Industry Overview and Models

In recent years, shared kitchens have emerged as dynamic hubs for food innovation, economic development, and community growth. In their many forms, these kitchens are more than just spaces to prepare meals—they are the backbone of thriving local food ecosystems. From budding chefs and small-scale producers to established culinary businesses, shared kitchens offer accessible, flexible, and cost-effective solutions for food entrepreneurs to turn their visions into reality.

By providing a space to test ideas and refine products, shared kitchens help startups de-risk their business. They allow them to market-test their concepts without the high upfront costs of building their own facilities. This model enables food entrepreneurs to launch and grow, adjusting as they learn and mitigating financial risk along the way.

Shared commercial kitchens, incubator kitchens, food truck commissaries, ghost kitchens, and food processing centers cater to the growing demand for culinary diversity across sales channels. Each plays a unique role in local economies by fostering job creation, workforce development, and greater food security for local communities. These spaces provide essential infrastructure for individuals and small businesses that might not have the resources to navigate the complexities of opening a food production space of their own.

Shared kitchen facilities have rapidly evolved. Once a novel concept, they are now diverse and integrated into various community spaces. From standalone facilities to components within markets, community centers, or housing projects, today’s shared kitchens offer many amenities, including event spaces, culinary studios, and cafes. They serve many businesses, including food trucks, bakers, caterers, ghost kitchen concepts, meal kits, and consumer packaged goods (CPG).

Shared Kitchen Industry

Shared kitchens are licensed commercial spaces that provide a pathway for food entrepreneurs—from chefs, caterers, food truck operators, and bakers to value-added producers and packaged food and beverage makers—to launch and grow their businesses. Shared kitchens and incubator kitchens play a unique and vital role in food systems and entrepreneurial ecosystems across the country. By providing entrepreneurs, producers, and food access programs with affordable space, shared kitchens help strengthen local food systems and build community prosperity. They are valuable tools for achieving a wide range of community goals, including job creation, workforce training, increased access to healthy food and nutrition education, support for local farms, a more localized food economy, neighborhood revitalization, and even tourism.

Shared kitchens are also powerful launchpads for entrepreneurship. By renting space in a shared kitchen on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis, businesses can produce food in compliance with regulatory requirements without needing to invest in their own facility during a stage when capital and cash flow are a challenge. Similarly, incubator kitchens provide access to production space while also delivering education and ecosystem services that support business success, lower barriers, and propel growth. As these businesses grow, they create jobs for the local community and often support local farmers and producers through their purchasing. Many successful shared kitchen members go on to establish their own brick-and-mortar businesses, contributing to the vibrancy of neighborhoods and local economies. These new businesses create jobs, stimulate tourism, and further enrich the food scene.

Investments in shared kitchens can foster inclusive economic opportunities for communities with a history of disinvestment. Our 2023 survey of shared kitchens found that 55% of kitchen members were women and 47% were minorities, up from 28% in 2016. The shared commercial kitchen has become an important tool for overcoming obstacles entrepreneurs with limited resources face when entering the food industry. When paired with support services, such as workshops and advising, these spaces help increase the success of new businesses.

Trends Propelling the Growth of Shared Kitchens

The shared kitchen model continues to evolve and expand nationwide. Our 2023 Shared Kitchen Operator survey revealed that two-thirds of incubator kitchens opened after 2010, with 38% launching since 2020. Several converging trends have fueled this growth: a focus on entrepreneurship in economic development, changing food safety regulations, and the rise of the sharing economy. Increased demand for food delivery, catering, food trucks, and meal kits, along with a growing interest in international cuisines, has also driven expansion.

A key trend within the shared kitchen industry is the growth of small-scale processing and co-packing services, which are increasingly vital for scaling local food production. These services allow small businesses and farmers to turn raw products into market-ready goods without the need for significant investment in their own processing facilities. By providing access to specialized equipment and packaging resources, shared kitchens and small-scale co-packers are empowering local food entrepreneurs to expand, achieve food safety standards, and enter broader markets—all while preserving the quality of their products.

