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 facilities have rapidly evolved. Once a novel concept, they are now diverse and integrated into various community spaces.
This chapter explores the varied landscape of shared kitchen models and their impact on communities—whether by driving entrepreneurial innovation, supporting local farms, or providing access to healthy, locally produced foods. As flexible spaces, shared kitchens have adapted to industry shifts, such as the rise of food delivery services and the rapid adjustments required during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has reshaped how they operate today, spurring refinement and innovation in kitchen models. Whether you’re a community seeking to foster economic growth through local food initiatives or an entrepreneur looking for the right kitchen model to launch or scale your business, this chapter offers valuable insights. We provide a framework to understand the unique opportunities and challenges of each model, helping you identify the best fit for your local needs. More than just facilities, these kitchens are key drivers of change—building prosperity, resilience, and community well-being, one meal at a time.
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.
