The ordinance establishes Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations, or MEHKO, a state-authorized program that lets residents prepare food at home and sell it on-site or from a cart, wagon or stand. The vote was 11-0 and took less than two minutes, with no discussion. It follows a positive recommendation from the board's budget and finance committee last week.

Applicants will pay an $828 permit fee and undergo an inspection by the San Francisco Department of Public Health. They must renew the permit annually, provide details on ingredients and food storage, explain how utensils and equipment will be kept clean, and pass a food safety manager certification exam.

"This legislation will help break down barriers for aspiring food entrepreneurs, expand economic opportunities for immigrant-owned businesses and street vendors, and preserve the diverse culinary traditions that make San Francisco so special," said District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who introduced the measure in September.

The program originated in 2018 through state legislation that allowed municipalities to permit home-based restaurants or satellite kitchens that meet food safety standards. Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Alameda, San Mateo and Contra Costa counties, along with the city of Berkeley, have already adopted it.

Tuesday's vote comes after supervisors earlier this year required street food vendors to use a washing station and a certified commissary kitchen for cooking. Vendors said commissary fees, which can average $1,000 a month, were too expensive and pushed the city to adopt MEHKO instead.

"Today's vote on home kitchen permits is a major step for our community's beloved street vendors," Nuestra Causa, a nonprofit representing the Food Vendors Council of San Francisco, said in a statement. "In a city where working families face rising costs, these permits can help vendors earn more and grow their own businesses."

Under the new rules, home vendors are limited to 90 meals a week and $100,000 in annual sales, with the sales cap adjusted annually for inflation. Those selling prepared food from a pushcart or wagon may go up to 200 meals a week and $200,000 in annual sales.

A budget and legislative analyst's report released last week found low complaint volumes in Bay Area counties that have adopted MEHKO. The report also found that people of color, women and immigrant communities make up the majority of program participants. Implementing the program in San Francisco is expected to cost about $500,000.

The exact timeline for launching the program has not been determined, according to Sasha Gaona, a legislative aide to Fielder.

Mayor Daniel Lurie praised the legislation in a statement, saying it "also creates a pathway for homegrown businesses to get their start in San Francisco, build a customer base, and potentially grow into brick-and-mortar businesses that strengthen our neighborhoods and commercial corridors."