The PassMyKitchen onboarding wizard collects 7 pieces of information about your food business and uses them to generate a customized HACCP plan, daily task list, and compliance tracking system. Each step takes 15 to 30 seconds. This guide walks through every step with tips on what to enter for the best results.
For the complete setup walkthrough including account creation, see how to set up PassMyKitchen. For details on the AI generation process, see how AI generates your HACCP plan. For a comprehensive HACCP plan guide, see our HACCP plan complete guide.
Why onboarding matters
The information you provide during onboarding determines the quality of your HACCP plan. The AI uses every detail (your state, your menu items, your equipment list) to produce hazard analyses, critical control points, and monitoring procedures specific to your operation. If you enter "food truck" with no menu items and no equipment, you get a generic plan. If you enter "food truck in Texas serving carne asada tacos and chicken quesadillas with a reach-in cooler, freezer, flat-top grill, and fryer," you get a plan that matches your actual daily workflow.
Think of onboarding as a 3-minute investment that produces an 800-to-2000-dollar value. Food safety consultants charge that range to create a custom HACCP plan. PassMyKitchen generates one in 30 seconds based on what you tell it during these 7 steps.
Step-by-step onboarding walkthrough
Step 1: What do you operate?
The first screen asks you to select your business type from three options displayed as large cards: Food Truck, Cloud Kitchen, or Caterer.
Your selection determines which features appear in the app. Food trucks get water logging (for tracking potable water and grey water tank levels). Cloud kitchens get multi-brand management on the Growth plan. Caterers get event management with 5-phase checklists (prep, transport, setup, service, teardown) on the Growth plan.
Tip: If your business fits multiple categories (you run a food truck and also cater events), choose the type that represents your primary operation. You can always add catering events later if you upgrade to the Growth plan.
Step 2: Where is your business?
Enter your state (dropdown with all 50 US states), city (text input), and zip code.
Your state is the most important field in the entire onboarding process. PassMyKitchen uses it to reference the correct food safety regulations when generating your HACCP plan. A food truck in Texas operates under the Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER). A food truck in California operates under CalCode. The AI generates different critical limits, regulatory references, and monitoring procedures based on your state.
Tip: If you operate across state lines, choose the state where your primary operation is based. You can update this later in Settings > Business if you relocate.
Step 3: Name your business
Enter your business name and phone number. If you use a commissary kitchen, toggle the commissary option and enter the commissary address, city, state, and zip code. For cloud kitchens, the commissary fields appear automatically since most cloud kitchens operate from a specific facility.
Your business name appears on your HACCP plan and inspection documents. Use the name that matches your health department permit. Placeholders guide you based on business type (for example, "My Taco Truck" for food trucks).
Tip: Enter your commissary address accurately. During an inspection, the inspector may ask to see your commissary agreement and verify the address.
Step 4: Menu and allergens
Select your cuisine types from a list of categories (Mexican, American, Asian, Mediterranean, and others). Add your specific menu items (up to 10 items). Flag which allergens your menu contains from the standard list.
The AI uses your menu items to generate specific hazard analyses. A menu with raw chicken triggers different hazards than a menu with only pre-cooked items. The allergen flags feed directly into the allergen management section of your HACCP plan, which is especially important for cloud kitchens managing multiple brands.
Tip: Be specific about your menu items. "Grilled chicken tacos" is more useful than "tacos." "Raw tuna poke bowl" is more useful than "poke." The AI identifies specific food safety hazards at the ingredient level. For a complete guide to food safety compliance, see our food safety compliance guide.
Step 5: Equipment inventory
List your equipment in four categories: Cold Holding (refrigerators, coolers), Frozen (freezers), Hot Holding (steam tables, warming units), and Cooking (grills, fryers, ovens).
Smart defaults are pre-filled based on your business type. A food truck starts with a reach-in cooler, freezer, flat-top grill, and fryer. A cloud kitchen starts with a walk-in cooler, reach-in cooler, and additional cooking equipment. Adjust the defaults to match your actual setup: rename items, change quantities, add equipment, or remove items you do not have.
Each piece of equipment becomes a monitoring point in your daily compliance tasks. A reach-in cooler gets a temperature check task. A steam table gets a hot holding check. Missing equipment means missing compliance checks, so list everything.
Tip: Include backup equipment too. If you have a backup cooler that you use when your primary is being serviced, add it so you have a monitoring task ready when it is in use.
Step 6: Team size
Select how many people work in your operation: Just me (solo operator), 2 ("You plus one"), 3 ("Small crew"), 4 to 5 ("Growing team"), or 6+ ("Full team").
If you select more than one person, you can add team member names and roles. This is optional during onboarding. You can add detailed staff information later in the Staff section of the app, including food handler card numbers, certification expiry dates, and roles.
