Pasco County is home to many food entrepreneurs. I get calls all the time asking about ServSafe classes and cottage food questions. I understand these are stressful times. For those of you who own a cottage foods operation and you mostly rely on farmers markets, festivals, and other events to drive your business, remember there’s still an option to serve customers online. Just make sure you deliver the food yourself; you need to see your customer, don’t use a third party to ship it. Consumers are using food delivery services more than ever.
One of the biggest benefits of having a cottage food business is the low overhead. Even if you are missing out on income due to cancelled events, you aren’t paying rent since this is operated within your home. So as events, farmers markets, and festivals get cancelled, consider moving your business online instead (if you haven’t already). Adapt to the current situation to help hold your cottage foods business over. People will still want specialty products to give away as gifts or as a source of comfort during these stressful times, so continue to let the community know you are taking orders. And of course, keep your kitchen clean and sanitized, and frequently wash your hands. Though these have always been the standards.
And speaking of food entrepreneurs, don’t forget there is a commercial kitchen in Pasco. For those of you renting out a kitchen space with an established restaurant that may not keep their kitchen open during this time, the East Pasco Incubator Kitchen, located at the One Stop Shop at 15029 14th Street, Dade City, FL is still open if you want another option to keep your business going. Call 352-5211254 to reserve your space if you would like to work out of this kitchen for a low hourly rate, or to learn more. And check out the YouTube video below if you haven’t seen it yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN3sI5swhio
OSS Kitchen County Site:
https://www.pascocountyfl.net/3581/One-Stop-Shop—Incubator-Kitchen
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