The community element remains a cornerstone of the shared kitchen industry. Collaboration between entrepreneurs, community members, and kitchen operators creates a supportive ecosystem that fosters growth and innovation. More shared kitchen operator groups, industry events, and resources are emerging to share best practices and help operators succeed more quickly. This sense of community, combined with strong peer-to-peer support, allows kitchens to operate sustainably while strengthening local food systems. In addition, new investments from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are helping fuel this expansion, particularly in small-scale processing. Federal support through grants and initiatives is helping shared kitchens offer more co-packing and processing capabilities, which are critical for scaling local food production. These investments are designed to support local food economies, enhance rural development, and increase access to healthy, sustainable foods. By driving innovation and infrastructure development, USDA funding is playing a crucial role in advancing the shared kitchen industry and supporting small-scale producers as they scale up.

Diversity of Shared Kitchen Models

These trends have given rise to a growing industry of hundreds of shared and incubator kitchens in communities of all sizes around the country. Today, shared kitchens thrive in diverse locations across North America, from rural farmlands to urban centers, including Native American Tribal nations and suburban hubs. They range from 1,000-square-foot community kitchens to 3,000-square-foot springboards to production powerhouses that exceed 50,000 square feet. Their business structures are also diverse: owner-operated, corporate, nonprofit, government, and university-sponsored. No two shared kitchens are alike. Each space reflects the unique needs and strengths of its community. This diversity is a testament to the shared kitchen model’s adaptability and its ability to serve a wide range of food entrepreneurs and community programs.

Shared kitchens are a combination of self-funded, grant-supported, debt-financed, corporate-sponsored, and investor-seeded projects. Many shared kitchens are owned and operated by food businesses and their excess commercial kitchen capacity to generate additional revenue. Many for-profit kitchens are started with the dual aims of supporting entrepreneurs and providing a personal livelihood for themselves or, in some cases, a return for their investors. Nonprofit, public, and university-sponsored facilities often aim to support local food systems, grow entrepreneurial ecosystems, create jobs, and foster opportunities in underinvested communities.

Recognizing that shared rentals alone are often insufficient to sustain a kitchen, kitchens are expanding their uses to diversify their revenue streams. They are crossing over into contract manufacturing and packing of food products as a service, venturing into distribution or joint purchasing, launching retail outlets, and developing community-focused programming. Additionally, an increasing number of multi-tenant facilities include both shared kitchens and dedicated, single-user production spaces. In this landscape, the line of what is a shared kitchen, incubator kitchen, and other enterprise is continually being blurred and reinvented.

The Shared Kitchen / Incubator Spectrum

The chart below outlines the spectrum of kitchen and business support solutions that communities may consider to meet the needs of local food entrepreneurs. The models and services mentioned are discussed further in this chapter and the chapter on Business Incubation Programs.

Facility Models

In the Shared Kitchen Toolkit, we explore how to design your facility to meet the needs of your community and find diverse revenue streams that help your kitchen thrive. Because shared kitchens are so diverse, it is helpful to establish a shared language for common business and facility models. Understanding the options will help you evaluate which models will best suit your market, team, and desired outcomes for your community. In this section, we will highlight the differences between shared kitchens, incubator kitchens, community kitchens, Tribal-led kitchens, ghost kitchens, dedicated kitchens/pods, and food truck commissaries. Later in the chapter, we will discuss related food facilities that may have a shared kitchen component, such as food innovation centers, food hubs, public markets, food halls, and food processing centers/co-manufacturing facilities.

Shared kitchens that serve a broad range of food businesses are still the most common model. However, an increasing number of specialized facilities are being designed to meet the needs of specific businesses, such as ghost kitchens and food trucks. Specialized kitchens are able to optimize their layout, equipment, and services while also differentiating their kitchen from their competition in areas where multiple shared kitchens operate. In smaller communities with a lower density of food businesses and consumers, a shared kitchen that serves a variety of business types is often the most successful. See the Market Research chapter for more information about assessing the landscape of existing kitchen resources and competition in your community.

Shared Commercial Kitchens

In simple terms, shared kitchens (also known as shared-use kitchens) can be thought of as co-working spaces for food businesses. In Shared-Use Kitchens: A Policy Landscape Report, The Food Corridor provided the following definition:

“A shared-use kitchen, where renters or members can rent existing infrastructure for hourly or daily time blocks, provides a convenient way for food entrepreneurs to access existing infrastructure without the high startup costs. Two types of shared-use kitchens are emerging as valuable models in this sector: 1. commissary kitchens, whose business model is to rent out kitchen time, equipment, and storage; and 2. incubator kitchens, whose business model is to rent out kitchen time, equipment, and storage; with the addition of business development assistance, business counseling, and access to unique channel opportunities.

