Commissary requirements vary by county, city, and state. A mobile food unit, catering operation, temporary food vendor, or other food business may need to use an approved commissary for storage, preparation, cleaning, water, wastewater disposal, or other support services. Review the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s retail food protection resources, then confirm the exact rules with the local health department, zoning office, fire department, and business licensing office. The U.S. Small Business Administration can also help with general business planning and local permitting research.
A commissary is an approved commercial facility that supports a food business. It may be a restaurant kitchen, shared-use kitchen, warehouse, food processing facility, or another location accepted by the local regulatory authority. Some businesses use a commissary every day. Others use one only for specific activities, such as filling potable water tanks, washing equipment, preparing food, storing ingredients, or disposing of wastewater.
Many counties require a commissary, especially for mobile food units. However, the requirement is not universal, and the meaning of “commissary” can differ between jurisdictions. A facility that satisfies one county may not satisfy another. Before signing a lease or buying equipment, obtain the local requirements in writing and ask which activities must occur at the commissary.
What is a commissary for a food business?
A commissary is a permitted location where a food business performs activities that cannot safely or legally be completed at the sales site or inside a mobile unit. Depending on the operation, the commissary may provide:
- Commercial food preparation space
- Refrigerated, frozen, dry, or secured storage
- Potable water access
- Wastewater disposal
- Dishwashing and equipment cleaning
- Garbage and grease management
- Restroom access for workers
- Receiving and delivery space
- Overnight parking or equipment storage
The commissary should match the actual needs of the menu and equipment. A simple cart selling prepackaged items may need fewer services than a truck cooking raw meat, handling dairy products, and washing utensils. Local regulators typically evaluate the full operation rather than the business name alone.
Do all mobile food businesses need a commissary?
No. Many counties require one, while others allow an exemption or approve a mobile unit that is fully self-contained. The answer usually depends on the menu, food preparation methods, equipment, water and wastewater capacity, storage needs, and local rules.
Even when a business does not need a formal commissary, it may still need an approved source for water, food storage, cleaning, or waste disposal. A home kitchen is not automatically an acceptable substitute. Residential kitchens may be restricted by health regulations, zoning rules, or the type of food being prepared.
Ask the local health department these direct questions:
- Is a commissary required for this specific menu and vehicle?
- Does the business qualify for an exemption?
- What services must the commissary provide?
- Must the commissary be located within a certain area?
- Is a written commissary agreement required?
Which businesses commonly use commissaries?
Commissaries are commonly associated with food trucks, food trailers, carts, mobile beverage units, and catering businesses. They may also be used by farmers market vendors, concession operators, meal preparation companies, and businesses that need temporary commercial kitchen space.
A commissary may be particularly important when a business:
- Prepares food before arriving at the sales location
- Handles raw animal products
- Needs commercial refrigeration or freezer storage
- Uses reusable utensils, pans, or containers
- Generates wastewater or grease
- Cannot carry enough potable water for its operating schedule
- Needs a secure location for ingredients and equipment
The operator should describe every food activity during the application process. Leaving out preparation, storage, or cleaning steps can create problems during plan review or inspection.
What services must a commissary provide?
There is no single list that applies everywhere. The required services depend on the local authority and the operation’s risk level. A commissary may need to provide some or all of the following:
Food preparation
The kitchen may need suitable work surfaces, sinks, refrigeration, cooking equipment, ventilation, and storage. The facility should be large enough to prevent cross-contamination and allow the business to work without interfering with other users.
Water and wastewater
The commissary may provide potable water for tanks and containers. It may also need an approved method for receiving wastewater. Wastewater should not be emptied onto streets, parking areas, landscaping, storm drains, or other unauthorized locations.
Cleaning and sanitizing
Reusable utensils and equipment may need to be washed, rinsed, and sanitized at an approved sink or warewashing area. Ask whether the facility has the required sink configuration and whether the available capacity is sufficient for the planned operation.
