Chefry
Castiron is offline. Your food business does not have to be.

The Castiron alternative built to keep more of every plate in your pocket.

Castiron sellers are moving right now. Chefry is the home-food platform that replaces it and does it cheaper: 0% commission on plate and menu orders, free to start, a real customer marketplace, a native app, and daily payouts. You can rebuild your menu and take orders this weekend.

Move my food business, free →See the 4-step switch

Free to start · 0% commission on plates · Be live today

What happened to Castiron?

Castiron spent years as the go-to website and storefront builder for food artisans. In late 2024 it was acquired by T.D. Jakes Enterprises and rebranded as Nourysh, then quietly wound down through 2025. By 2026 the storefronts were going dark, sites returning server errors and expired security certificates, and sellers in cottage food groups began confirming they could no longer take orders.

If your storefront is down, the urgent part is not the website. It is your customer list and your cash flow. Every week you are offline is a week your repeat buyers drift to someone else. The good news: moving is faster than you think, and you can land somewhere that costs you less per order than Castiron ever did.

Why move to Chefry instead of another link builder? A simple menu-page tool gives you a link, but you still have to bring every single customer yourself. Chefry gives you the link and a marketplace of local buyers, a native app with push notifications, and 0% commission on your plates, so you keep more of what you already earn.

Chefry vs Castiron vs a simple menu-link tool

The honest comparison for home food sellers deciding where to land after Castiron.

FeatureChefryCastironMenu-link tool
Commission on plate & menu orders0% to youPercentage fee on free tierFlat monthly fee
Cost to startFree, no monthly feeFree tier + paid plans$10 to $15/mo typical
Still online in 2026YesNo, offlineVaries
Customer marketplace & discoveryYesLimitedNo, you bring all traffic
Native iOS & Android appYesNoNo
Built-in payments & checkoutYesYesSometimes
Pre-orders & weekly dropsYesLimitedLimited
Catering & private chef bookingsYesNoNo
Daily payouts (escrow-backed)YesStandardStandard
SMS & email blasts to your buyersYesYesLimited

Chefry plate & menu orders are 0% commission to the seller. A 5% customer service fee and standard Stripe processing (2.9% + 30¢) apply. Service bookings carry a 15% commission. See full pricing.

Move your food business in a weekend

Four steps from a dead Castiron storefront to taking paid orders again.

1

Claim your free Chefry storefront

Create your profile, add your name, photo, and the area you cook in. No monthly fee, no card required to set up. You can be live the same day.

2

Rebuild your menu (it is faster than it sounds)

Add your plates, baked goods, meal prep, trays, and pop-up specials with photos and prices. Most sellers re-list their core menu in well under an hour.

3

Bring your customers with you

Share your new Chefry link where you already reach buyers, your Instagram bio, group chats, and order threads. They can follow your storefront with just an email or phone, no account needed, so you keep the audience you built. Then announce your first drop and Chefry notifies every follower by email, text, and push.

4

Open a pre-order and get paid

Launch a pre-order window so customers pay up front, then cook to confirmed, paid orders. Money for completed orders pays out daily, with instant-to-debit options.

Have a big list exported from Castiron? Contact us for free white-glove migration help →

Why sellers land on Chefry after Castiron

0% commission on plates

Keep 100% of the sale price on plate and menu orders. A small customer service fee and standard Stripe processing apply, that is it.

Free to start, no monthly fee

List your menu and take orders with nothing upfront. You only pay when you actually get paid, so your costs scale with your income.

A real marketplace, not just a link

Get discovered by local buyers browsing for home cooks, plus a native iOS and Android app with push notifications for your drops.

Daily, escrow-backed payouts

Money for completed orders pays out daily, with instant-to-debit options. No two-week waits, no chasing screenshots.

Pre-orders & weekly drops

Open an ordering window, cap inventory, collect payment up front, and cook to confirmed orders. Perfect for weekly plates and small batches.

Grows with you

Add catering, private chef bookings, and meal prep from the same profile when you are ready, no second platform needed.

🏆 FOUNDING 100, 22 SPOTS LEFT

Land softer than you left Castiron.

The first 100 chefs on Chefry become Founding Chefs and pay 0% commission on every order type for their first year, locked in. Bring your Castiron menu over now and you keep even more while you rebuild. Only 22 founding spots left.

Claim a Founding SpotSee How Selling Works

Castiron alternative, frequently asked questions

Is Castiron really shutting down?

Castiron is no longer operating. The company was acquired by T.D. Jakes Enterprises in late 2024 and rebranded as Nourysh, then wound down through 2025. By 2026 its storefronts were going offline, with sites returning errors and expired security certificates, and sellers in cottage food communities have confirmed they can no longer take orders. If you sold on Castiron, you need a new home for your food business.

What is the best Castiron alternative for home food sellers?

For most home cooks, bakers, and cottage food sellers, Chefry is the closest replacement that is actually better on fees: it is free to start, charges 0% commission on plate and menu orders (you keep 100% of the sale price, a small 5% customer service fee and standard Stripe processing apply), and adds a real customer marketplace, a native iOS and Android app, pre-orders, and daily payouts. Simple page builders can give you a menu link, but they do not bring you new customers.

How much does Chefry cost compared to Castiron?

Chefry is free to list with no monthly fee. On plate and menu orders there is 0% commission to the seller, so you keep the full sale price (a 5% customer-paid service fee and standard Stripe processing of 2.9% + 30¢ apply). Service bookings like private chef and catering carry a 15% commission. The first 100 chefs to join become Founding Chefs and pay 0% on every order type for their first year.

Can I move my customer list from Castiron to Chefry?

Yes. Share your Chefry link where you already reach customers and they can follow your storefront with just an email or phone, no account needed, so you keep the audience you built. From your dashboard you can then announce drops and Chefry notifies all your followers by email, text, and push (with one-tap unsubscribe to stay compliant). There is no one-click CSV importer yet, so if you have a large list exported from Castiron, contact us and our team will bring it over for you for free.

Can I sell cooked, hot meals on Chefry like I did on Castiron?

Yes, as long as you are permitted for it. Shelf-stable cottage foods (baked goods, jams, granola, and similar) are allowed in most states with little or no permit. To sell hot, made-to-order meals you generally need a home kitchen permit such as a California MEHKO, a commissary kitchen, or a caterer license. Chefry supports all of these models, and we publish state-by-state guides so you know what applies where you live.

Do I need a permit before I can list on Chefry?

You can create your free profile and build your menu anytime, it costs nothing. We recommend having the right cottage food registration or home kitchen permit in place before you sell, so you are operating legally. Many sellers set up their menu and start collecting a customer list while their permit is processing.

Related guides

Don't let your customers go cold.

Set up your free Chefry storefront, rebuild your menu, and start taking paid orders again, this weekend.

Start Free on Chefry →