Home Food Central (HFC) LLC Terms of Service
Last Updated: April 10, 2026
Welcome to Home Food Central (“HFC”, “we”, “us”, “our”). These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the HFC platform that is inclusive of the website located at https://homefoodcentral.com/, Android & iOS apps and related services (collectively, the “HFC Platform”). By accessing and/or using the HFC Platform you agree to be bound by these Terms, and these Terms constitute a binding, legal agreement between you and HFC. You must be at least eighteen (18) years old to use the HFC Platform and agree to these Terms. If you are not at least 18 years old or have not read, do not understand, or otherwise do not accept or agree to any of the terms and conditions of these Terms, you shall exit immediately and not access or use the HFC Platform.
We reserve the right to change or modify these Terms at any time (“Updated Terms”). We will notify you of the Updated Terms to the primary email associated with your account. Your continued access to or use of the HFC Platform after the effective date of the Updated Terms constitutes your acceptance of the Updated Terms. If you do not agree to abide by the Updated Terms, you shall exit immediately and not access or use (or continue to access or use) the HFC Platform. Together, these Terms and any Updated Terms shall be referred to herein as the “Terms”. For purposes of these Terms, the term “HFC” means and includes HFC and its affiliates, and its and their respective officers, employees, directors, service providers, licensors, and agents.
We respect your privacy. For more information about our privacy practices, please see our Privacy Policy located at https://homefoodcentral.com/privacy-policy (the “Privacy Policy”). By access or using the HFC Platform, you consent to the collection, use, storage and disclosure of personal data and other data as detailed in the Privacy Policy.
PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY, AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, REMEDIES, AND OBLIGATIONS, INCLUDING AN AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE ALL DISPUTES, CLAIMS, DEMANDS AND CAUSES OF ACTION (“CLAIMS”). THE AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE REQUIRES THAT YOU SUBMIT CLAIMS AGAINST HFC TO BINDING AND FINAL ARBITRATION, AND FURTHER THAT: (i) YOU WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED TO PURSUE CLAIMS AGAINST HFC ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION OR PROCEEDING; (ii) YOU WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED TO SEEK RELIEF AGAINST HFC (INCLUDING MONETARY, INJUNCTIVE, AND DECLARATORY RELIEF) ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS; AND (iii) YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE ANY CLAIMS YOU HAVE AGAINST HFC RESOLVED BY A JUDGE, JURY OR OTHERWISE IN A COURT OF LAW
1. Our Role as a Marketplace
HFC is an online marketplace that connects independent home chefs (“Home Chefs”) with local buyers (“Consumers”, “you”, “your”) of home-prepared food.
- We do not prepare, handle, or sell food. We do not inspect home kitchens and cannot guarantee the quality, safety, or legality of the food provided by Home Chefs. Further, we do not prepare, handle or sell food of any kind.
- Disclaimer and Release. ANY TRANSACTION IS SOLELY BETWEEN THE HOME CHEF AND THE CONSUMER. HFC HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS, AND YOU HEREBY EXPRESSLY RELEASE HFC FROM, ANY AND ALL LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM AND/OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE HFC PLATFORM, INCLUDING FOR THE ACTIONS OR INACTIONS OF CONSUMERS, HOME CHEFS AND ANY OTHER THIRD PARTIES.
2. Terms for Home Chefs (Sellers)
If you register as a Home Chef to sell items on HFC, you agree to the following:
- Legal Compliance: You are solely responsible for understanding and complying with all local, state, and federal laws regarding the preparation and sale of home-cooked food. This includes obtaining all necessary permits, licenses, and food handler certifications required by your local “Cottage Food Laws” or health department.
- Food Safety and Hygiene: You agree to prepare all food in a safe, sanitary environment, adhering to the highest standards of food safety to prevent foodborne illnesses.
- Accurate Listings and Allergens: You must provide accurate descriptions of your food items on HFC. You must clearly and prominently list all ingredients, specifically highlighting major allergens (e.g., peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish). You must also comply with the labeling requirements for your permit.
- Independent Seller Status: You are a third-party merchant using the HFC Platform and services to operate your own independent food business. You are not an employee, independent contractor, or agent of HFC.
