Chapter 17
You Must Have a Commissary…or Maybe Not!
What is a commissary? It’s simply a place that conforms to the health department codes of your particular area and has passed a health department inspection in the last year. It’s your base of operations where you store your food and clean your equipment.
Your health inspector may have a list of approved commissaries in your area. Commissary fees vary wildly depending on how many mobile food establishments operate in your area and how many commissaries exist to serve them. Fees can range from a couple hundred bucks a year to a thousand or more. (Keep reading to find out how to get a commissary agreement for free…)
Commissaries are a necessary evil for most hot dog cart operators because most health codes prohibit commercial food establishments from operating out of the owner’s home. In some areas, you may be able to set up an area in your home in which to store your food as long as it conforms to the health code. Some of these code requirements may include a self closing door that separates the food preparation area from the rest of the home, a curbed mop sink, protected overhead lighting, etc. If your health department allows this then you’re in luck. If not, there are ways around the commissary.
One way is to make a deal with a business that has passed the local health department inspection. Choose one that is not likely to view you as competition. A bakery, VFW hall, church kitchen, or small grocery store is a good choice. Tell them what you do, and ask them if you could use some space in their kitchen to meet the health code requirement. You need to get this in writing so you have something to show the health inspector. I bet there are a lot of operators out there that have a chest freezer in their garage and never actually use the rented kitchen space.
I am lucky enough to reside in a county without a ridiculously complicated health code. As a matter of fact, the code is especially lenient for hot dog carts and I was able to get my inspector to waive the commissary requirement entirely. Here’s how I did it.
My approach was to demonstrate that I could operate my cart within the existing health code without needing the resources found at the commissary. The code said that hot dog carts which stock only non-hazardous foods do not require an on board sink and hot water setup as long as there is hand washing equipment available. If there is no on-board sink, then there is no waste water tank to empty. So the section of the code which said that I must report at least daily to the commissary to dispose of waste water was redundant.
The storage of bagged single serving chips and canned soda was not a problem. As long as I agreed that all food would be new and fresh each morning, and that I would not hold food over at the end of the day, there would be nothing to store at the commissary. Therefore, the requirement was waived. It helped to have a rational person as my inspector. He told me that as long as you use common sense, it’s very difficult for the public to get sick from hot dogs. That’s why that section of the health code is so lenient. But he could have been a hard ass if he wanted to.
In summary, there’s no reason to let a commissary requirement keep you from making a good living. First, try to have the commissary requirement waived entirely. If that fails, simply try to find an approved, inexpensive commissary. If you can’t find one, or they are outrageously expensive, you can always get a commissary contract with a local business that has approved kitchen facilities.
As you go about your day, look for several local establishments that might be good commissary candidates. Go in and become a regular customer at each one. Get to know the owner or manager. Then if the day comes that you need a commissary contract, you’ll have a few “friends in the business” that can help you out.
Strategy: How to get a commissary for free. Remember, a commissary is nothing more than a health department approved kitchen. It could be in a restaurant. It could be in a church, a bakery, a bar, a school, VFW hall, etc. Anyplace that serves food to the public has a health department inspected kitchen.
All you need is a letter to show the inspector that says the facility agrees to let you use their kitchen. Here’s how to get that letter:
If you approach a local restaurant and just ask to use their kitchen, what’s in it for them? Not much. Even if you offer to pay them rent, the tiny additional income doesn’t make it worth it.
The whole key is to remember everyone’s favorite radio station, wii fm (what’s in it for me?)
What does every business want? MORE CUSTOMERS!!!
What do they have to do to get more customers?
They have to advertise and that’s expensive!
You just have to think about it a little differently – from their perspective. What’s in it for them?
Don’t even talk about rent, talk about how you happen to have advertising space available on your cart and promotional materials…
On the fliers you distribute, on the rear window of your tow vehicle, and on the menus that your customers will post on bulletin boards in their break rooms at work – all over town!
Tell them that thousands of people each month will see it and ask them how much that kind of exposure would cost them in traditional advertising? Thousands.
And you’ll do all this for them FOR FREE in exchange for a commissary agreement.
This strategy works for getting locations too!
If you go to an event out of town how do you handle the commissary agreement. We have a concert called Country Thunder that is 50 miles into the desert. Do you really have to tow this thing back and forth for 3 days. Also, I have been checking into finding spots within the cities around my area, and codes make it pretty tough. I am thinking more of just festivals at this point. Any thoughts? What about guys on craigslist offering work for food vendors for a price. Are they best to stay away from.
Thanks for your time
Herb
Hi Herb,
You should be able to obtain a 14 day temporary food vending permit which waives the commissary requirement. Also be sure to contact the event promoter. He will have more information for you regarding commissaries.
You can make great money doing just festivals but don’t give up too easily on getting a daily location. Expect some push back from the government workers. Most don’t know what the rules are. You may have to get a copy of the local food code and peddling ordinances and educate the folks who issue the permits. Be polite and persistent. You will find a way to make it work.
Stay away from the Craig’s List guys. Ask around at the office of your local church. They usually have members who are looking for part time work. You’ll be a lot happier with them.
Hi Steve,
What if you are using a church as your commissary? Having the church plastered all over my cart will look strange to customers and be confusing making them think it’s a church cart??
Christine
That’s a good point Christine. Your branding comes first. You can give the church a plug in your flyers if they want you to.