Storage
Storage may include dry shelving, refrigeration, freezer space, and locked areas for supplies. Ask how storage is assigned, labeled, monitored, and protected from contamination. Shared facilities often have rules for separating one operator’s ingredients from another’s.
How do you find an approved commissary?
Start with the local health department. Ask whether it maintains a list of approved shared kitchens, commissaries, or food facilities. You can also search for commercial kitchens and then ask the regulator whether a particular location is eligible for your operation.
Potential sources include:
- Shared-use commercial kitchens
- Restaurants that rent kitchen space during off-hours
- Food halls or culinary incubators
- Existing catering kitchens
- Wholesale or processing facilities
- Community facilities with approved commercial kitchens
Do not rely only on an advertisement saying “licensed kitchen.” The facility may have a permit for a different use, menu, or capacity. Approval for baking, for example, may not cover raw meat preparation, cooling, hot holding, or mobile food support.
What should you inspect before signing a commissary agreement?
Visit the facility during the hours when you expect to use it. A kitchen that appears adequate when empty may be difficult to use during busy periods. Observe cleanliness, organization, refrigeration space, sink access, storage, loading areas, and waste handling.
Ask the owner or manager:
- What permit or approval does the facility hold?
- Which services are included in the rental?
- Are water filling and wastewater disposal available?
- Is overnight parking permitted?
- How are refrigeration and freezer spaces assigned?
- Who supplies cleaning chemicals and paper products?
- How are equipment repairs and pest control handled?
- Are there limits on operating hours or food types?
- Can the facility provide documentation to the health department?
Take photographs for your records if the facility permits it. Keep copies of the permit, floor plan, service list, insurance requirements, and any written instructions.
What should a commissary agreement include?
A written agreement helps show the regulator that the arrangement is real and identifies the responsibilities of each party. Local agencies may provide their own form, or they may require specific language.
A strong agreement generally identifies:
- The legal names and contact information of both parties
- The facility address
- The term of the agreement
- The days and hours when the operator may use the facility
- The services and equipment included
- Storage areas assigned to the operator
- Water filling and wastewater disposal procedures
- Cleaning, security, and access rules
- Payment terms and additional-use charges
- Notice requirements for cancellation or changes
Have the local health department review the agreement before relying on it for a permit application. A contract can be valid between two businesses and still fail to document a service required by the regulator.
How much does commissary use cost?
Commissary costs vary widely by location, facility type, services, storage needs, and hours of use. Common pricing structures include hourly kitchen rental, monthly membership, storage charges, service fees, or a combination of these methods. Some facilities also charge for cleaning, special equipment, after-hours access, or additional users.
Rather than relying on a generic price estimate, request a written quote that separates the costs. Compare the total cost of the arrangement with the services required by the health department. A lower rental rate may not be economical if it excludes refrigeration, water, wastewater disposal, storage, or required cleaning access.
Budget for possible additional expenses, including:
- Security deposits
- Insurance coverage
- Equipment rental
- Storage containers and labels
- Cleaning supplies
- Transportation between the commissary and sales sites
- Repairs or replacement of shared equipment
Confirm all charges directly with the facility. Local permit fees and business costs should also be verified with the appropriate government office because they change by jurisdiction and business type.
Can a restaurant serve as a commissary?
Sometimes. A restaurant may have suitable equipment and an existing food permit, but that does not automatically make it an approved commissary for another business. The restaurant may need permission from the local authority, and its permit or operating conditions may limit outside use.
The restaurant should have enough capacity for both its own operations and the mobile or catering business. Shared use should not create overcrowding, unsafe food storage, blocked exits, inadequate refrigeration, or insufficient warewashing capacity.
Ask the regulator whether the restaurant must amend its permit, identify the additional operator, or provide a formal agreement. Also confirm whether the restaurant’s insurance, zoning approval, and landlord agreement allow kitchen rental.
Can food be prepared at home instead?