- No Employment Relationship: Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, or employer-employee relationship. You have no authority to bind HFC to any contracts or obligations.
- Control of Business: You retain full control over your business and operations, including menu, pricing, preparation methods, and work schedule. HFC does not supervise, manage or direct any aspect of your business or operations, including your cooking process.
- Verification and & Profile enablement: To protect the integrity of the marketplace, all Home Chef accounts are subject to a mandatory verification period:
- Document Submission: During your account creation on HFC, you must provide valid, up-to-date copies of all required permits, licenses and certifications, including federal, state and local permits, cottage food licenses, and food handler certifications as mandated by your jurisdiction.
- The Verification Process: Upon submission, HFC will review your credentials. We aim to enable “Seller Privileges” within 24 business hours of receiving valid documentation.
- Ongoing Compliance: You agree to update your account immediately if any permit, license or certification expires, is suspended or is revoked. HFC reserves the right to suspend or terminate, with or without notice, any account that fails to maintain all required permits, licenses and/or documentation.
- Transactions: All payments must be processed through the payment processing services integrated within the HFC Platform. Attempting to bypass the platform for payment is grounds for account suspension and/or termination.
- Platform Fees: HFC retains a 10% commission on all sales to cover HFC Platform maintenance, program fees, and user support. Home Chefs shall be responsible for credit card processing fees. HFC’s current payment processor isStripe, which currently charges 2.9%+$0.30 for every transaction. The payment processor and or payment processing fees may change at any time with or without notice.
- Disclaimer and Release. ANY TRANSACTION IS SOLELY BETWEEN YOU AND THE CONSUMER. HFC HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS, AND YOU HEREBY EXPRESSLY RELEASE HFC FROM, ANY AND ALL LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM AND/OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE HFC PLATFORM, INCLUDING FOR THE ACTIONS OR INACTIONS OF CONSUMERS AND ANY OTHER THIRD PARTIES.
3. Terms for Consumers (Buyers)
If you use HFC to purchase food, you agree to the following:
- Assumption of Risk: Your purchase and consumption of food through the HFC Platform is at your own risk. Further, you understand that the food sold through the HFC Platform is prepared in private home kitchens, which may or may not be subject to variable health inspections based on federal, state and/or local laws, rules and/or regulations. Consumption of home-made foods may involve inherent health risks, including foodborne illness and possible exposure to contaminants or allergens. Individuals who experience any adverse symptoms or reactions after consuming food obtained through the HFC Platform should discontinue consumption immediately and seek appropriate medical attention.
- Allergy Awareness: While HFC requires Home Chefs to provide accurate descriptions of food items, including ingredients and major allergens, there’s always a chance that descriptions may be inaccurate and/or that cross-contamination can occur. If you have severe or life-threatening allergies, you are strongly advised to exercise extreme caution or refrain from using the HFC Platform. HFC is not liable for any allergic reactions.
- Special Request to Home Chef: If you have a special request to support any specific dietary need (e.g non-spicy), HFC will allow you to communicate with the Home Chef after placing the order. It will be up to Home Chef’s discretion to fulfill your request and HFC is not responsible for the fulfillment of requests.
- Disclaimer And Release. ANY TRANSACTION IS SOLELY BETWEEN YOU AND THE HOME CHEF. HFC HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS, AND YOU HEREBY EXPRESSLY RELEASE HFC FROM, ANY AND ALL LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM AND/OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE HFC PLATFORM, INCLUDING FOR THE ACTIONS OR INACTIONS OF HOME CHEFS AND ANY OTHER THIRD PARTIES.
4. Refunds:
Because food is a perishable item, all sales are final and HFC will not issue refunds, credits or replacements.
Dispute Escalation Process
For any complaints, contact customer service at contact@homefoodcentral.com with a description of the issue and provide supporting evidence (messages, photos, or receipts). HFC will review and attempt to help resolve the matter between the Home Chef and Consumer within a reasonable amount of time.
5. Safety Concerns
Any report of foodborne illness, unlisted allergens or inaccurate ingredients is taken with extreme seriousness. In these cases the Chef’s account may be temporarily suspended pending an investigation. In all cases, HFC will cooperate with the relevant health authorities by submitting the details of the complaint including the name and permit of the Home Chef.
