Joanna, a Chinese-American housewife in the South Bay area of Northern California, found herself missing the traditional flavors of her hometown in Taiwan, particularly the unique delicacy known as “草仔粿” (Caozi Guo). To share this cherished taste with others, she applied for a Cottage Food Operator (CFO) A license in 2022, allowing her to legally produce and sell her homemade desserts from her kitchen.

Originally a full-time mom with a passion for creating various sweets, Joanna stumbled upon the idea of obtaining a home kitchen sales license and began researching the application process. Ultimately, she chose the CFO A license, emphasizing that her primary motivation was to have a legitimate avenue for sales. This way, she could share her delicious creations without incurring losses.

After a year of operating under her food license, Joanna conducted a thorough analysis of her finances. She realized that, since she treated her venture as more of a hobby, her sales hadn’t increased significantly. While she managed to sell some excess products, she wasn’t making profits; in fact, she found herself facing minor financial losses. Joanna pointed out that the paperwork and licensing costs associated with running a home kitchen totaled over a thousand dollars annually. Without serious management, it could easily lead to deficits.

Joanna primarily sells two items: sesame almond milk “雪莓娘” (Xue Mei Niang) and “草仔粽” (Caozi Guo). She is eager to introduce more people to the traditional flavors of Taiwan, with Caozi Guo featuring fillings of red beans or preserved vegetables; each product is made by hand and sells out quickly. Through her culinary skills, Joanna hopes to bring natural foods and the essence of traditional cuisine to her community.

In 2023, Santa Clara County passed a new “Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations” (MEHKO) license. Joanna considered whether she needed to switch to this new license. However, since her offerings are solely vegetarian and baked goods, she recognized that transitioning to MEHKO might restrict her sales avenues even further. She noted that this new license would be more suitable for home-based businesses selling items like buns or meat products, rather than her current line of desserts.