Do not assume that home preparation is allowed. Some jurisdictions permit limited categories of low-risk foods under special rules, while others prohibit home preparation for the proposed menu. Foods requiring temperature control, extensive cooking, cooling, reheating, meat handling, or commercial storage may require an approved commercial facility.
Ask specifically about home-based food rules, cottage food rules, and residential zoning. A home-based authorization, where available, may not cover mobile vending or wholesale distribution. It may also restrict the foods, sales channels, labeling, equipment, or storage methods allowed.
Keep business and personal food supplies separate unless the local authority expressly approves the arrangement. Document where ingredients are purchased, stored, prepared, transported, and sold.
What records should a food operator keep?
Good records help demonstrate control over the operation and make inspections easier. Keep a current file containing:
- The commissary agreement
- Facility permit or approval documents
- Business licenses and food permits
- Menu and food process descriptions
- Inspection reports and correction notices
- Cleaning and maintenance logs
- Temperature records when applicable
- Water filling and wastewater procedures
- Employee training records
- Insurance certificates and contact information
Keep the documents accessible during operations. If the business changes its menu, vehicle, equipment, facility, ownership, or operating area, ask whether a new application or plan review is required.
What inspections involve the commissary?
The local authority may inspect the commissary, the mobile unit, or both. Inspectors may compare the approved plans with actual practices. They may evaluate food storage, temperature control, handwashing, warewashing, water supply, wastewater handling, equipment condition, pest control, employee practices, and general sanitation.
The operator should be able to explain the complete daily routine. For example, be prepared to describe where the vehicle is filled with water, where food is loaded, where waste is removed, where utensils are cleaned, and where the unit is stored after service.
Respond promptly to inspection findings. If the facility cannot correct a problem, contact the health department before changing procedures or moving operations to another location.
What mistakes should new operators avoid?
Several mistakes can delay approval or create avoidable operating problems:
- Signing a kitchen lease before confirming regulatory approval
- Choosing a facility based only on price or location
- Assuming a restaurant permit covers a separate business
- Underestimating refrigeration, storage, or cleaning needs
- Failing to plan for wastewater disposal
- Using a private residence without written approval
- Preparing foods that were not included in the application
- Allowing ingredients or equipment to remain in unauthorized locations
- Ignoring limits on kitchen hours or shared equipment
- Failing to update the regulator after changing facilities
These issues are usually easier to prevent than to correct after opening. Build the commissary decision into the business plan, menu design, equipment selection, and permit timeline.
How can you confirm the requirements locally?
Contact the local health department before committing money to a facility or vehicle. Explain the business in practical terms, including the menu, preparation steps, food sources, service locations, equipment, storage, water capacity, wastewater capacity, and expected operating schedule.
Ask for the applicable application packet, plan review instructions, inspection standards, commissary agreement requirements, and exemption process. Confirm whether other agencies are involved, including zoning, fire prevention, environmental services, transportation, or business licensing offices.
Request written confirmation of important answers. Requirements can differ even between neighboring counties, and staff may need to review the proposed operation before giving a final determination. Reconfirm locally before opening, renewing permits, changing the menu, adding a vehicle, or moving to a different commissary.
What is the practical approval checklist?
Use this checklist as a starting point, not as a substitute for local instructions:
- Write a complete menu and food preparation description.
- Identify every location where food will be received, stored, prepared, transported, sold, and discarded.
- Ask the local health department whether a commissary is required.
- List the required services, such as water, wastewater, storage, cleaning, and preparation space.
- Compare potential facilities and inspect each one in person.
- Confirm that the facility is approved for the proposed activities.
- Obtain a written agreement covering access and required services.
- Submit the agreement and other documents with the permit application if requested.
- Complete plan review, inspections, and any required training.
- Keep records and confirm locally before making operational changes.
A suitable commissary supports safe food handling, reliable operations, and a smoother permit process. Because requirements are local, the safest approach is to verify the arrangement before signing a lease, purchasing equipment, or advertising an opening date.