How to Run Thanksgiving Pre-Orders From Your Home Kitchen

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, and for a lot of home food businesses it's the busiest week of the year. Pies, rolls, breads and sweets get ordered weeks ahead, and the creators who plan early spend less time answering the same questions and more time actually cooking.

This guide walks through a simple five-step pre-order plan that works whether you run a home kitchen, a food truck or a licensed cottage kitchen. Where Texas cottage food rules come in, we link to the official source so you can check the details yourself.

1. Keep your holiday menu short

A long menu feels generous, but it makes ordering slower for customers and prep harder for you. Pick three to five items you can make well and in batches.

A balanced holiday menu might look like this:

• One or two signature pies or tarts
• A bread or roll that pairs with any family meal
• One sweet add-on, like cookies or a small dessert box

For each item, list a clear name, a photo, the size or serving count, the price and any major allergens. If you offer sizes or flavors, keep the choices to two or three so people don't stall at checkout.

2. Set one clear order cutoff

Pick a last day to order and repeat it everywhere you share your menu: your page, your bio, Stories and posts. A firm cutoff gives you time to shop for ingredients and build a bake schedule.

For example, if your handoff day is Wednesday, November 25, you might close orders on Saturday, November 21. That leaves a few days to buy supplies and prep doughs and fillings.

3. Cap your orders and take payment upfront

Before you open orders, decide how many your kitchen and oven can really handle in your available hours. Count in packaging and labeling time, not just baking. When you reach that number, close orders and say so publicly. Selling out is good news to share.

Collecting payment when someone orders cuts down on no-shows and keeps you from buying ingredients for orders that never get picked up. Post your refund or cancellation policy next to your menu so expectations are clear.

4. Plan a few set handoff windows

Instead of agreeing to one-off pickup times with every customer, offer two or three windows, such as Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Grouping handoffs saves you hours of back-and-forth messages.

If you take orders online in Texas, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) cottage food page explains the conditions:

• The operator, an employee or a household member personally delivers the food to the customer.
• Before you accept payment, your required labeling information is posted in a legible statement on your website.
• After you accept payment, your address or DSHS unique identification number goes on the food label.

Cities and counties also can't require a cottage food operation to get a permit or pay a fee to sell directly to customers, according to the same DSHS guidance.

5. Label every order before it leaves your kitchen

Holiday rush is when labels get skipped, so print them early. According to Texas DSHS, a Texas cottage food label includes:

• The name of your cottage food operation
• Your address, or the unique identification number from DSHS registration in place of your address
• The common or usual name of the product
• Any major food allergens, such as eggs, tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk, wheat or sesame
• The disclosure: "THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENTAL LICENSING OR INSPECTION."

If you sell time and temperature control for safety (TCS) foods, which need refrigeration to stay safe, DSHS says you must register and add the date the food was made plus a safe handling statement. For a full walkthrough, see our Texas cottage food label checklist.

Remember that the cottage food rules don't cover everything. Meat, poultry, seafood, ice cream and other frozen ice products, low-acid canned goods and a few other categories aren't allowed, so check the DSHS list of excluded foods before adding a new holiday item. The full law is in Texas Health and Safety Code chapter 437.

A quick pre-order checklist

• Menu of three to five items, each with a photo, price and allergens
• Order cutoff date posted everywhere
• Order cap set and payment collected upfront
• Two or three handoff windows
• Labels printed and ready before your first bake day

Put your holiday menu in one place

When your menu lives in scattered posts and DMs, customers have to work to order from you. Open Cottage gives food creators one free page for their menu, photos and how to order, so people can find you and know exactly what to do. Home cooks, food trucks and licensed cottage kitchens are all welcome, and sign-ups are open across the US.

Reserve your name at opencottage.net.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Check the official sources linked above or contact your local health department for questions about your situation.

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