How to Register a Catering Business on Amazon

Introduction

Amazon’s Kitchen Marketplace program allows you to sell food products on Amazon.com’s website and mobile app. You can also use it to register your business as a caterer with the company.

If your business is already registered with Amazon, you can purchase a catering kit from the company and begin selling your dishes right away through its Marketplace program.

Sign up for Amazon’s Kitchen Marketplace

Amazon offers a program called Kitchen Marketplace, which allows you to sell homemade food products such as jams and sauces on Amazon. You can register with Kitchen Marketplace through the Seller Central website, or simply by signing up for the service within your Amazon account.

The service is available in more than 20 U.S. cities including Seattle (where Amazon is headquartered), Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. Amazon has a list of criteria to determine whether you’re eligible to sell food items through Kitchen Marketplace. You must have a valid business license if selling in one of the U.S. cities where Amazon offers this service, and you also need to complete a Food Safety Training course before selling any food items on Amazon.

Register on the Kitchen Marketplace Website

Register your business on the Kitchen Marketplace website. To do this, you’ll need to create a seller account and fill out the necessary information about yourself and your business. Once you’ve created an account, click “Get Started” under “My Account” in order to begin filling out your profile.

Amazon will ask for information about your company’s legal structure (LLC vs corporation), e-commerce experience, and accreditation status in addition to other details. You can also choose from one of four categories for selling food: Restaurant Supplier, Caterer Supplier, Grocery Store Supplier, or Pantry Food Supplier. Once everything is filled out and reviewed by Amazon staff members (this can take up to two weeks), you’ll officially be registered as a seller in their Catering category.

Certify Food Handlers

In order to operate a catering business, you’ll need to have food handlers that are certified by the State. This is required by law, and it’s free to get certified. To become a certified food handler in Washington State, visit the Washington Good Food Safety Practices resource page and click on “Get Certified.” The certification lasts for one year after which you will need to renew your certification by taking an online exam.

Health Inspection of your Kitchen

You will need to get a commercial kitchen inspection from your local health department. This is a requirement of the health department, not Amazon. You cannot sell food on Amazon without getting this inspection done first. To find out what’s required for your specific business and location, contact your local health department or look in the phone book under “Government Offices”.

Create a Menu

You’ll need to create a menu for your business, and submit it to Amazon for approval. Your menu should include at least 10 dishes, each of which needs to be categorized by course (entrée, side dish, dessert). You won’t be able to add new dishes to your menu once it’s been approved—you can only modify existing entries. To avoid confusion with customers who might order a meal that doesn’t exist on the site yet, we recommend keeping the number of courses small: one appetizer (for example), one entree (like steak), one side dish (such as rice), and one dessert (like ice cream).

Background Check Conducted by Amazon

When you’re ready to sell on Amazon Prime Now, you’ll need to complete a background check. It is required by law and it must be conducted by an approved third party.

You can use SafetyNet, which is a company that Amazon hires and authorizes to conduct these checks. SafetyNet will complete the necessary screening for your business, including checking your name against the U.S. National Registry and other databases to ensure that you do not have any criminal convictions or civil judgments against you in your state of residence.

Keep your Receipts

Keep your receipts as proof of valid local permits, licenses, and insurance coverage. If you are applying for a sales tax exemption, keep copies of your business license or certificate of incorporation and the sales tax certificate from the state where you’re registered with each municipality.

Receive Certification

You don’t have to sell on Amazon to register and receive certification as a caterer with Amazon’s Kitchen Marketplace program. You can register as a caterer without selling your food on Amazon.

  • Submit your menu to Amazon for approval. To become an approved business, you must send us your menu in either PDF or JPG format. We will review it within two business days and let you know if the menu is approved or not; if not, we’ll tell you why and provide tips on how to make it more compliant with our requirements
  • Have a commercial kitchen inspection performed by an inspector prior to opening for business as required by state law

Conclusion

Once you’ve completed the application process and received Amazon certification, you can start selling your dishes on the site. Keep in mind that even if your business isn’t on Amazon, there are other ways to get certified as a caterer with Kitchen Marketplace. Even though these steps may seem like a lot of work at first glance, remember that every step will help your business grow by building trust between potential customers and yourself!

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