6. Use of the HFC Platform
Prohibited Conduct. You are solely responsible for all images, files, information, data, text, messages, and other materials (“content”) that you make available to HFC or through the HFC Platform, including by uploading, posting, publishing, or displaying (hereinafter, “upload(ing)”) via the HFC Platform or by emailing or otherwise making available to other users of the HFC Platform (collectively, “User Content”). The following are examples of the kinds of content and/or uses that are illegal or prohibited by HFC. HFC reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate legal action against anyone who, in HFC’s sole discretion, violates this provision, including removing the offending content from the HFC Platform, suspending and/or terminating the account of such violators, and reporting the violator to law enforcement authorities. You agree to not use the HFC Platform to:
(i) email or otherwise upload any content that: (a) infringes any intellectual property or other proprietary rights of any party; (b) you do not have a right to upload under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships; (c) contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy, or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment; (d) poses or creates a privacy or security risk to any person; (e) constitutes unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, commercial activities and/or sales, “junk mail,” “spam,” “chain letters,” “pyramid schemes,” “contests,” “sweepstakes,” or any other form of solicitation; (f) is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, excessively violent, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, pornographic, libelous, invasive of another’s privacy, hateful, discriminatory, or otherwise objectionable; or (g) in the sole judgment of HFC, is objectionable or which restricts or inhibits any other person from using or enjoying the HFC Platform, or which may expose HFC or its users to any harm or liability of any type;
(ii) interfere with or disrupt the HFC Platform or servers or networks connected to the HFC Platform, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies, or regulations of networks connected to the HFC Platform;
(iii) violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law, or any regulations having the force of law;
(iv) impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
(v) solicit personal information from anyone under the age of 18;
(vi) harvest or collect email addresses or other contact information of other users from the HFC Platform by electronic or other means for the purposes of sending unsolicited emails or other unsolicited communications;
(vii) advertise or offer to sell or buy any goods or services for any business purpose that is not specifically authorized;
(viii) further or promote any criminal activity or enterprise or provide instructional information about illegal activities;
(ix) obtain or attempt to access or otherwise obtain any content or information through any means not intentionally made available or provided for through the HFC Platform;
(x) circumvent, remove, alter, deactivate, degrade, or thwart any of the content protections in or geographic restrictions on any content available on or through the HFC Platform, including through the use of virtual private networks; or
(xi) engage in or use any data mining, robots, scraping, or similar data gathering or extraction methods.
Account and Password Security. You will be required to provide information about yourself (e.g., name and email address) in order to create an account on the HFC Platform. You agree to provide and maintain true, accurate, current, and complete information about yourself as prompted by the registration form. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and account details and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to: (i) immediately notify HFC of any unauthorized use of your account or any other breach of security or use of your password; and (ii) ensure that you exit from your account at the end of each session when accessing HFC Platform. HFC will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with this paragraph.
Third Party Services. The HFC Platform may provide links or other access to services, sites, technology, and resources that are provided or otherwise made available by third parties (the “Third-Party Services”). Additionally, you may enable or log in to the HFC Platform via various online Third-Party Services, such as social media and social networking. Your access and use of the Third-Party Services may also be subject to additional terms and conditions, privacy policies, or other agreements with such third party, and you may be required to authenticate to or create separate accounts to use Third-Party Services on the websites or via the technology platforms of their respective providers. Some Third-Party Services will provide us with access to certain information that you have provided to third parties, including through such Third-Party Services, and we will use, store, and disclose such information in accordance with our Privacy Policy. HFC has no control over and is not responsible for such Third-Party Services, including for the accuracy, availability, reliability, or completeness of information shared by or available through Third-Party Services, or on the privacy practices of Third-Party Services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of third parties providing Third-Party Services before using such services. You, and not HFC, will be responsible for any and all costs and charges associated with your use of any Third-Party Services. HFC enables these Third-Party Services merely as a convenience, and the integration or inclusion of such Third-Party Services does not imply an endorsement or recommendation. Any dealings you have with third parties while using the HFC Platform are between you and the third party. HFC will not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any Third-Party Services.
