Finding Customers May Be the Hard Part

Getting the permit is the easy part.

Most people worry about the inspection and the paperwork. Those turn out to be manageable. The question that decides whether the business works is different: who will buy your food?

What permitted cooks say

A 2026 statewide survey of 230 permitted home cooks:

Challenge

Share who said it was a problem

Finding customers

79%

Not being able to sell at events or farmers markets

76%

Not being allowed to cater

73%

Building a brand

60%

Cost of the permit

57%

Knowing how to get started

56%

For cooks born outside the U.S., finding customers was harder: 86%.

How they actually find customers

Channel

Share who use it

Word of mouth

78%

Instagram

66%

Facebook

50%

No sign in front of the house. No delivery apps. No farmers markets. The rules leave you with people who already know you, and social media.

What this means for you

Before you pay $673, answer this: who are your first ten customers? Write down their names.

Good first customers:

• Friends, neighbors, coworkers, and people who have eaten your food
• Your church, temple, school parents, or community group
• Community WeChat, WhatsApp, or Facebook groups you are already in
• People looking for a dish they cannot find nearby

If you cannot name ten people, that is not a reason to quit. It is a reason to build that list before you apply, not after.

Start small

You do not need hundreds of customers. Ten repeat customers will teach you what sells, what people will pay, which days work, and which dishes to drop.

My Home Kitchens lists permitted cooks so customers can find them. We do not promise customers or income. Nobody honest can.