When You're Ready to Grow
Your Next Steps
Your home kitchen was your first factory. When demand exceeds what you can make at home, the Contract Manufacturing Alliance has every resource you need to grow.
The Full Pathway
From Home Kitchen to National Retail
Know When It's Time
Signs You're Ready to Move Up
Cottage food is the perfect starting point — but every successful food business eventually outgrows it. Here's how to know when it's time.
You're Hitting Your Sales Cap
Most states cap cottage food sales between $5,000 and $75,000 per year. If you're approaching or exceeding your state's limit, you're ready to move.
You Can't Keep Up With Demand
Your farmers market sells out in the first hour. Customers want more than you can make. Your home kitchen can't physically produce enough to meet demand.
Your Products Are Hitting Restrictions
You want to expand into products that require commercial production — refrigerated items, larger batch sizes, or categories not covered by your state's cottage food law.
Retailers Are Interested
A local grocery store, gift shop, or specialty retailer has approached you about carrying your products. Most retailers require commercial kitchen production and liability insurance.
You Need Consistent Volume
Online orders, wholesale accounts, and subscription services require consistent production volumes that your home kitchen can't reliably support.
You Want to Make It Your Full Business
Part-time cottage food is great. But if you want to replace your day job, you need the production capacity that only a commercial facility can provide.
commercialkitchens.org
Commercial Kitchens
The most natural next step after cottage food. Shared-use commercial kitchens give you access to commercial equipment, a health department-approved facility, and flexible rental terms — without the overhead of your own space.
Find a Commercial Kitchen Near You →What You Get
foodinnovationcenters.org
Food Innovation Centers
If you need more than a kitchen — if you need food science help, nutritional analysis, shelf-life testing, or formulation expertise — food innovation centers are the resource. Often affiliated with universities, these facilities support serious product development.
Find a Food Innovation Center →What You Get
co-packing.org
Co-Packing (Contract Manufacturing)
When you're ready to manufacture at real commercial scale, a co-packer produces your product in their facility using their equipment and their team — while you own the brand and formula. This is the core of the Contract Manufacturing Alliance.
Find a Co-Packer →What You Get
pilotplants.org
Pilot Plants
Pilot plants bridge the gap between home kitchen production and full co-packing. These facilities let you run small commercial-scale batches to validate your formula and process before committing to a co-packer's minimum production runs.
Find a Pilot Plant →What You Get
When You're Ready
Your Growth Path
Every successful food business outgrows its starting point. These are the natural next steps when your cottage food operation is ready to level up.
Ready for a Real Kitchen?
When you outgrow your home kitchen, find a licensed commercial kitchen space.
Need Formulation Help?
Food innovation centers offer product development, shelf-life testing, and nutrition labeling.
Ready to Scale?
Contract manufacturers can produce your product at commercial volume.
You're Not Alone in This
Every food brand that's on grocery shelves today started somewhere. Many started exactly where you are now — in a home kitchen, selling at a farmers market, figuring it out one batch at a time.
The Contract Manufacturing Alliance was built to support your growth at every stage. When you're ready to take the next step, we're here.