Hey y’all, Ben here! Is cottage food a real goldmine? Well…

Not everyone can afford a hot dog cart right away — and that’s okay.

Starting from Your Kitchen

You can still make money right from your kitchen if your state allows it.

We talked about this in the Q&A when a vendor said he didn’t have a lot of money for startup.

I told him, “Go to streetfoodpro.com/broke — I’ll show you how to start without a hot dog cart.”

That includes legal ways to start a cottage food business from home — no license required in many states.

What Cottage Food Means

“Cottage food” just means homemade foods you can sell directly to customers without going through a commercial kitchen.

The list varies by state, but it often includes baked goods, candies, jams, and sometimes drinks like lemonade.

I told folks in the session, “We’ve had vendors do cottage food right from their house. One lady sold cupcakes her first weekend and made enough to buy a cart!”

That’s the power of starting small and smart.

How to Start a Cottage Food Business Legally

Here’s the easy path to get rolling:

1. Look up your state’s cottage food law. Some states are wide open, others have lists of approved foods.
2. Register if needed. A few require a short form or small fee.
3. Sell direct. Most states require face-to-face sales — farmers’ markets, roadside stands, or social media pickups.
4. Label your products. Include your name, address, and a “Made in a Home Kitchen” disclaimer.
5. Keep it simple. Cookies, cupcakes, breads, lemonade, fudge — easy to make, easy to sell.

Ben’s rule: “Don’t overcomplicate it. Start with what’s legal, make money, and reinvest.”

Helpful: Starting With Cottage Food

Helpful: How We Did Popcorn under the Cottage Food Laws

States That Let You Start Fast

In the Q&A, we mentioned examples like Texas and Tennessee, where you can sell almost anything from home under cottage food.

Tennessee even allows nearly all food types now — a huge opportunity for small vendors.

And here’s a fun one: some states let you sell lemonade or produce made in-state with zero permits.

Helpful: Lemonade Stand Business Profits (Even If You’re Broke)

I told folks, “You can start a lemonade business in North Carolina that makes over $200K a year — no permit, no license, nothing.”

That’s not a loophole.
That’s just knowing your laws.

Growing from Cottage to Cart

Once you start making steady money, you can step up to mobile vending.

Reinvest your profits into a cart or trailer and expand what you can serve.

That’s what so many successful vendors have done — they started at home, built confidence, and grew into full-time street food pros.

Like I said, “Six months is gonna pass either way. You might as well be six months ahead.”

Helpful: How We Did Popcorn under the Cottage Food Laws

Final Thoughts

Don’t wait for perfect.

Don’t wait for permission.

Start with what’s legal in your kitchen, make some sales, learn the ropes, and build from there.

Helpful: Freeze Drying Business From Home?

The best time to plant a business is today.

The second-best time was yesterday.

Get cooking, get compliant, and go make that money.