Terms of Service.
These Terms govern your use of Lighthearted Kitchen's website and the platform at app.lightheartedkitchen.com. By creating an account, booking a chef, or purchasing a ticket, you agree to them. Defined cancellation and refund rules live in our Cancellation Policy, which is incorporated here by reference.
Who we are
Lighthearted Kitchen is a vetted booking network for private chefs operating across five US cities. We are a Delaware/CA LLC.
What we do
We match hosts with approved chefs, hold payments in escrow during the booking, transfer payment to the chef two days after a successful event, and stand behind our standard. We are not the chef's employer, not a caterer, and not the host's agent.
Fees
Lighthearted Kitchen charges 15% per completed booking, split: ~7.5% on the host as a service fee, ~7.5% on the chef as a platform fee. Tips are 100% pass-through — chef keeps every cent.
Cancellation
For private chef bookings: if the host cancels, 100% refund 30+ days before the event, 50% refund 7–30 days before, and no refund within 7 days of the event (the chef has sourced and committed). If the chef cancels, the host receives a full refund every time, and the chef pays a platform cancellation penalty (10% of the booking total 7–30 days out, 25% within 7 days). The complete, governing rules — including public-event tickets — are in our Cancellation Policy.
Disputes
We mediate disputes through email + the booking room's activity log. The audit trail is the authoritative record.
Text messages (SMS)
With your explicit opt-in, Lighthearted Kitchen sends transactional and event-related text messages to the mobile number you provide. Message frequency varies based on your activity. Message & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to cancel at any time or HELP for help. Consent to receive texts is not a condition of any purchase or booking, and your mobile opt-in information is not shared with third parties for marketing. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle your information.
Chef & host responsibilities
Chefs are independent providers, solely responsible for their own insurance, licenses, permits, food-safety practices, certifications, taxes, staff, alcohol compliance, and compliance with local law. Lighthearted Kitchen does not provide insurance and does not guarantee coverage, claim payment, permits, compliance, safety, quality, or suitability.
Hosts are responsible for their premises, their guests, and any host-side obligations for the event, and should use their own judgment — including messaging the chef before booking with any questions about insurance, permits, food-safety, allergies, staff, or alcohol.
Lighthearted Kitchen is not an insurer, caterer, employer, venue, or alcohol provider.
Chef payouts & tax reporting
Lighthearted Kitchen uses Stripe Connect to process chef payouts and tax reporting information. Stripe may ask you for identity, taxpayer, and bank information before you can receive payouts. Lighthearted Kitchen does not collect or store your W-9/W-8 form, full TIN, SSN, EIN, or tax-form signature. Marketplace payouts may be reported on Form 1099-K through Stripe where required. This is not tax advice.
If Stripe needs more information from you, your booking or payout eligibility may be paused until your Stripe account is complete.
Requesting documentation
Lighthearted Kitchen may request proof of insurance, permits, certifications, licenses, tax registrations, or other documentation at any time, on a case-by-case basis, and may suspend, restrict, cancel, or remove access if documentation is not provided or if Lighthearted Kitchen has safety, compliance, or platform-integrity concerns.
Alcohol
- Lighthearted Kitchen does not sell, supply, furnish, purchase, store, transport, or provide alcohol.
- Any alcohol at an event is the responsibility of the host, venue, chef, licensed third-party vendor, or other legally responsible party, as applicable.
- Chefs, hosts, venues, and any vendors are responsible for complying with applicable alcohol laws, permits, licenses, service restrictions, age-verification rules, insurance requirements, and venue rules.
- Lighthearted Kitchen may restrict, cancel, remove, or require documentation for any event involving alcohol.
- Alcohol may not be included in the Lighthearted Kitchen booking price unless Lighthearted Kitchen has expressly approved a legally compliant workflow.
Last updated: 2026-06-08