Starting out
How to Start a Home Bakery in Jacksonville, FL
A step-by-step plan for starting a home bakery in Jacksonville: cottage food rules, pricing, your first sales channels, and knowing when to move into a licensed kitchen.
10 min read
Resources
Guides for Florida food businesses
The questions we get asked most, written down properly: licensing, labeling, insurance, markets, and money. Free to read whether or not you ever book an hour at First Coast Commissary.
8 guides
Starting out
Starting out
How to Start a Cold Brew or Cold-Pressed Juice Brand
From first batch to first wholesale account: recipe and yield, shelf life, HACCP, packaging, cold chain, and the economics of a bottled beverage brand.
11 min read
Licensing & compliance
Licensing & compliance
Food Product Labeling Requirements: What Has to Be on Your Package
The five things every packaged food label needs, how allergen declarations work, when Nutrition Facts are required, and the claims that get small brands in trouble.
9 min read
Licensing & compliance
How to Get a Food License in Florida: FDACS vs. DBPR, and Which One You Need
Florida splits food regulation between FDACS and DBPR. Here's which agency covers bakeries, juice, ice cream, and coffee businesses, and how to get permitted.
10 min read
Licensing & compliance
Florida Cottage Food Law: What You Can Sell From Home (and When You Can't)
A plain-English guide to Florida's cottage food law: which products qualify, the annual sales cap, where you're allowed to sell, and the point where you need a licensed kitchen.
9 min read
Selling & growth
Selling & growth
Selling at Jacksonville-Area Farmers Markets: A Vendor's Guide
How to get a booth at Jacksonville-area farmers markets: which markets fit which products, what applications ask for, what to pack, and how to price for market day.
11 min read
Money & operations
Money & operations
Liability Insurance for Small Food Businesses: What You Need and Why
General liability, product liability, additional insured endorsements, and certificates of insurance: what markets and shared kitchens require from small food brands.
8 min read
Money & operations
Commercial Kitchen Rental vs. Building Your Own: The Real Numbers
What it actually costs to build out a commercial kitchen versus renting hours in a shared one: build-out, lease, utilities, permits, and the break-even point.
10 min read
General information only. Nothing on this site or in our guides is legal, tax, insurance, or regulatory advice. Rules change and vary by county. Confirm requirements with FDACS, DBPR, your local health department, and a licensed professional before you rely on them.
Ready to produce in a licensed kitchen?
Most of these guides end in the same place: at some point you need permitted space. That's what we rent, by the hour.