Vendor Network · Standards

Vetting Standards

Vendor Network is operated by EvidLY. These are the published standards every vendor must meet to be listed. Stovio Advisors publishes this page as the editorial reference — kitchen leaders should know what “vetted” means before they hire from any directory, including this one.

What we verify before listing

Insurance

• General liability — minimum $1M / $2M aggregate, current within 30 days
• Workers’ compensation — current and active in California (or applicable state)
• Auto liability where the vendor operates vehicles on customer premises
• Pollution liability for grease, chemical, or waste-handling vendors

Credentials by service category

• Hood cleaning: IKECA membership and CECS-certified ownership or supervision; PECT-certified field technicians
• Fire suppression: State Fire Marshal license; NFPA 96 / NFPA 17A familiarity documented
• Pest control: State structural pest control license; food-service-specific protocols on file
• Equipment service: Manufacturer authorization for any equipment being warrantied
• Backflow testing: State or county certification
• Grease trap / waste hauling: County health department permit; manifest tracking

References

Minimum three commercial kitchen references from operations in similar size and complexity to the vendor’s target customer base. References contacted directly by the Vendor Network team, not through a portal.

County-specific credentials

Where the vendor operates in California counties with specific licensing or permitting requirements beyond state level, those credentials must be current and on file before any listing activates in that county. A vendor cleared for Stanislaus County is not automatically cleared for Los Angeles County.

Tier system

Vendors are listed at one of three tiers: Gold, Silver, or Bronze. Tier reflects depth of verification, not vendor quality below threshold — every listed vendor has met the minimum standards above.

• Gold: All baseline standards met, plus ≥5 verified commercial kitchen references, ≥3 years operating history, photo documentation of recent work reviewed, and field audit completed by the Vendor Network team within the past 12 months.
• Silver: All baseline standards met, plus ≥3 verified references and ≥2 years operating history.
• Bronze: All baseline standards met. New vendors and recently-vetted vendors enter at this tier and move up as references and operating history accumulate.

What disqualifies a vendor

• Lapsed or fraudulent insurance documentation
• Lapsed certifications in service categories that require them
• Unresolved customer complaints involving safety, code compliance, or contractual non-performance
• State licensing actions (suspensions, revocations, citations) within the past 24 months
• Refusal to provide manifest documentation for waste-handling work
• Misrepresentation of credentials on the application

Ongoing review

Insurance and credentials are reverified annually. Any customer complaint triggers a review within 14 days. Vendors that fail re-verification are removed from the directory until they restore current documentation. Customer-impacting events (a safety failure, a code citation linked to the vendor’s work) trigger immediate review.

What kitchen leaders should still verify themselves

Vendor Network reduces the search and verification burden. It does not replace the kitchen leader’s own due diligence. Before contracting any vendor — from Vendor Network or anywhere else — restaurant and commercial kitchen leaders should confirm:

• The vendor’s current insurance certificate names the kitchen as an additional insured if required by lease or policy
• The specific scope of work in writing, including frequency, deliverables, and price
• Cancellation, rescheduling, and dispute terms
• How service reports and certifications are documented and delivered

How vendors apply

Vendor applications open in waves by California region as the Vendor Network rolls out. To request notification when applications open in your service area: vendors@getevidly.com.

Editorial disclosure.Vendor Network is a product of EvidLY LLC. Stovio Advisors is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EvidLY. We publish these standards in The Commercial Kitchen Standard because kitchen leaders should be able to read what “vetted” means before hiring — from any directory. Vendor placements in the Network do not influence editorial coverage.

Last updated: May 24, 2026. See our editorial standards for the broader publication policy.