A shared-use kitchen is a place of business for the exclusive purpose of providing commercial space and equipment to multiple individuals or business entities to commercially prepare or handle food that will be offered for wholesale, resale, or distribution. ‘Commercially prepare or handle ’ includes, but is not limited to, the making, cooking, baking, mixing, processing, packaging, bottling, canning, or storing of food. Shared-use kitchens may include multiple workstations, professional-grade equipment, freezer, cold and dry storage areas, and proper sanitation equipment. The spaces may serve as a commercial production area, a packaging facility, and/or a commissary for food businesses, among other uses.”

As mentioned earlier, shared kitchens operate under diverse ownership models. They may be privately owned, for-profit entities but can also be nonprofit, institutional, or government-owned. They may be mission-driven or profit-driven or aim to be both. Sometimes, food businesses will become de facto shared kitchens by renting excess space or kitchen capacity to other food businesses to increase or stabilize their revenues. Shared kitchens often care about the success of their members but may not see educating or advising members as their role (except guiding members through the licensing process). Unlike business incubators, shared kitchens do not have graduation requirements and may seek members who will be long-term users or anchor tenants.

Incubator Kitchens / Food Business Incubators

As mentioned, shared kitchens take many forms, and a common enhancement is the provision of entrepreneurial technical assistance to members. Incubator kitchens, also known as food business incubators, are generally shared commercial kitchens with education, advising, and support services for food entrepreneurs based on their business stage. These support services often include classes, workshops, coaching, mentoring, and sales and networking opportunities aimed at helping food businesses succeed. The Business Incubation Programs chapter provides additional information about designing entrepreneurial support programs.

CommonWealth Kitchen (CWK) operates two kitchens at its 12,000-square-foot facility in Dorchester, Massachusetts—a shared commercial kitchen, home to more than 45 small food businesses, and a commissary kitchen, offering small-batch contract manufacturing to member companies, farms, and other food businesses. In addition to kitchen space, CWK provides comprehensive incubation services and production support including advising and coaching, business planning, permitting, recipe development and scaling, production flow improvement, ingredient sourcing, nutritional analysis, labeling, access to capital, and market channel development. Their incubation services are supported by revenues and public and private grants.

Community Kitchens

The term “community kitchen” encompasses various concepts. However, it typically refers to facilities serving the broader community and offering public programming rather than exclusively catering to for-profit food businesses. Nonprofits or public entities generally run these facilities to serve broad community needs. Community kitchens often have primary uses such as meal services for children or food insecure populations, facilitating social enterprise programs, event rentals, community dinners, cooking and nutrition classes, and other food-related experiences for the general public.

For example, Loveland Community Kitchen in Loveland, CO, offers continental breakfast, hot meals, and to-go bag programs to people experiencing homelessness, the working poor, and seniors living on a fixed income. The kitchen operates daily thanks to a dedicated core of volunteers and donors. CommunityKitchen of Northern Iowa’s mission is to get food to people in need. Food is donated by local restaurants and grocers, prepared in its kitchen by volunteers, and distributed through partner organizations six days a week.

A community kitchen also generally applies to community-based kitchen facilities found in community centers, schools, churches, and other institutional or event spaces that may or may not meet all the standards for commercial food production. Kitchens in these multi-use community facilities can sometimes be rented out to food businesses to support entrepreneurship and generate revenue for the facility. The guide “Opening Community Facilities to Food Entrepreneurs: Guidance for Communities and Facility Operators” by Purdue Extension explores the benefits and limitations of renting these facilities.

Much of the information in this Toolkit, particularly the pricing, member management, regulatory compliance, and the contracts, risk management, and insurance chapters will also be helpful to community kitchens seeking to generate additional revenue through commercial kitchen rentals.

Tribal-led Kitchens / Traditional Food Incubators

There is growing interest in developing shared kitchens all across Indian Country. Supporting the ability to process fished, hunted, grown, and gathered traditional foods to increase the accessibility of culturally appropriate foods and develop food businesses to create economic opportunities is one way to strengthen tribal food sovereignty and self-governance. Tribal–led shared kitchens often aim to preserve and pass on traditional food ways through educational programs for community members and youth. They may include special cooking facilities and methods, such as outdoor cooking, smoking, pit cooking, and preserving, to support education and enable commercial and non-commercial food processing.

