COOK Alliance

Roya Bagheri, ESQ., Executive Director

Economic Mobility

COOK Alliance Rally Photo

The COOK Alliance is a nonprofit working to legitimize and support informal home cooking businesses so that culinary entrepreneurship is accessible to all, and particularly empowering for homemakers, caregivers, women, people of color, and immigrants.

Year Founded: 2018

The COOK Alliance legalized the first home restaurants by passing Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO) laws in California and are now expanding opportunities and resources for these small businesses. They envision a world in which home-based culinary entrepreneurs, particularly from historically underserved communities, have meaningful, low-barrier opportunities to earn dignified, livable incomes through their small businesses and expand access to fresh meals and deeper, resilient community connection.

We’ve developed an ABCD strategic model: we work to A – Advance Advocacy, B – Build Business, C – Cultivate Community and D – Develop Data around the home cooking movement. Advancy Advocacy – We champion the legitimization of home cooking businesses, encourage regulations that promote healthy food access, and work with environmental health departments for effective MEHKO support. Building Businesses – We empower MEHKOs by providing wrap-around business education, operational resources, and funding to support culinary entrepreneurs with starting their small businesses. Cultivating Community – We promote awareness of MEHKOs among the public and aspiring home cooks, facilitate the discovery of MEHKOs in their local areas, and foster community connections between culinary entrepreneurs. Developing Data – We track the progress and expansion of the MEHKO movement, utilizing focus groups, surveys, and partnerships with academic institutions to gain comprehensive insights into the evolving needs.

Through their  strategic model, COOK Alliance:

  • Advances Advocacy – champions the legitimization of home cooking businesses, encourages regulations that promote healthy food access, and works with environmental health departments for effective MEHKO support. 
  • Builds Businesses – empowers MEHKOs by providing wrap-around business education, operational resources, and funding to support culinary entrepreneurs with starting their small businesses. 
  • Cultivates Community – promotes awareness of MEHKOs and fosters community connections between culinary entrepreneurs. 
  • Develops Data – tracks the progress and expansion of the MEHKO movement to gain comprehensive insights into the evolving needs.

The COOK Alliance is the leading voice for home food entrepreneurs in the United States. Their groundbreaking 2018 home cooking legislation (AB 626) created a “Microenterprise Home Kitchen” permit in California— the first of its kind in the nation allowing home cooks to sell all types of prepared foods to the public. They are expanding the movement across the nation to protect home chefs, lower the barrier of entry for food businesses, and stimulate economic development.

COOK Alliance Roya Bagheri

Roya Bagheri, ESQ.

 Executive Director

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