[JD McGee]

Originally Posted by big brother smoke

Why do you need a catering license. Can you not do personal chef work in WA?

Hmmm...that's a very good question. I do not have a "catering" license though...it's a general business license from the City of Duvall. In order to do catering of any kind in King County you need an approved prep kitchen.

http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthserv...dBusiness.aspx

http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthserv.../catering.aspx

Can I prepare food from my kitchen at home?

No food service can be approved in a home kitchen, unless there are two separate kitchens. A commercial kitchen must be totally separate from the kitchen used by the people who live there. An approved kitchen in a home would have to meet all of the requirements for any commercial food service. These requirements are detailed in the Food Service Plan Guide.
As an alternative to constructing your own kitchen, the catering business could be operated out of an already approved kitchen. All food preparation would take place in the approved food service. Restaurant kitchens that are not open all the time or that have extra work space could possibly be utilized. Some church, school or community center kitchens may also be acceptable. The "shared" kitchen situations are evaluated on an individual basis.