The California Indian Museum and Cultural Center (CIMCC) in Santa Rosa, CA, is building on the success of its Acorn Bites snack product and developing a traditional food incubator that will offer licensed commercial space and support to help revitalize traditional foods, grow Native-led food businesses, and give Tribal members a competitive advantage in the marketplace. The incubator will serve 24 Tribes in Northern California and engage youth involved in the Center’s Tribal Youth Ambassadors Program. CIMCC currently offers food distribution, robust educational programs, and policy advocacy on traditional foods and traditional ecological knowledge. The kitchen will add to CIMCC’s recent investments in making the center a resiliency hub for the community through a resilient power system, high-efficiency HVAC, and community garden.

Food sovereignty and security are important priorities for many Tribal-led kitchen projects; shared kitchens can play an important role in processing and distributing everyday foods for Tribal members. First foods are not always abundant, and some Tribal members may solely focus on supplying their communities with culturally appropriate foods. For these producers to flourish, they need space with good sanitation and storage options to process foods safely. Tribal-led kitchen projects often have considerations beyond the commercial success of kitchen users that they seek to balance with programs to encourage business development. Additionally, Native cultures approach commerce with Indigenous values and traditions, emphasizing the collective benefit and sustainable practices for future generations.

Despite their unique approach, Tribal-led shared kitchen projects share many of the same planning considerations and challenges as non-Tribal shared kitchen projects. Building a shared commercial kitchen on Tribal lands involves unique considerations due to the Government-to-Government principles, which acknowledge Tribal nations’ sovereignty. Each Tribe is a separate nation and retains the power of self-governance. Tribes have the right to create and enforce their own regulations and laws, whether regulatory, civil, or criminal, as well as taxes, property, or sales. That includes the right to create distinct food safety rules for the benefit of their cultural lifeways and food security priorities. These projects often have to bridge between two or more cultural and economic contexts with differing requirements and values. Often, there are the traditional Native food ways of the Tribe(s) where the kitchen is located serves (which may or may not be federally recognized and/or have reservation or Tribally owned land that is under Tribal regulations) that have been in place since time immemorial. These kitchens operate within and often must contend with the broader context of American settler culture and additional regulatory, food safety, and economic systems, such as the Food and Drug Administration and Internal Revenue Service, that may impact kitchen design and operations.

The Oyate Teca community kitchens on the Pine Ridge Native American Reservation in South Dakota are designed to teach Indigenous food preparation and preservation while providing easy access to healthy meals on the reservation. Housed in the 21,000-square-foot multi-use Oyate Ta Kola Ku community center, the kitchens include a 362-square-foot teaching kitchen with four cooking stations and a center island for lessons, as well as a 1,400-square-foot commercial kitchen equipped with walk-in freezers, coolers, double ovens, and sinks. These facilities support cooking and canning classes, and mass food preparation for community events. Produce is sourced directly from on-site gardens, including a greenhouse and hoop house, to support improving the nutritional lifestyle of the entire community. Community kitchens like Oyate Teca uplift Native culture and values by addressing food insecurity, promoting healthy eating habits, preserving traditional food knowledge, and fostering community connections. Such facilities support self-governance, resiliency, and food sovereignty rights by enabling Native communities to produce, prepare, and control their own food systems.

Ghost Kitchens

During the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants began using their commercial kitchens to produce food for virtual brands that sell exclusively via online food delivery apps. These kitchens were deemed “ghost kitchens” because they weren’t associated with the product or brand of the brick-and-mortar restaurant but were produced there to generate additional revenue for the struggling business. As food delivery increased, specialized ghost kitchen facilities were created to serve this niche. Venture capital poured into the concept, increasing the number of kitchens designed exclusively for delivery-only food, catering to existing national brands and independent operators.

Ghost kitchens, also known as cloud kitchens, have equipment similar to other commercial kitchens, but their design is optimized for delivery. Specifically, most of these kitchens do not have dining areas or physical storefronts, although some have customer pick-up areas that serve all brands at the facility. Customers order through food delivery apps or directly from the virtual restaurant’s website, app, or phone. This model allows multiple virtual restaurants to function from a single delivery-optimized kitchen, reducing startup and overhead costs for brands compared to traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Initially, ghost kitchens were seen as a cost-effective solution for food entrepreneurs, offering lower staffing and rental costs. However, many operators have found the expected efficiencies difficult to achieve. As COVID-19 restrictions eased, demand for delivery-only brands decreased, and challenges like limited brand visibility, reliance on third-party apps, and unexpected operational costs have impacted profitability. Although the model reduces operational expenses, the long-term success of ghost kitchens remains uncertain as consumer behavior and investor enthusiasm shift.

