Starting a food business is hard work. One of the first barriers a food entrepreneur will face is trying to find a commercial place or commissary kitchen to produce food legally. Fortunately, in the last 5 years, there has been significant growth in the number of shared-use kitchens available. Resources like the Shared Kitchen Toolkit and the Network for Incubator and Commissary Kitchens have provided new insights and information to help this model grow and succeed.
A shared-use, commissary kitchen is a commercially-licensed space for chefs, bakers, caterers, food trucks, and other culinary professionals. You typically pay for a membership, or by the hour, in order to rent out cooking space alongside other food entrepreneurs. You also get to share expensive resources like cold storage, equipment, and cleaning supplies.
Here are the Top 5 benefits to using a commissary or shared-use kitchen to make your food business dreams a reality!
- The commissary kitchen you rent from will take care of all the extra bills – electricity, contractors, security, sewage, pest control, building codes, and more – so you don’t have to.
- Commissary kitchens have the commercial-grade equipment you need, and it is often the kitchen’s responsibility to maintain and repair it – one less thing on your plate.
- With a professional, shared-use commercial kitchen, you aren’t just getting a place to cook. You’re getting a family of chefs, food producers, caterers, and other like-minded businesses to exchange advice, guide you, and build camaraderie.
- Commercially-licensed, shared kitchens make it easy for you to stay compliant. You’ll have the peace of mind knowing you won’t risk getting shut down by the health inspector.
- Commissary kitchens often provide the additional services – like incubator programs and demo space – that help your business bring home the bacon! You’re the food expert. They can help your business scale.
So whether you are a chef, caterer, baker, food truck, or any other food entrepreneur, The Kitchen Door will help you find an extraordinary place where you can cook, legally!
