Catering

Required State License(s):  

The facility (kitchen) where food is prepared should be licensed as a Food Service Establishment (see Food Establishment License for details). Contact the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Food Division, Food Service Section; (517) 373-1060, for inspections. Generally, a person's home kitchen, where food is also prepared for family members, will not meet the regulations to be licensed.   When starting a catering business, consider renting space in a kitchen that is already licensed, (i.e. church halls, rental halls) until the cash flow warrants the expenditure for a more permanent facility. If the facility is licensed, but the licensee does not wish to accept the liability, a separate fixed or temporary license application must be submitted for the same facility by listing the caterer or catering cook as the responsible party.  

Further Information:  

Chef-at-home businesses [when a person has made arrangements to cook in homes] are not required to be licensed with the State of Michigan unless they are selling a product of some sort, then it would be a "business opportunity & retail" issue.   One should think about purchasing liability insurance or consider being bonded before starting a chef-at-home business.  

Revised: 11/2010