Dedicated Kitchens or Rental Pods in Shared Facilities

Individual, private kitchens in a shared facility are innovative designs that offer distinct advantages for food entrepreneurs. This model allows businesses to rent private or semi-private kitchen spaces, sometimes called dedicated kitchens or pods, equipped with permit-ready commercial kitchen infrastructure – energy, water, grease interceptor, ventilation, etc. Businesses may be required to outfit their kitchen with equipment based on their unique production needs, allowing them to tailor the space to their specific operations. Each private kitchen operates independently, allowing members to work on their schedules and customize the space according to their particular needs. This arrangement offers greater privacy and control over the kitchen environment, fostering a more orderly, professional, and focused working atmosphere.

By offering dedicated kitchen areas, this rental model caters to a diverse range of food businesses, including caterers, restaurant or delivery operators, and small-scale food manufacturers, who may require consistent access to their workspace without the interruptions and scheduling conflicts that can arise in a fully shared kitchen setting. It can particularly benefit members with specialized equipment, extended processing times, or allergen-free products. This setup also helps address concerns about intellectual property or trade secrets, as it limits exposure to proprietary processes and recipes.

For kitchen operators, this model relies on leases with flat rate fees, providing a stable revenue stream and ensuring consistent occupancy. Dedicated kitchens often come with access to shared resources such as cold storage, dry storage, and specialized equipment, blending the benefits of communal and individual kitchen facilities. This model supports business growth by providing a scalable solution, allowing entrepreneurs to expand their operations within the same facility as their needs evolve.

Private kitchen spaces are sometimes included alongside shared kitchens, while other facilities exclusively offer dedicated kitchens. PREP Kitchens operates large multi-use commercial facilities with private kitchens in several states. Their rental spaces range from 500 to 15,000 square feet, with 750- to 1,000-square-foot spaces common in some facilities. The spaces do not include cooking equipment but are equipped with hoods, sinks, cold storage, and grease traps. On-site amenities include coworking space, conference rooms, and event space. The facility also offers centralized purchasing and distribution services.

Another example is Amped Kitchens, which offers private commercial kitchens for rent in Los Angeles and Chicago. It caters to small food businesses ready to expand beyond shared kitchen space. Amped provides permit-ready, private production spaces ranging from 150 to 5,000 square feet. Rentals include access to dry, cold, and frozen storage space, office space, conference rooms, and a vibrant food manufacturing community.

Food Truck Commissaries

Food truck commissaries cater specifically to the unique needs of food trucks, offering amenities and services not typically found in general-purpose shared kitchens. These facilities serve as a home base for food trucks, offering essential utilities and conveniences such as designated parking spots, electricity hook-ups for vehicle charging, water and propane refills, and greywater disposal. Additionally, commissaries provide access to commercial-grade kitchen spaces where operators can prepare and cook food in a well-equipped, sanitary environment. This setup helps ensure compliance with local health codes and regulations, which often require food trucks to operate from licensed facilities.

Beyond the basics, food truck commissaries offer valuable amenities like cold storage, truck maintenance areas, and even a mailing address for receiving. These facilities often include access to cooking equipment and supplies, such as ovens, refrigerators, utensils, and cleaning materials. By centralizing these resources, commissaries help food truck operators reduce overhead costs and improve operational efficiency. Furthermore, commissaries foster a community environment where food truck operators can network, share resources, and support each other’s businesses, enhancing their overall success and sustainability in the competitive food industry.

Food Truck Central KC is a prominent food truck commissary in Kansas City, KS, offering a fully equipped commercial kitchen for rent to food trucks. Located in the West Bottoms neighborhood, just minutes from downtown Kansas City and major interstates, it provides a convenient and accessible location. The facility features a 740-square-foot commercial kitchen with four separate prep stations, sinks, and various equipment. It also includes a separate wash area, greywater dump station, potable water source, and convenient load-in and load-out areas. One of the key advantages of this commissary is its 24/7/365 access for members, allowing food truck operators and other food businesses to work on their schedules.

