CALL US: 510-892-5400
FAQ
Frequently Asked Question
Getting Started
How do I get started?
What should I look for when choosing a commercial kitchen?
1. Confirm it's actually permitted (license) for your use. Will they provide support for permit and licensing application. 2. Make sure the kitchen has the equipment you need. 3. Ask about the workflow, storage, and sanitation. Tour it like you are an inspector. Is it clean, are they organized, do they have everything labeled. 4. Scheduling and availability, will you be able to use the kitchen at the time that you need.
Where is KBTH located?
2363 Tripaldi Way, Hayward, CA 94545. We are permitted by Alameda County. Call (510) 892 - 5400 or email rental@kitchenbythehour.com.
How do I get started?
1. Book a tour. 2. Pay your first month’s rent plus a deposit equal to 2 months’ rent. 3. Send us a general liability certificate of insurance (COI) naming KBTH LLC as Certificate Holder and Additional Insured (see “What insurance do I need?” below). 4. Submit your operating schedule. Then, you’ll receive your access codes and assigned work areas.
I’m starting a food business for the first time. What do I need?
Most new businesses need a business license, a food handler or food manager certificate, general liability insurance, and the right health permit for what you make. We’ll help you figure out which permit fits your business. See Permits & Compliance below.
Who is KBTH a good fit for? Caterers, bakers, packaged-food makers, food trucks and carts, meal-prep businesses, and ice cream and frozen dessert makers.
Pricing & Booking
Understanding the Policy
How much does it cost to rent a kitchen?
Shared stations are $500/month for 10 hours, $700/month for 20 hours, or $1,000/month for 40 hours.
Can I rent the kitchen without membership? Is there a long-term contract or setup fee?
No, there's no membership required at Kitchen By The Hour. Rentals are month to month, with no annual membership and no setup fee.
What’s the deposit?
A deposit equal to 2 months’ rent, collected with your first month’s rent.
What if I go over my booked time?
Time that runs past your booked slot is rounded up to the nearest 15 minutes and charged at your plan’s regular hourly rate. For example, the $500 plan for 10 hours works out to $50/hr, so 2 extra hours cost $100. If you need more hours every month, ask us about moving up a plan.
How does booking work?
Every visit must be booked and approved before you arrive. The minimum booking is 1 hour. All time in the kitchen counts toward your hours, including loading, prep, cooking and cleaning. Unused hours don’t roll over to the next month. If you cancel within 24 hours of your start time or don’t show up, 1 hour is deducted from your package. Using the kitchen without an approved booking is $250 per occurrence and can lead to termination.
Permits & Compliance
Understanding the Policy
Which permits can you help with?
- Mobile Food Facility (MFF)
- Temporary Food Facility (TFF)
- Caterer Permit
- CDPH Processed Food Registration
- CDFA dairy licensing
The details for each county permit are below.
What is a Mobile Food Facility (MFF) permit, and how do I get one?
What it is: An Alameda County Environmental Health Department (ACEHD) permit to operate a food truck, trailer, or cart. Carts are called Compact Mobile Food Operations (CMFOs). ACEHD inspects every mobile unit under the California Retail Food Code (CalCode).
Who needs it: Anyone selling food from a truck, trailer or cart in Alameda County. A Temporary Food Facility application is not accepted for a mobile unit. County steps: 1. Fill out the Mobile Food Facility (MFF), Vending Machine (VM), Compact Mobile Food Facility (CMFO Cart) Application Form and email it to dehmobilefood@acgov.org. The county charges an application fee; see the current amount on the application. 2. If you’re building or modifying a unit, submit plans. See the county’s Requirements for Submitting Mobile Food Facility Plans. 3. Pass a structural inspection and pay the annual permit fee. The county issues the permit only after both.
For an overview, see the county’s Mobile Food Facilities Program page and Frequently Asked Questions (Mobile Food Facility). The county also runs a free New Business Info Session on the first Wednesday of each month at 10 AM at 1131 Harbor Bay Pkwy, Alameda.
How KBTH helps:
Your truck needs a commissary. KBTH signs the application’s Commissary / Commercial Kitchen Agreement (often called “Part D”), which confirms the services we provide. We’ll also walk you through the packet. See our Food Truck plans above.
What to prepare:
- Business information and menu - Food handler or manager certificate - Insurance COI - Unit details or plans - Parking location. Service Bay tenants must show the inspector where the truck parks.
What is a Temporary Food Facility (TFF) permit?
What it is:
A county permit to sell or give away food or drinks at a community event, such as a festival, night market or farmers market booth. Who needs it: Every booth at an Alameda County event, excluding Berkeley. The event sponsor needs its own permit too. County steps: 1. Get approval from the event sponsor. 2. Fill out the Temporary Food Facility Permit Application and email it to DEHWEBBILLING@acgov.org. 3. Pay the permit fee. The fee schedule is in the application. Applications received less than 5 business days before the event are charged a penalty fee.
See the county’s Community Events and Temporary Food Facilities page. Event organizers use the Temporary Events Sponsor Application. How KBTH helps: Food can’t be prepared at home. Any advance prep must happen in a commercial kitchen unless you have a Cottage Food permit. If you prep at KBTH, we sign the application’s Commissary / Commercial Kitchen Agreement, and we can help you apply early to avoid the penalty fee. What to prepare: - Sponsor approval - Full menu, marking which items you prep ahead and which you prep at the event - How you’ll keep food hot or cold - Booth setup: canopy, enclosed sides and ground cover - Hand-wash station and utensil-wash station - Water supply and wastewater disposal plan
What is a Caterer permit or Host Facility under CalCode? What it is: California’s AB 2524, in effect since January 2019, created two permit types: - A Catering Operation prepares food at a permitted facility, such as a commercial kitchen, and serves it somewhere else. That could be a contracted event like a wedding or private party, or direct sales at a Host Facility. - A Host Facility is a site approved to host a permitted caterer, such as a brewery, winery or commercial building. A caterer may serve there for up to 4 hours in any 12-hour period.
Who needs it: Caterers serving food off-site in Alameda County. A caterer can’t store or prepare food or equipment at home. Host sites need their own Host Facility permit. County steps: 1. Fill out the Caterer Application Form and mail it with the application fee. The amount is on the application. 2. Your inspector reviews your procedures, equipment and menu, and may inspect the commercial kitchen. 3. Once approved, complete the facility permit application and pay the annual permit fee.
Host sites use the Host Facility Checklist Form. See the county’s Caterer / Host / Temporary Food Service Operation (TFSO) page, Frequently Asked Questions (Caterer / Host) and the fee schedule. How KBTH helps: KBTH can be your permitted commercial kitchen. We sign the application’s Commercial Kitchen Agreement and help you prepare for the review.
What to prepare:
- Menu
- Equipment for transporting food and holding temperatures
- A Person In Charge for each event
- Your records system.
Caterers must keep records for 90 days after each event.
What insurance do I need?
Every tenant must carry Commercial General Liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate. Food businesses usually get product liability as part of this coverage. Your certificate of insurance (COI) must name KBTH LLC, 2363 Tripaldi Way, Hayward, CA 94545, as both Certificate Holder and Additional Insured. We need your COI on file before we issue access codes. Please keep it current and send us the renewed certificate before it expires. If your COI lapses, kitchen access is paused until we receive a current one.