Opening Community Facilities to Food Entrepreneurs

Introduction
Communities around the country are seeking multiple individuals or business entities to
innovative strategies for supporting their local commercially prepare or handle food that will
economies through food entrepreneurship. Local be offered for sale or distribution.1 Kitchen
food businesses can help create jobs, support incubators are similar but also offer assistance
local farms, build economic opportunities, and services that help entrepreneurs succeed.
and revitalize communities. For individuals Kitchen incubators are mission-driven
facing economic and social barriers, food entrepreneurial support organizations with
entrepreneurship can also offer a vital pathway kitchen facilities that support the growth of
to better financial prospects. However, a lack of startup and emerging businesses for the benefit
access to affordable commercial kitchen space of the local economy, food system, and/or
too often hampers entrepreneurial opportunities underserved entrepreneurs.2
and creates hurdles for entrepreneurs and
farmers interested in making value-added Shared kitchens and
products. Communities are increasingly kitchen incubators
recognizing that kitchen access is an issue to exist in communities Shared kitchens
address if they wish to advance local food-based throughout the U.S. and incubators give
economic opportunities. and are structured in
entrepreneurs
a variety of ways.
affordable, flexible
Commercial kitchen access can feel like a They are for-profit,
“chicken and egg” problem for communities nonprofit and
use of a commercial
seeking to cultivate food entrepreneurship. publicly owned, as kitchen to launch
Since food businesses need access to a licensed well as developed and grow their
commercial kitchen to make products for through joint businesses.
sale, it is difficult to grow new businesses and partnerships and
value-added opportunities without affordable sponsorships. They
commercial kitchen space. However, a can be found in
strong entrepreneurial base is needed to urban, suburban and rural areas. Facilities in rural
make a dedicated shared kitchen or kitchen areas can be particularly helpful for farm-based
incubator financially sustainable without food entrepreneurs and provide resources that
operating subsidies. may not otherwise be accessible to a region’s
rural farmers. The Vermont Food Venture Center
Shared kitchens and incubators give is one such example.3 This shared-use business
entrepreneurs affordable, flexible use of a incubator offers commercial kitchen space,
commercial kitchen to launch and grow their processing, cold and dry storage, and business
businesses. A shared kitchen is a licensed development and marketing services. It has
commercial space and equipment rented to served over 130 entrepreneur clients within a few

1
Adapted from definition in Shared Use Kitchens: A Policy Landscape Report. Colpaart, Ashley M., Grahn, Wendy, &
Seymour, Devon. (2017). Shared-use Kitchens: A Policy Landscape Report. Fort Collins, CO: The Food Corridor.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6KNb3JpFJl8TlY1dmZMd0haNzg/view
2
Kitchen incubators are also known as “incubator kitchens,” “culinary incubators,” or “food business incubators.” Definition
adapted from Shared Kitchen Toolkit: Meader McCausland, Dawn, Miller, Rachael, Colpaart, Ashley & King, Meghan. (2018).
Shared Kitchen Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Planning, Launching and Managing a Shared-Use Commercial Kitchen. Fort Collins,
CO: The Food Corridor. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AxPanVpXpElcJUVQjpkBAfjk4yFo-fEw/view
3
Vermont Food Venture Center, a program of the Center for an Agricultural Economy. https://hardwickagriculture.org/farmers-
food-businesses/shared-use-commercial-kitchen