Food Processing Center / Co-Manufacturing Facility

Kitchens that focus on food processing for local farmers and food producers are often located in or near rural areas or urban farming communities and aim to support the economic viability of these farms through value-added processing. Food processing facilities are sometimes part of a food hub that distributes locally produced foods to residents, institutions, restaurants, and other buyers in the area. They may also have co-packing capabilities, offering the option to pay the facility to complete some or all of the processing and packaging on behalf of the farmer or business so they can focus on their harvesting and/or sales activities.

Processing can include wash and packaging facilities for produce, USDA-approved meat processing facilities, canning and bottling facilities, as well as dehydration, freezing, and cold storage facilities to extend the life of fresh foods beyond the harvest season. Additional facilities can include milling, packaging, and labeling. Processing facilities are often separated into different rooms for fresh produce processing, thermal processing, dry packaging, baking, cold storage, and warehousing.

These facilities have unique challenges related to the seasonality of the foods produced in the region. They must carefully plans to size the capacity of the facility to meet peak demand while remaining economically sustainable during off-seasons when production may be low. Additional year-round users (such as caterers and packaged food businesses) and anchor tenants or programs (such as greenhouse or indoor growers and food security programs) can help stabilize revenues throughout the year.

If processing meat for interstate distribution is part of a facility’s vision, additional USDA regulations will apply. The USDA operates regionally and can be accessed through its website. Operating a USDA facility for meat processing requires additional office space and may require paying the wage of the USDA Inspector during processing times.

ACEnet is the oldest food business incubator in the U.S. Based in Ohio, ACEnet has two facilities with food processing capabilities. The Nelsonville Food and Farm Enterprise Center’s 98,000-square-foot facility includes a meat processing room that enables local meat producers to make finished products, a produce processing area, and a large heated warehouse with loading docks and pallet jacks. ACEnet’s Athens FoodVenture Center serves 65 food entrepreneurs and includes a shared central kitchen, a thermal processing room, and a warehouse for cold and dry storage and distribution.

Blue Ridge Food Ventures (BRFV), located in Candler, NC, is an 11,000-square-foot shared kitchen and natural products manufacturing facility designed to support food entrepreneurs and small businesses. Its mission is to help small businesses enter the marketplace with safe and wholesome foods and natural products, thereby fostering new business creation and job growth in the region. BRFV provides access to commercial-grade equipment and space for food production, bottling, and packaging. It boasts extensive equipment, including processing kitchens, bottling capabilities, steam kettles, baking equipment, ovens, and freezers. Entrepreneurs can utilize the shared kitchen or arrange for “labor-assisted production” using BRFV staff to manufacture products. The facility supports the development of diverse products such as salsas, hot sauces, apple products, olive oil, and organic chocolate. Situated near a small business development center, BRFV can also assist producers with business plans and financing. It offers comprehensive support services, including product development guidance, assistance navigating government regulations, and advice on marketing and label design. As a multi-purpose facility with a shared use model and business support services, BRFV plays a pivotal role in fostering local food entrepreneurs and promoting value-added agriculture in the region.

Food Innovation Centers

Food innovation centers (FICs) are large facilities providing a spectrum of food science/safety, education, and business services for startup and established food businesses. They are often associated with state universities’ food science and technology, agriculture, or nutrition departments. Not all FICs have rent facilities. Those that do sometimes have higher capacity equipment than a typical shared kitchen. They may rent production areas on a daily basis (sometimes referred to as a “hotel model”) rather than hourly.

University FICs commonly provide technical lab and research services that are not available in general shared kitchens or incubator kitchens. These include services like food product development and formulation, process development, shelf life testing, nutritional analysis, process authority services, sensory and consumer research, quality testing, culinology, food safety training and analysis, market research, and supplier connections. Additionally, FICs often offer food safety training and outreach to food and farm businesses. Services are typically offered to both start-up and established companies on a fee basis. The growing popularity of the term “food innovation center” has extended its use beyond the university-based model. Some food incubators positioning themselves as hubs of innovation in their communities and/or as multi-service centers for numerous food systems programs are also calling themselves food innovation centers.

The Maui Food Innovation Center (MFIC) is a shared processing facility housed within the University of Hawaii Maui College (UHMC) with a “farm-to-shelf” focus.

