I am in the process of finding a location and aquiring equipment to open my first bakery. I live in Ohio. I am just not sure where to start with licensing, code, inspections, insurance..etc. If anyone can point me in a direction of good info online or if you can give me some pointers I would greatly appreciate it.

I currently work out of my home and I am doing really well. I know I could do so much more with a retail location. There is nothing offered where I live like I offer customers. I am so excited and scared at the same time, but I still can't wait to get started.

Hi I was just wondering how you got customers while in your home. Im trying to do that but I dont know how to "market" very new and would appreciate any info. thanks

Word of mouth spreads like wildfire!

http://development.ohio.gov/edd/1ststop/onestop/index.cfm

That should tell you everything you need to know.

I saw that you mentioned gluten-free products.

Check and see what requirements you might need to make gluten-free products, and label them as gluten-free. If you use flour in the bakery it is always present, and anything 'gluten-free' will have traces of flour/gluten it it.

Where I live, the only way I can legally label a product as gluten-free is if I have a complete separate room for gluten-free baking, including an oven and space for packaging, and an airlock for entering and changing clothes/shoes etc. Unpackaged gluten-free stuff being taken through the bakery where I use flour would then no longer be able to be labelled as gluten-free. We don't have that much space so this was never an option.

We do make products without flour and label them as such, but can't label them as gluten-free.

I would like to know how you can be in business already, and not know enough that the Health Department is a good place to start.

Mike

Mike.

For your info. I have been licensed through the Dept. Of Agriculture and have been inspected. I have also went through the health department to have my water tested per the Dept. Of agri.

Why so rude?

Your county should be able to tell you all the "environmental Health" issues. You will need to go to the state for all the licensing for business and sales tax. Taxes can be at state, city and county level, so just check that out.

May I ask... do you have a disclaimer or disclosure letting your customers know that you do this out of your home? I'm assuming it's not legal where you are, but do correct me if I'm wrong. It's not legal where I live, so I've had to explain to the Health Dept. that I've only done this as a hobby for friends that know I make the cakes in my house. (I too am trying to hit the big time with a kitchen).

Thanks, and good luck!

This post should probably also be under the Business section. I wish you the best but I'm wondering the same thing. I moved from Ohio to Florida and if it's legal to operate a home based business back home it makes me want to cry.

I'd go back if it weren't for the rest of the state economy going down the tubes.

It is absolutely legal in Ohio to have a home-based business. You can go with either Home Bakery or Cottage Bakery. Similar laws with a few differences.

I thought the OP was looking at a stand alone business, though?

Yes it is legal in Ohio to operate from home. If you are under cottage foods, you cant do items that require refidgeration. If you do refridgerated items you can have no carpet in kitchen, no pets, and you have to have an inspection. Once you pass inspection it is only 10.00 for liscense fee.

I was inquiring about a stand alone retail store. A friend of the family is an attorney and I think I am going to just use him to make sure everything is in legal order.

Thanks

tthlean - good luck with your business venture. I am a home based business here in Ohio - I think about the store front stuff occasionally, but I like the way things are here. (having the option to NOT do a cake if I don't want to!) Where in Ohio are you looking at?

Good luck with your business!

ttehan4, I just want to say good luck to you in your business. I too am in Ohio, and I would like to start up a bakery. Not just in cakes, but cookies, candies, etc. I wish all the best. It's just so scary with the economy the way it is here in Ohio. Cakes are a "Luxury" item here right now. One that many cannot afford. I know in our area the unemployment rate says it's at 12%. But I suspect that the only reason it is that low is because many peoples unemployment has run out or they are not eligible to recieve it. I seriously think its much higher then that, so trying to start a new business under those conditions in this area are not prime conditions.

Well I was offered a cafe with a great kitchen that would support my cake business and a 50-60 seat dining room and I turned it down. It was in a small town not far from where I live. I thought about it and ran the numbers and decided against it. The cost and time involved with running a diner was more than what I wanted to do. If it was in a different place I would be comfortable with just having a bakery, but the location would have had to have the diner.

I am thinking that I am going to convert my basement into a kitchen. I think working from home for now will be the way to go. I still have 2 boys in elementary school and I can be home with them. If I want to work on cakes till 3 am I can. I make good money just doing in from home so why not... for now!

We remodeled my kitchen last year, it is literally divided in half! (with a partial wall and counter/bar dividing it) It is 27 x 15 - and the cake half has my Hobart, my 6' stainless work table - the pantry with all the cake gear, the table has 5 sets of drawers for all the little stuff on the shelf under neath. I LOVE it. I bought the biggest oven I could (convection LG) I have the luxury of working out of my home, I don't have the overhead of a storefront, and I can work if and when I want to! We are very lucky here in the state of Ohio that we can legally bake from our homes. Goo luck, and I would have made the same decision.

Where are you located????? Are you offering gluten free too? My mom would support your business entirely if she could buy premade gluten free cakes that actually tasted good LOL! She spends a fortune on gluten free cake mixes (has a real sweet tooth) and I don't do well with all scratch cakes so she doesn't ask me to make her any.

I work from home in Ohio too and it's about all I can do right now, I would love to renovate my garage (which is the plan) but the economy is so bad, you're almost afraid to spend money if you don't have to you know?

We redone our kitchen in March because of a fire. We redid the entire layout of the kitchen to add more room for cakes. I now have 39 cabinets and 14 drawers! Tons of counter space. My new kitchen looks awesome, but Ive outgrown it already. I have added 5 large sets of floor to ceiling shelving in my basement already just for extra storage. I need to buy a large stainless steel table for a center island in my basement and we have started the layout for other counters and a sink. I think I will be adding a regular oven downstairs. I would like to do a commercial, but my husband says we will have to do new wiring in our whole house to accomadate it. I did do a very large oven in my new kitchen. I can put 6 to 8 tiers in there at once and always get an even bake. I love it. Its a GE model. I think I will put the same thing in the basement.

You might do some research about how your kitchen has to be set up for a business too. Not sure if it applies to a business out of your home (a licensed one that can do refrigerated things), but the last thing you'll want to find out is that your kitchen is not set up corectly!

Good luck! It's exciting to plan even if it can't be a reality right now. If I see something "cute" for a retail location I save it in a file, bring it out once in a while and dream.

I totally understood your question. Being licensed to bake from home in Ohio by the HD is so not the same thing as being licensed by the HD in a traditional bakery. I would think the HD would be the first place to start since they will handle how your kitchen is set up and approve everything. Have you read this: http://publichealth.columbus.gov/food-protection-for-business.aspx

Im already licensed to operate from my home. Ohio requires that everything be done from your primary kitchen. In order to legally operate from my new kitchen it has to include everything that the one upstairs does. Stove, sink, fridge, etc. So I have to make my house have two fully operational kitchens. And the new kitchen will have to be inspected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Where do you live?

Between Dayton and Columbus.

Ah, probably further than my mom wants to drive for a cake! We're in the northeastern corner on Lake Erie and the Penns. border!

LOL! I don't make gluten free cakes anyway.

I know this post was a while back but I am starting the same venture.  I am between Cincy and Dayton.  Just curious how your business took off and if you have any suggestions for a fellow Buckeye newbie starting to spread my wings?