City Hall proposes rules for the operation of ‘dark kitchens’ in São Paulo

The City of São Paulo sent to the City Council a bill to regulate the operation of “dark kitchens”, kitchens dedicated only to the fulfillment of delivery orders, in the city.

According to the text, the operation of establishments will be prevented during the night, between 1 am and 5 pm, among other guidelines. There is no word on when the bill will be voted on.

The “dark kitchens” are industrial kitchens installed in warehouses and shared between cafeterias and restaurants in strategic locations to reduce delivery time.

These establishments proliferated during the pandemic and became the target of complaints from residents because of noise, smoke and the smell of frying, in addition to the agglomeration of delivery men on the sidewalks.

The bill determines that establishments do not use the sidewalks for loading or unloading and as a waiting point for delivery people. For this, each address will have to provide an internal space or parking for motorcycles and bicycles. One space must be created for every 12 m² of kitchen area.

The kitchen must present a technical report that proves the adequacy of the ventilation and exhaust system to avoid nuisances in the neighborhood with smells of frying. If the documentation presented proves to be untrue, new licensing processes will be blocked for five years.