Competitors. No employee, independent contractor, agent, or affiliate of any competing company is permitted to view, access, or use any portion of the HFC Platform without the express written permission from HFC. By viewing, using, or accessing the HFC Platform, you represent and warrant that you are not a competitor of HFC, or acting on behalf of a competitor of HFC in accessing or using the HFC Platform.
7. Account Suspension and Termination
You acknowledge and agree that HFC, in its sole discretion, may suspend and/or terminate your access to and/or use of the HFC Platform and remove and discard any User Content, for any reason or for no reason at all and with or without notice, including for lack of use or if HFC believes that you have violated or acted inconsistently with the HFC Platform or spirit of these Terms. Any suspected fraudulent, abusive, inappropriate, or illegal activity that may be grounds for suspension or termination may subsequently be referred to appropriate law enforcement authorities. If you are suspended, terminated or otherwise blocked by HFC from using the HFC Platform (including by blocking your email, device or IP address), you agree not to implement any measures to circumvent such blocking (e.g., by masking your IP address or using a proxy IP address or virtual private network).
8. Dispute Resolution by Binding Arbitration
PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY AS IT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS.
A. Agreement to Arbitrate. This Section Dispute Resolution by Binding Arbitration is referred to in these Terms as the “Arbitration Agreement.” You agree that any and all Claims between you and HFC, whether arising out of or relating to these Terms, Privacy Policy, the HFC Platform, any advertising, or any aspect of the relationship or transactions between us or another user, will be resolved exclusively through final and binding arbitration, rather than a court, in accordance with the terms of this Arbitration Agreement. You agree that you and HFC are each waiving the right to a trial by judge or jury or to participate in a class action. Your rights will be determined by a neutral arbitrator, not a judge or jury. The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement.
B. Prohibition of Class and Representative Actions and Non-Individualized Relief. YOU AND HFC AGREE THAT EACH OF US MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION OR PROCEEDING. UNLESS BOTH YOU AND HFC AGREE OTHERWISE, THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE OR JOIN MORE THAN ONE PERSON’S OR PARTY’S CLAIMS AND MAY NOT OTHERWISE PRESIDE OVER ANY FORM OF A CONSOLIDATED, REPRESENTATIVE, OR CLASS PROCEEDING. THE ARBITRATOR MAY AWARD RELIEF (INCLUDING MONETARY, INJUNCTIVE, AND DECLARATORY RELIEF) ONLY IN FAVOR OF THE INDIVIDUAL PARTY SEEKING RELIEF AND ONLY TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO PROVIDE RELIEF NECESSITATED BY THAT PARTY’S INDIVIDUAL CLAIM(S), EXCEPT THAT YOU MAY PURSUE A CLAIM FOR AND THE ARBITRATOR MAY AWARD PUBLIC INJUNCTIVE RELIEF UNDER APPLICABLE LAW TO THE EXTENT REQUIRED FOR THE ENFORCEABILITY OF THIS PROVISION.
C. Pre-Arbitration Dispute Resolution Requirement. In order to resolve disputes amicably and efficiently, most customer concerns can be resolved quickly by emailing customer support at contact@homefoodcentral.com. If such efforts prove unsuccessful, the party who intends to seek arbitration must first send the other, by certified mail, a written notice of dispute (“Notice of Dispute”). The Notice of Dispute to HFC should be sent to contact@homefoodcentral.com. The Notice of Dispute must: (i) describe the nature and basis of the Claim and (ii) set forth the specific relief sought. If the Notice of Dispute is not resolved within sixty (60) calendar days after the Notice of Dispute is received, you or HFC may commence an arbitration proceeding in accordance with this Arbitration Agreement. During the arbitration, the amount of any settlement offer shall not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator determines the amount, if any, to which you or HFC is entitled.
D. Arbitration Procedures. Arbitration shall be conducted by New Era ADR, Inc. (“New Era ADR”) in accordance with their Virtual Expedited Arbitration Rules and Procedures, within the New Era ADR Rules and Procedures, except as modified by these Terms. New Era ADR’s Rules and Procedures, including Virtual Expedited Arbitration Rules and Procedures, are available at www.neweraadr.com/rules-and-procedures/. The arbitrator shall follow the provisions of these Terms as a court would. Although arbitration proceedings are usually simpler and more streamlined than trials and other judicial proceedings, an arbitrator can award the same damages and relief on an individual basis that a court can award to an individual under these Terms and applicable law.
