The Marin County Board of Supervisors will consider an ordinance on September 29 that would establish a permitting process for residents to prepare and sell meals from their homes, according to the county. The proposed Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) program aims to lower barriers for home-based food entrepreneurs.
The draft ordinance establishes a three-year pilot permitting process with a cap of 100 permits per year. The county would allocate $156,000 in grant funding to assist applicants with the permitting and application process. The pilot would begin on March 1, 2027, and the Board would have the opportunity to make the program permanent after two years. Thirty percent of licenses would be reserved for residents of lower-resource areas.
Permit holders would be limited to 30 meals per day or 90 meals per week, with a cap of $100,000 in gross annual sales. The program would allow small entrepreneurs to operate without requiring a brick-and-mortar location or access to a commercial kitchen.
The push for MEHKO aligns with growth in Marin's food sector. According to the county's 2025 Economic Vitality Report, small businesses with up to four employees make up nearly 72% of local establishments. Sales tax revenues rose 1.3% for quick-service restaurants and 3.5% for fast-casual food in late 2024. California established the MEHKO program statewide in 2019. To date, 17 California counties and two independent city health jurisdictions have authorized programs, including Sonoma, San Mateo, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, and Santa Clara. San Francisco has recently begun considering a MEHKO ordinance.