LB Fresh's Coalition Led A Home Kitchen Ordinance to Victory

On April 21, the Long Beach City Council voted 5–3 to pass the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Ordinance, setting the table for a permit program expected to launch in Summer 2026. The vote follows a seven-year grassroots effort led by Long Beach Fresh, along with a nearly two-year City process that included a feasibility study, stakeholder meetings, and multiple presentations and hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council. The anticipated program aligns with well-established state guidelines, including a limit of 90 meals per week, plan check and health inspection requirements, and a food manager’s certificate for operators. Advocates organized through Long Beach Fresh's Home Cook Coalition, with support from COOK Alliance and key partnership with community organizations like ORALE, aiming to keep the program  accessible and affordable for potential micro-enterprise home kitchen operators. 

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Our Coalition Work

Through coalition work spearheaded by Co-Director Tony Damico, Long Beach Fresh brought together 90 stakeholders including aspiring home cooks, community advocates, commercial kitchens like Feel Good Enterprises and Partake Collective, established food businesses such as Battambong BBQ, Gusto Bread, and Axiom Kitchen, and organizations like Long Beach Forward, ORALE, the Vendor Justice Committee, Public Counsel, Harbor Area Farmers Markets, and the Downtown Long Beach Alliance. We held monthly coalition meetings, organized meetings with city decision makers, coordinated on communication strategies, and helped to ensure that everyone from the grassroots to the grass-tops were well informed along the way. 

So, why the contested vote?

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With such a lengthy and thorough process, why was this item controversial? Opponents, including Councilmember Joni Ricks-Oddie—an initial co-author of the item—pushed for additional requirements related to property owner and HOA notification or approval. Meanwhile, LB Fresh’s Home Cooks Coalition maintained that clear guidance in supporting materials, along with a self-attestation that an applicant has the “permission or right” to operate a home enterprise, would be sufficient. LB Fresh co-director Tony Damico was quoted in a local periodical, focusing on this option, which ultimately was adopted. Our coalition argued that additional restrictions would undermine the spirit of equity that drives microenterprise policy, and risk a "chilling effect" on the program. 

The City revised its proposal twice, with key leadership from Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk and Mayor Rex Richardson, removing stricter provisions from the ordinance so that landlord concerns could be addressed separately. This approach allows the program to be amended in the future based on how it performs, while also enabling council members to support the ordinance even if they had reservations about specific implementation details. 


Throughout the process, the coalition emphasized key findings from the COOK Alliance report on MEHKO success across the state, including the near absence of issues such as evictions and legal disputes—concerns raised by City staff and opponents. MEHKOs are typically modest operations that integrate into their neighborhoods, offering culturally relevant, healthy, and sustainable food options. They also provide a lower-risk pathway for entrepreneurs to test a food business concept before committing to a commercial kitchen or brick-and-mortar location. Still, three council members voted in opposition, citing concerns over landlord provisions. They were joined by the Apartment Association of Southern California Cities and the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. Acknowledging concerns that best practices are followed, Long Beach Fresh remains committed to offering strong guidance to prospective MEHKO operators to help them avoid common pitfalls, including navigating landlord communication barriers that are prevalent in Long Beach.

Toward a Launch Date!

With the food fight behind us, we are excited for the next steps.
Our coalition is now advocating for the City to identify funding mechanisms to support the program. The Health Department is expected to present a permit fee proposal to the City Council on May 19, and we are hopeful that fees will remain modest. We are also planning a collaborative “one-stop shop” for prospective applicants, in partnership with LBDHHS and the COOK Alliance, to take place on the program’s launch day, expected sometime in June. We will update this article as soon as more details are confirmed. In the meantime, sign up for updates at tinyurl.com/homecookco, find resources for getting started at cookalliance.org and tinyurl.com/homecooklinks, and track the City of Long Beach MEHKO Page. 

More local coverage can be found in The Beachcomber, Press Telegram, and Long Beach Post.