Tip: If you are a solo operator, select "Just me" and move on. You can add staff later if you hire someone. PassMyKitchen's staff management tracks food handler card expiry dates and sends renewal reminders, so adding staff details eventually is worthwhile. For food truck compliance guidance, see our food truck compliance guide.
Step 7: Review and generate
The final step displays a summary of everything you entered: business type, state and city, business name, cuisine and menu items, equipment inventory, and team size. Review each section carefully.
If anything needs correction, use the back navigation to return to the specific step. Once everything looks right, click the "Generate My Plan" button. The AI begins generating your complete HACCP plan.
Tips for the best onboarding results
Be specific about your menu
The difference between a good HACCP plan and a great one is specificity. "Mexican food" gives the AI little to work with. "Carne asada tacos (grilled steak), chicken quesadillas (grilled chicken, cheese), refried bean burritos" lets the AI identify specific hazards: raw beef handling, poultry cooking temperatures, cheese allergen cross-contact, and bean holding temperatures.
Marcus entered 8 menu items for his Austin taco truck. His generated HACCP plan included specific hazard analyses for each protein he handles, with cooking temperatures of 145°F for his carne asada and 165°F for his chicken, matching the FDA Food Code requirements.
List all your equipment
Every refrigerator, cooler, freezer, steam table, and cooking station should be in your equipment inventory. Each one generates a daily monitoring task. If you have two reach-in coolers but only list one, you will only get temperature check reminders for one cooler. The other goes unmonitored.
Choose your state carefully
Your state determines the regulatory foundation of your entire HACCP plan. If you recently moved or are planning to relocate, enter the state where you are currently operating. The regulations differ meaningfully between states. You can update your state in Settings > Business and regenerate your HACCP plan if you move.
What happens after onboarding
After the AI generates your plan (approximately 30 seconds), you land on your Today dashboard.
Your Today dashboard shows your compliance score (as a circular progress ring), today's compliance tasks, and quick action links. Your score reflects your current compliance status. It increases as you complete daily tasks and build a track record of consistent monitoring.
Your HACCP plan is available under "HACCP Plan" in the sidebar navigation. Each section of the plan is displayed with expand/collapse functionality. You can edit any section, download the plan as a PDF, or share it with an inspector.
Your daily task list is ready for your first compliance checks. Tap any task to open the entry form, complete it, and your compliance score updates immediately.
The AI compliance assistant is available under "AI Assistant" in the sidebar. Ask it any food safety question and get an answer based on your state's regulations and the FDA HACCP principles. For a full explanation of the dashboard, see your compliance dashboard explained.
Can I redo onboarding?
You cannot re-run the onboarding wizard, but you can edit all of your business details after the fact. Go to Settings > Business to change your business name, type, state, cuisine, allergens, or equipment. Go to Settings > Locations to update your address. Go to Staff to add or edit team members.
If your changes affect your HACCP plan (new menu items, new equipment, move to a new state), go to the HACCP Plan section and regenerate your plan. The AI creates a fresh plan based on your updated business profile. Your previous plan version is preserved in your plan history.
Ready to get started?
The 7-step onboarding wizard takes 2 to 3 minutes. Your HACCP plan generates in 30 seconds. Your first compliance task takes 15 seconds. In under 5 minutes, you have a complete food safety compliance system running on your phone.
Start your free trial and complete onboarding today.
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip steps during onboarding?
Business type (Step 1) and state (Step 2) are required because they determine the foundation of your HACCP plan. Business name (Step 3) is required for your plan documents. Menu items (Step 4), equipment (Step 5), and staff (Step 6) can be completed with minimal input (the defaults work), but providing detailed information produces a better HACCP plan.
What if I do not know all my equipment yet?
Use the smart defaults provided for your business type and adjust later. After onboarding, go to Settings > Business to update your equipment inventory. Then regenerate your HACCP plan from the HACCP Plan section to get updated monitoring tasks that match your actual equipment.
How do I change my business type after onboarding?
Go to Settings > Business to update your business type. Changing your type adjusts which features are available in the app (for example, switching to Caterer enables event management on the Growth plan). After changing your type, consider regenerating your HACCP plan so it reflects your updated operation.
Does onboarding work on mobile?
Yes. The entire onboarding wizard is designed for mobile use. Large tap targets, simple forms, and a clear progress bar make it easy to complete on your phone. Most users complete onboarding on their phone while at their truck, kitchen, or commissary.
What if onboarding gets interrupted?
Your progress is saved at each step. If you close the browser or lose your connection, you can log back in and resume from where you left off. The onboarding wizard remembers which steps you have completed and pre-fills your previous answers.