LA MEHKO Week runs Nov. 9 to 15, 2026, and puts home-based restaurants across Los Angeles County on a searchable online map. Each participating business offers a special menu or promotion, and a kickoff event is planned for Saturday, Nov. 7.
MEHKO stands for Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation. It is a county permit that lets residents cook and sell food from a home kitchen. COOK Alliance, a nonprofit that supports home food entrepreneurs, organizes the week.
How LA MEHKO Week works
The sign-up form says participation is free. Businesses are expected to operate for two days during the week, though the dates can change. Applicants must confirm that their MEHKO permit will be active in November or renewed in time, and they give their permit number.
The form does not state an application deadline, and the kickoff location and time are still to come. The week will be promoted on Instagram through the accounts @cookconnect_mehkos and @mehkoweek. So if you want to eat at one, watch those accounts and the map for updated listings.
What a MEHKO can and cannot do
According to the county MEHKO page, a permit holder can serve food on site, deliver it directly or sell from an approved cart. The limits are fairly tight:
- Up to 30 meals per day and 90 meals per week.
- Annual sales of no more than $100,000.
- One full-time employee, or several whose combined hours stay at 40 per week, not counting family or household members.
MEHKOs cannot sell to stores or wholesalers, and they cannot sell at farmers markets. The program covers all of the county except Pasadena, Long Beach and Vernon, which run their own health departments.
Fees and how to apply
The county lists a one-time application review fee of $597 and an annual permit fee of $347. The page also lists a one-time subsidy of the $597 fee for up to 1,000 permittees, but only through June 30, 2026. That date has passed, so check with the county before you count on it.
Applicants submit paperwork to the Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Division. It includes a standard operating procedures form, the operator’s Food Manager Certificate and food handler cards for helpers. Operators who use well water also need water test results. The county adds that MEHKOs face annual inspections and complaint-based investigations. Residents can report concerns to the department’s call center at (888) 700-9995.
This is general information, not legal advice. For more business coverage, visit our money and business hub, or read about new restaurants at LAX Terminal 1.