Thursday, July 25, 2013

Site helps people turn homes into illegal restaurants

From DNA Info:

EatWith, the popular website that allows amateur and professional chefs to invite strangers into their homes for dinner parties and cooking lessons, is set to arrive in New York at the beginning of August.

Launched last year in Israel and popular among travelers in Europe, EatWith is sort of an Airbnb for dinner parties. Foodies can post a meal, date, time and price on the site, and interested guests can sign up, pay the fee and chow down. Along with meals, the site also lets hosts offer classes on how to make — and eat — specialty food like challah.

But the site's business model may not be legal within the five boroughs, according to the Department of Health. A spokeswoman with the Health Department said people who offer meals to the public for money are considered food-service establishments — and need all the proper permits and inspections.

"The city does not allow meals to be served to members of the public in someone’s home," the agency said in a statement.

"However, caterers with valid Health Department permits are allowed to bring meals to someone’s home from their permitted establishments."

10 comments:

Joe said...

This craps going on in Great Neck
Its legal, they pay for cooking lesson up front. No money exchanges hands for the the food & drink. People can also bring there own food and drink.
Israeli's & Jewish usually run these "kosher cooking meetings" so dont hold your breath for code enforcement.

Anonymous said...

Will this "income" be reported to the IRS?

Anonymous said...

Find out who underwrites their homeowner's insurance and inform the company.

That kind of COMMERCIAL home business IS NOT covered.

If their house burns down they get nadda!

If you can't find out which insurance company covers the home...let the bank, who holds their mortgage, know about it.

They might pull it, since it imperils the bank's investment.

Anonymous said...

Good idea...
and you can look up the bank who holds the mortgage online.

Anonymous said...

Dinner parties?
LOL!

My wife just informed me of a new craze among the younger ladies working at her office...pedicure parties! Being older and more sensible, she declined an invite to one.

You sit back at a salon (or it could be done at home) and sip a cocktail while your toes are being massaged.

Wasn't that kind of stuff once called "foreplay"?

Give me an old time Roman feast, but forget about the "baths'.

Anonymous said...

So basically, it's illegal to invite a stranger to your home for dinner and charge that person? Big government at it again.

Anonymous said...

These foodies make me sick.

My guess is most of them came from communities were Berger King and Macdonalds was standard fare - now they are in the big city - with no prospects of making real money or career advancement, are focusing their energies on bullshit.

Anonymous said...

Yes it is illegal to run a restaurant in your home in a residential nabe.

It's got nothing to do with big government, you big asshole!

It's a zoning issue fella! Put down your beer you Archie Bunker and get yourself an education.

Anonymous said...

wait until there's an outbreak of gastro intenstinal variety. They you'll really hear about it in the news. The sh*t will really hit the fan then!

Anonymous said...

A lot of sour grapes @ this table