E. Arbitrability. Any question or matter of arbitrability shall be determined by the arbitrator assigned to, or chosen for, such dispute from the New Era ADR panel of arbitrators. For clarity, this means any determination of: (i) the enforceability of all or any provision of these Terms including any claim that all or any such provision is void or voidable, and (ii) whether a dispute regarding the provisions of these Terms shall be governed by arbitration, in each case, shall be determined solely by the arbitrator provided by New Era ADR and not in a court of law or other judicial forum. The parties agree and acknowledge that they are waiving their right to seek a determination of arbitrability in a court of law or other judicial forum.
F. Costs of Arbitration. Payment of all filing, administration, and arbitrator fees (collectively, the “Arbitration Fees”) will be governed by the New Era ADR Rules and Procedures, unless otherwise provided in this Arbitration Agreement. To the extent any Arbitration Fees are not specifically allocated to either HFC or you, HFC and you shall split them equally; provided that if you are able to demonstrate to the arbitrator that you are economically unable to pay your portion of such Arbitration Fees or if the arbitrator otherwise determines for any reason that you should not be required to pay your portion of any Arbitration Fees, HFC will pay your portion of such fees. In addition, if you demonstrate to the arbitrator that the costs of arbitration will be prohibitive as compared to the costs of litigation, HFC will pay as much of the Arbitration Fees as the arbitrator deems necessary to prevent the arbitration from being cost-prohibitive.
G. Confidentiality. All aspects of the arbitration proceeding, and any ruling, decision, or award by the arbitrator, will be strictly confidential for the benefit of all parties.
9. User Disputes; Indemnification; Disclaimer of Warranties; Limitation of Liability
A. User Disputes. You understand and agree that HFC is not liable for the online or offline actions of any other users. Further, you understand and agree that you are solely responsible for your interactions with other users in connection with the HFC Platform, and HFC will have no liability or responsibility with respect thereto. HFC reserves the right, but has no obligation, to become involved in any way with disputes between users of the HFC Platform.
B. Indemnification. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, YOU AGREE TO DEFEND, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS HFC FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEYS’ FEES, OF ANY KIND ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF THE HFC PLATFORM, ANY USER CONTENT, YOUR VIOLATION OF THESE TERMS, OR YOUR VIOLATION OF ANY RIGHTS OF ANOTHER. HFC RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ASSUME THE EXCLUSIVE DEFENSE AND CONTROL OF ANY MATTER WHICH IS SUBJECT TO INDEMNIFICATION UNDER THIS SECTION, AND YOU AGREE TO COOPERATE WITH ANY REASONABLE REQUESTS ASSISTING HFC’S DEFENSE OF SUCH MATTER. YOU MAY NOT SETTLE OR COMPROMISE ANY CLAIM AGAINST HFC PARTIES WITHOUT HFC’S WRITTEN CONSENT.
C. Disclaimer of Warranties. YOUR USE OF THE HFC PLATFORM IS AT YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE RISK. THE HFC PLATFORM IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS. HFC EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. HFC MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY THAT: (A) THE HFC PLATFORM WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS; (B) THE HFC PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE; (C) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE HFC PLATFORM WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE; OR (D) THE QUALITY OF ANY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, INFORMATION, OR OTHER MATERIAL PURCHASED OR OBTAINED BY YOU THROUGH THE HFC PLATFORM WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
Limitation of Liability. YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT HFC WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, OR DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF GOODWILL, USE, OR DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF HFC HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE, RESULTING FROM: (A) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE HFC PLATFORM; (B) THE COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES RESULTING FROM ANY GOODS, DATA, INFORMATION, OR SERVICES PURCHASED OR OBTAINED OR MESSAGES RECEIVED OR TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO THROUGH OR FROM THE HFC PLATFORM; (C) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (D) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY (INCLUDING HOME CHEFS AND CONSUMERS); OR (E) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE HFC PLATFORM. IN NO EVENT WILL HFC’S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS EXCEED ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).