The 4,000-square-foot facility offers rentable kitchen space, a food business incubator program, and industry connections that help cottage food companies grow into medium-sized food manufacturers in Hawaii. MFIC seeks to increase food security on the island by helping farmers develop new value-added products with their by-products and unsellable crops. The Center also provides education on Hawaii’s food system and partners with local high schools to deliver food entrepreneurship programs. 

The Food Innovation Center at Colorado State University (CSU) Spur, located in Denver, CO, is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to supporting food and agricultural innovators in developing new food products. Key features include specialized spaces for product development, such as a USDA-inspected meat lab, dairy innovation lab, produce food safety and processing lab, and culinary development kitchen. The center provides services like sensory testing, product validation, shelf-life evaluation, food safety analysis, and regulatory support, all delivered by on-site experts.

Additionally, it offers educational programs for industry professionals, entrepreneurs, university students, and K-12 students, aiming to bridge the gap between field and fork, sustain the food and agricultural community, and engage urban consumers with the food production process.

An important feature of the Denver-based Center is its shared kitchen facilities, which are available for rent to the public. These facilities provide food entrepreneurs with access to state-of-the-art equipment and resources, fostering innovation within the food industry by providing a collaborative space for developing and testing new food products.

Other Facilities that May Include Shared Kitchens

Public markets, food halls, and food hubs sometimes integrate shared kitchen components into their operations to create dynamic, mixed-use spaces. These hybrid models offer unique opportunities for food entrepreneurs, combining the resources of typical shared kitchens with additional services like agricultural aggregation and distribution, retail space, dining areas, and community programs. In this section, we’ll explore the various facilities incorporating shared kitchen elements and highlight how they enhance business operations while fostering community and economic development.

Food Hubs

Food hubs generally refer to aggregation and distribution centers for locally produced foods. The USDA defines a food hub as:

“A business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food products primarily from local and regional producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand.”

Food hubs typically offer cold and dry storage areas for aggregating and distributing locally grown or raised products, such as produce, fruits, meats, and dairy. Additionally, many food hubs have processing facilities that include a shared kitchen that may be rented by producers and/or other food entrepreneurs, depending on the community and mission of the hub. This Toolkit does not address all the unique needs of facilities designed for aggregation and distribution; however, food hubs with shared kitchens will find the Toolkit helpful for planning or optimizing their kitchen operations and programming.

Food hubs expanded across the country in the past decade in response to growing interest in improving the distribution of locally grown foods to local markets and institutions. However, the model has faced challenges, including uneven supply and demand, pricing pressures, difficulty maintaining the right product mix, and lack of profitability. 

The Worcester Regional Food Hub in Worcester, MA, is designed to foster a robust regional food system. Its mission is to “increase local food access and consumption and recruit, retain and incubate local food entrepreneurs, collectively building healthy, sustainable, and just communities.” The Food Hub’s wholesale food program connects local farmers with institutional channels through aggregation and distribution. Concurrently, its Food Hub Kitchen provides various services for start-up and existing food entrepreneurs, including hourly kitchen rentals, ServSafe classes, technical assistance, food business classes, workshops ,and support. The new facility at Union Station will feature five production kitchens, an event space, a retail store, and a farmers market.

The Good Acre in Falcon Heights, MN, provides a unique mix of market access and food distribution services for farmers, food entrepreneur empowerment, and other food ecosystem services. It offers a wholesale program that connects immigrant-led and independent farms with institutional and market buyers and a community supported agriculture (CSA) FarmShare program for consumers. In addition to rentable shared kitchen space, the Good Acre offers dry and cold storage, produce wash stations, and a robust schedule of classes.

Public Markets

Public markets are multi-vendor spaces offering fixed and temporary stalls for vendors to sell various food products, such as ready-to-eat meals, packaged goods, and locally grown produce. These markets house numerous independent sellers in a single location, often in permanent buildings or designated areas. Public markets provide diverse food offerings, including fresh produce, meats, and prepared foods, while emphasizing local and community-focused elements. In addition to offering opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs to sell their products, public markets serve as community gathering spaces, hosting events, live music, and educational programs. Additionally, they can play a role in preserving regional and traditional food cultures and practices. 

