County Offers Food Industry Workshops To Help Start A Sweet Career

The new Florida Cottage Food Act became effective on July 1. The new state law gives budding chefs the freedom to start a business in their own kitchen without having to obtain expensive special licensing.

If you have always dreamed of taking your coveted chocolate cake recipe to the masses, listen up.

Hillsborough County’s Small Business Information Center (SBIC) is offering two free industry workshops this month for at-home bakers.  

The workshops will provide information on proper licensing and permitting for mobile food units, caterers, restaurants, personal chefs and commercial kitchens.

The county's SBIC is offering the two-part Food Industry Series workshop at the Small Business Information Center, 7402 N. 56th St., Bldg. 400, Ste. 425 in Tampa:

• Food Industry Series Part I,   Monday, August 22, 10 a.m. – Noon.
• Food Industry Series Park II, Monday, August 29, 10 a.m. – Noon.

The sessions will provide the basic requirements for starting a catering business, or a mobile food dispensing cart (e.g. hot dog cart), as well as how to market that food industry business.

For a calendar, details and locations of this workshop series, as well as additional Small Business Information Center workshops, log onto www.hillsboroughcounty.org/sbic and click on Calendar of Events on the left side.  To register, log onto the website or call the County’s SBIC at (813) 914-4028.