Speaker 1: (00:00)
Micro enterprise home kitchen operations or Migos could soon become legal in San Diego county. The county board of supervisors unanimously voted last week to begin legalizing these home kitchens, which until now have been operating in something of a gray zone since being introduced a few years ago, leaving local entrepreneurs like Rosalyn Johnson who opened Claire's kitchen after she was laid off from her job confused.
Speaker 2: (00:25)
It was okay for you to do it. I thought I got my business license. I got my food certification. Got my cell's permit. I thought that I was ready to go and to find out I wasn't
Speaker 1: (00:38)
KBB S speaks city Heights, reporter Jacob air has been falling the story and the people behind the county's Migos. And he joins me now for more. Hey Jacob.
Speaker 3: (00:46)
Hey Christina. Thanks for having me on first
Speaker 1: (00:48)
And foremost, what exactly is a micro enterprise home kitchen? What does it generally look like and what restrictions does it have in terms of what types of food it can serve and how many people it can serve?
Speaker 3: (01:00)
So in general, a micro and to prize home kitchen, new type of food facility that can operate out of a private home, uh, cooks are gonna prepare, cook and serve food to consumers all on the same day. And that can be through delivery takeout or dine in the home. And then in terms of foods that they can serve, it's really, as long as within health and safety standards, you can try what want,
Speaker 1: (01:23)
So this is a little bit of an expansion of that cottage food operation, right? Which was only allowing for certain baked goods. Is, is that right? Well,
Speaker 3: (01:30)
I would say this is different in the fact that with the Migos, which they're commonly referred to this, isn't just a limitation of baked goods. You can be fully cooking, uh, whether it's a gumbo like raw Osland was doing, or whether it's, uh, international food, like Delilah who the other woman I spoke to was cooking. I know
Speaker 1: (01:51)
You spoke with several people who run Migos. We heard from Rosalyn at the top. And as you just mentioned, you spoke to Delilah Davis of paradise Hills. Here's what she had to tell you.
Speaker 4: (01:58)
This is like the perfect opportunity for me to be able to go into business, generate cash flow in order to establish a business.
Speaker 1: (02:08)
What do we know of the people that are more likely to start Nicos and why is this a good business option for them?
Speaker 3: (02:15)
Uh, so for people who are looking to start ACO, this is a good business option because first of all, oftentimes these are people who are at a disadvantage, the selves, or live in disadvantaged communities. This creates another PLA path to supplementing family income. In the case of Delilah, she's a disabled veteran and for her cooking for others was her primary way of now earning an income to support her family. So what are
Speaker 1: (02:38)
Supporters of Miko saying are the advantages of legalizing them? What are the greater social impacts of these types of, of industries
Speaker 3: (02:45)
In general? There's actually quite a few in terms of what supporters say are benefits of these Migos. Um, there's economic opportunities for small scale, home cooking operations, and what Delilah said herself, and what supporters across the board generally say is this primarily helps women immigrants and people of color. Another thing that Migos do is enable family members to provide in-home care, whether they're taking care of someone who's disabled, uh, or an older relative, and that way they can still earn the income. Other things that supporters say this can help with is to alleviate some of the stress caused by the COVID 19 pandemic and supply a different means for family income and a couple other things, um, would just be to help food service operations, perhaps in remote locations or letting even local entrepreneurs in restaurant tours, try different things on a small scale menu, but before they take it to a brick and mortar or a, uh, a cart operation
Speaker 1: (03:44)
Nearby Riverside county already legalized these types of kitchens two years ago, what lessons can San Diego county learn from their rollout?
Speaker 3: (03:53)
So yesterday I didn't a voice I didn't include was Karen Melvin. She's in charge of the San Diego micro enterprise, a home kitchen coalition. And she said since Riverside county allowed the Migos back two years ago, there have been zero food safety complaints and only two nuisance complaints. So I think in terms of the health and safety, um, it's just keeping up what Riverside's doing. One thing that was brought up by Roland was that perhaps traffic backup at these new spots where these Migos will be held in garbage disposal, those may become an issues in her mind. Um, as we're explaining how to legally set up the operations to many of the people who want to get involved. So maybe that's where the county or other, uh, government entities need to step in and, and create pilot programs or, or programs to help teach people how to get started.
Speaker 1: (04:39)
Are there any people who are opposed to Nicos and really, do you anticipate there being any challenges in enforcing health and safety standards in these home kitchens?
Speaker 3: (04:48)
There are people opposed, um, most who are say that they have less enforced health standards or that they could harm brick and mortar restaurant operations, or perhaps, uh, like carts or car restaurant operations. So far, the data has not shown that's true in terms of health and safety or harming other restaurants, Migos, at least from the data so far are just adding another option in a, in a health, in a healthy and safe way for people to locally support their community.
Speaker 1: (05:21)
As I, the board of supervisors voted just last week, making the way for legal Migos. So what's next. And when can we expect to see more of them?
Speaker 3: (05:31)
So the second ordinance reading to allow these micro enterprise home kitchens, uh, in the county will come during the board's land use meeting on January 26th. So just in about a week now, a if the board then votes in favor, Miko will be allowed to operate within 30 days. So we're looking at the end of, uh, February for that. And then the trial program will last at least two years across the region. After that point, it will be decided what happens.
Speaker 1: (05:55)
I've been speaking with KBB S speak city Heights, reporter Jacob air. Thank you so much, Jacob. Thank you.
