Ever heard of an “incubator kitchen”?
Also called a “kitchen incubator,” it’s defined by The New York Times as “a shared commercial kitchen, used primarily by low-income women, mostly immigrants, who want to build a food business but wouldn’t have the resources to do so on their own.”
Knoxville native Bailey Foster encountered her first one about 15 years ago when she was living in San Francisco. She was impressed.
The Webb School grad, who earned degrees from Davidson College and Columbia University, spent 25 years away from her hometown, working in publishing, Medicare client services, and management for Trader Joe’s. She said she’s always been interested in food, but her discovery of La Cocina really opened her eyes.
“They have had a huge impact on the food economy in the Bay Area,” she said. “I thought what they were doing was incredible. Elevating so many different voices, advancing food justice.”
When she returned to Knoxville in 2013, Foster said, “I didn’t know that I would do a kitchen.” But she started talking to some of her culinary friends, who said, “we’d love to start a business, but we don’t have a place to do it.” That made her think “there’s a market opportunity.”
So Foster is bringing her own incubator kitchen – Real Good Kitchen – to 2004 East Magnolia Ave.
Knoxville, Foster said, is fertile ground for such a venture. “We have such a well-established local food economy and incredible Farmers Market, and the food truck industry has really exploded in the past five years. There’s a growing food and beverage industry. We’re a destination downtown. How can we bring all the prosperity that the city has to offer, to benefit more people?
“We want to make it possible to lower the barriers and decrease the risks of starting a new food business. Our primary service will be providing a commercial kitchen and storage space.”
She also plans to provide business resources. “The entrepreneur’s journey can be lonely – it’s easy to feel like you’re doing it on your own. We want to be able to serve existing businesses and people who just have good ideas and good plans for businesses.
"We want to be a comprehensive food entrepreneurship incubator – a licensed commercial kitchen space that’s meant to be shared. We have intentionally found a home in East Knoxville where we hope we can be a great partner.”
Sometime this spring, she and partners Melanie Mullens and Rachel Weaver will host multiple open houses. They’re still brainstorming. “We may have themed events,” said Foster, “like a Hispanic Open House, or an Open House for East Knoxville. We want to meet everybody where they are and provide the resources that they need.”
Follow Real Good Kitchen at therealgoodkitchen.com and facebook.com/RealGoodKitchen.
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/shopper-news/north-knox/2020/02/13/commercial-kitchen-help-low-income-cooks-build-food-business/4692859002/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=amp&utm_campaign=speakable
2020-02-13 10:30:00Z
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