Even if you are using a local bakery for example, you still wouldn’t want to “plaster it all over your cart. Your brand comes first.
In my county, they require you to have the commissary name on two sides of your cart in 3″ letters along with the address and phone number in 1″ letters. The numbers must be 3/8″ wide. This has caused me to think about my associations and their usefullness to my business – and causes them to concider associating their name with a hotdog cart as well. In all, if you find the right conssesion it is a great advertising benifit to them for no additional out of pocket costs!
Lou
Indeed Lou! My underlying philosophy is to always present your cart as an asset when partnering with other businesses. Whether you are getting commissary space or securing a location, you have an advertising platform that reaches thousands of potential customers. That is worth a lot more that rent. In fact part of my pitch involves stressing the fact that I’ll waive my usual advertising/promo charge in exchange for the commissary space or location.
Lou, is your county in Alabama, by chance? Mine says the exact same thing! Frustrating at first glance, but I can see the benefit to them for advertizing purposes. Have you secured a commissary yet?
Hi Steve, if i’m thinking about using my church a a commissary, and may want to use up some freezer space from them, how may I negotiate without breaking the bank even before I start selling?
Don’t offer to pay rent, offer to do a few events or fundraisers for them at no charge.
Hi Steve,
I’ve asked my church about using their kitchen for my commissary and they are concerned that they may lose their non-profit tax exempt status. I’m not sure how or why since I will be the one in the hot dog business, not them. Before I go back to them, have you run into this situation before, and if so, what additional information should I take with me. I see several others on this site using their church’s kitchens, so I’m sure it should be workable.
Thanks for all you do,
Ron
Hi Ron,
They won’t lose their tax exempt status if you don’t pay them for the use of the kitchen. Offer to cater youth group functions, do a couple fund raisers each year, stuff like that in exchange for letting you use their facilities.
Thanks, Steve, I’ll give it a try and see what they say.
Ron
Hi Steve,
I’ve got my cart ready to go but I am having a hard time finding a commissary here in Tallahasse Florida. I’ve tried the elks lodge,vfw,bakeries and several restaurants. I either get a no we dont do that or “whats a commissary?” I was just wondering if you or anyone else had any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks
Read the last part of this lesson, “How to get a commissary for free” above. Send pics of your cart, I’d love to see it!
Considering your lack of a wastewater tank for handwash, isn’t the leftover dirty boiled/steamed water wastewater? You don’t need approved wastewater facilities (commissary) to dump that? Derek, did you find anything in Tallahassee yet?
The waste water tank is meant to hold the used water from hand washing and ware washing (utensils, etc.). The cooking water can be poured into a jug at the end of the day and disposed of in a sanitary sewer system. You just can’t dump it on the ground or in a creek somewhere, obviously.
Even though I am approved to operate with just a water jug, soap, catch basin, and paper towels, I still chose to build my cart with a hand washing sink, hot water, and full plumbing.
hi steve, i am just a newbie on this buisness, i ‘m your new member, i was trying to get a commisary to get my hotdog cart application approved, the church said i can get some water and dump the waste water but i cannot use thier kitchen for storage and cutting onions or condiments, pls. advised if this is okay, and give me some tips for starting this business smoothly
Hi Cecilia, welcome! The final say is up to your health inspector. He is the only one who can tell you what he will accept as far as commissaries are concerned. As for starting the business smoothly, read everything in this program and watch all of the “Day at the Cart” videos. Follow the Action Plan at the end of this book. And ask for help whenever you need it.
Here in Michigan my county health inspector wants to insure you have the capability to wash all your pans if need be. So large enough sinks (wash rinse & sanitize) would suffice. Some local cart MFR’s are actually using a design to accomplish this. He was pretty cool when I spoke with him and he did mention he would even consider 3 rubbermaid tubs in your truck with spare water (which you have on the cart already)…. then you can go as a ‘special food transitory unit’..no commissary and all yo have to do is notify the county where you will be serving at with a four day or more notice. I also spoke with a slinger in Ann Arbor and he is using the rubbermaid tubs and got past the health dept. he is now a STFU and he tells them at the beginning of the year (for example) he will be on the corner of X and Y streets on Tues, Wed, Thur for the months of April, May, June, July August and September. Handled all in one shot. He does not have to report private parties or catering events since that is on private land.
Right on Robert! There are always creative ways to comply with the codes as long as you have a good relationship with your inspector. Never be a jerk to them, lol! Great tips, thanks!
Robert,
I’m also from Michigan and opening business in the Livingston County Area this fall. Is there a difference between a STFU and a mobile food vendor?
Understanding the codes has been a struggle.
Also, what were your health department fees? My county has an initial inspection fee of 500 dollars.
Very Respectfully,
Aaron
Always talk to your inspector. Never get information from anyone else. While well meaning, second hand info is almost always incorrect to some degree.
I’m I slow (;. So have a commissary for storage only ? Can still store non hazardedess food at your house?
Hi Aaron,
Technically – no, you can’t store food in your house. Does it happen in the real world? I’m sure it does…
I was under the impression that a commissary was only necessary if you were preparing food other than non-hazardous. Do I have to use a commissary to store my hot dogs and buns? to cut up onions?
Thanks
Food codes vary enormously across the country, even from city to city sometimes. You’ll have to ask your personal inspector. Off the record, many of us have a fridge and freezer at home to store “extras”.