Is a commissary kitchen the same as a cloud kitchen?

No. A cloud kitchen is a delivery-only food business; a commissary kitchen is the rented facility it may operate from. Many cloud kitchens run inside commissary kitchens to avoid building their own space.

Do I need an FSSAI licence to use a commissary kitchen?

Yes. Your food business needs its own FSSAI registration even when you operate from a shared kitchen — the facility's licence covers the premises, not your brand.

What Is a Commissary Kitchen? (Shared Kitchen Guide for India)

Q: What is a commissary kitchen?

A commissary kitchen is a licensed, shared commercial kitchen that food businesses rent by the hour, month or shift. It provides professional equipment, storage and compliance infrastructure so brands don't have to build their own kitchen.

Commissary kitchen meaning

A commissary kitchen is a licensed commercial kitchen facility that multiple food businesses share. Instead of investing in your own premises, equipment and compliance, you rent ready-to-use kitchen space — by the hour, by the shift or monthly. Food trucks, caterers, packaged-food startups and cloud kitchens all use them.

What you typically get

Commercial burners, ovens, fryers, refrigeration and prep tables
Cold and dry storage
Pest control, water testing and fire-safety compliance handled by the facility
Loading, parking and sometimes dispatch support
In some facilities, shared staff or packaging supplies

Commissary kitchen vs cloud kitchen

These terms are often confused. A cloud kitchen is a type of food business — delivery-only, selling on Swiggy, Zomato or WhatsApp. A commissary kitchen is a type of facility — the rented space a business operates from. Many cloud kitchens run inside commissary kitchens, especially when starting out. Read what a cloud kitchen is for the business-side picture.

What does it cost in India?

Pricing varies by city and facility, but shared kitchen space in Indian metros typically rents from a few thousand rupees per month for off-peak hourly access to ₹30,000–₹80,000 per month for a dedicated station with storage. Compare that with ₹4–15 lakh in capital to build your own kitchen — use our cost calculator to run both scenarios.

Who should use a commissary kitchen?

Founders testing a delivery brand before committing to a lease
Food trucks and caterers who need a licensed prep base
Packaged-food and snack startups that need a compliant production space
Restaurants expanding delivery coverage into a new area without a full second outlet

Compliance still applies to you

Even inside a shared facility, your brand needs its own FSSAI registration and, where applicable, GST registration. Our step-by-step FSSAI application guide walks you through it. Once you're licensed, list your kitchen on Cloud Kitchen Adda to get discovered by customers searching in your city.