Missouri Resident Faces Health Permit Threat Over Free Breakfast Service

Kathy Kite rises at 3:30 a.m. each weekday in Harrisburg, Missouri, to cook free breakfasts—ranging from eggs and bacon to burritos—for any local who wishes to eat, keeping a tip jar but charging nothing. After a complaint was lodged, the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department sent her a letter in July demanding that she secure a food-service permit, noting that failure could result in incarceration.

The notice caused the number of patrons to drop dramatically, leaving only a few regulars. Jordan Bales, the county’s environmental health and safety manager, explained that the department is obligated to apply the food code to any public food distribution, regardless of payment. In response, Dave Roland of the libertarian Goldwater Institute wrote to the department, suggesting the enforcement could violate Kite’s civil-rights. Kite continues to feed family and friends but fears further legal repercussions, emphasizing that her motive is community love rather than profit.