bill passed earlier this year by the Californian government legalising the sale of home cooked food.

Foodnome has supported Chane through its platform bringing together home cooks and diners to explore various cuisines in their local community. It also helps home cooks to receive the legal permit.

Chane said: “I was too afraid to work on a food venture before this. We’d talked about a food truck, catering, or a restaurant. The fear of the financial risk and the money you need up front, as well as all of the regulation and hoop jumping, felt really overwhelming.

“Foodnome really helped me achieve my dream of starting a food business. They provided a ton of support, guidance and lots of useful information. I’m happy to be a part of their community so I can help bring my neighbourhood together.”

According to AB-626, food offered through home restaurants should prepared, cooked, and served or delivered on the same day in a safe time with a limit of 30 meals per day or 60 individual meals per week.

It also limits the gross annual sales of the restaurant to be no more than $50,000; and asks restaurants to get their kitchens inspected and permitted by the local county health department every year.

Foodnome founder Akshay Prabhu said: “We were thrilled when AB 626 went into effect at the state level earlier this year. There is however still a lot of work to be done. Each county’s board of supervisors must opt-in to the bill before Home Cooks can benefit from it, that is why we provide key resources to Home Restaurant advocates.”