Shared kitchens are sometimes included in public markets to facilitate the preparation and processing of food sold at the market and surrounding areas. The Shed 5 Incubator kitchen at Eastern Public Market in Detroit, MI, is an example of a production-focused kitchen that accommodates culinary events. A three-dimensional map of the kitchen is available on their website. Other public markets host demonstration kitchens designed for consumer events, such as tastings, cooking classes, and nutrition programs.

Easton Public Market in Easton, PA, offers a 600-square-foot rentable demonstration kitchen that hosts weekly programs for adults and children, nutrition and food education classes, and culinary-related film productions. The Easton Public Market features vendors, a farm stand, a community room, and a family-friendly events calendar.

Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, CA, a renowned public market and food hall since 1917, is located in the historic Homer Laughlin Building in Downtown Los Angeles. It features nearly 40 vendors offering diverse cuisines, reflecting the city’s multicultural food scene alongside handmade, artisan goods. Known for its vibrant atmosphere, high ceilings, and bustling environment, the market is a cultural hub showcasing California’s best ingredients, chefs, and entrepreneurs.

Despite their contributions to community vitality, public markets face challenges, including competition from supermarkets and modern retail formats, particularly in urban areas. These markets highlight the importance of local emphasis and cultural significance in providing platforms for small-scale food entrepreneurs and fostering community engagement.

Food Halls

Food service-focused facilities that provide affordable, low-risk space for entrepreneurs to test and grow new food service concepts can be powerful springboards for new restaurants and cafes. Food halls, pop-up restaurant spaces, or cafes can be co-located with shared kitchen facilities. For example, EatsPlace is a community development financial institution (CDFI) with a commissary kitchen and restaurant lab in Washington, D.C. The organization rents a turnkey restaurant and bar competitively for pop-ups as a launchpad for new restaurant concepts. It also offers shared commercial kitchen access, an accelerator program, consulting services, and access to capital for historically underserved entrepreneurs.

A food hall is a large, standalone location or section of a building that houses multiple local food vendors and artisanal restaurants under one roof. Key characteristics of food halls include a variety of independent, local, and artisanal food businesses rather than chain restaurants. Vendors typically cook food to order, often in view of customers. They offer diverse cuisine options and emphasize scratch-made dishes using local or high-quality ingredients. Food halls feature communal seating areas where patrons can enjoy food from different vendors, often in historic or architecturally interesting buildings, creating a unique atmosphere. They also serve as community gathering spaces, sometimes offering events or entertainment alongside food.

Avanti Food & Beverage: Collective Eatery, located in Boulder and Denver, CO, is a modern food hall inspired by European markets and food truck roundups. Fourteen different restaurant concepts, housed in modified shipping containers equipped with mini kitchens, provide guests with an eclectic mix of affordably priced, chef-inspired cuisine while allowing the restaurateurs the opportunity to test and refinements before moving into their own brick-and-mortar spaces.

Food halls like Avanti are often distinguished from traditional food courts by their focus on local businesses, artisanal foods, and a curated dining experience. They have become increasingly popular destinations for food lovers seeking variety and quality in a casual setting. Additionally, food halls provide lower start-up costs for vendors, offering chefs and entrepreneurs the opportunity to launch new concepts with less overhead than a full restaurant. This model fosters a sense of community and supports local economies by providing a platform for small food businesses to thrive. SpiceBridge, the Food Innovation Network’s food hall in Tukwila, WA, brings the diverse community together over traditional dishes from around the world and includes an incubator kitchen serving caterers and packaged food producers. 

Like other food establishments, food halls rely on drawing in repeat dining customers to sustain their operations. Factors such as neighborhood, atmosphere, food quality and variety, and marketing have a significant impact on their success.

Final Thoughts

The shared kitchen industry is experiencing significant growth, driven by its adaptability to diverse business models, locations, and community needs. From incubators fostering entrepreneurship to ghost kitchens revolutionizing food delivery, these spaces are reshaping local food systems and offering critical opportunities for food entrepreneurs at all stages. As we’ve seen, whether it’s supporting small-scale producers, fueling culinary innovation, or addressing community food security, shared kitchens serve as a vital nexus for both economic development and social impact. However, choosing the right kitchen model requires thoughtful consideration of your specific goals, market conditions, and community needs.

In the next chapter, we will explore how to align your vision with the most suitable business model, offering guidance to help you navigate this complex and evolving industry. Whether you’re building a community-based kitchen or launching a scalable commercial operation, developing a sustainable business model will be key to your success.