ITHACA, N.Y. — The cost of commercial kitchen equipment can pose major financial hurdles for many would-be food business founders. A recently opened “community kitchen” venture aims to give business owners a leg up.
Local non-profit Shared Kitchen Ithaca, which held an official opening April 21, is part small business incubator, part commercial kitchen. Business owners can apply for a membership, which, for a monthly fee, gives them access to the facility’s 4,000 square feet of commercial kitchen space along with resources for everything from production and distribution to advice on expansion.
The kitchen includes commercial ranges, a charbroiler, a fryer, a combination oven, a 3-level Italian steam injection electric deck oven, Blodgett convection ovens, a 40-gallon tilt skillet, a blast chiller, ice maker, dough proofers, a dough sheeter, mixer and food processor, as well as a walk-in cooler, freezer and loading dock.
Monthly fees range from $60 to $1,800, depending on the size of the business, plus a $185 yearly fee. There are additional charges for cold and dry storage. Low- and moderate-income business owners can qualify for assistance towards the usage and membership fees.
Shared Kitchen Ithaca founder and director Rod Rotondi, previously owned and operated several restaurants and ran a shared kitchen space in Los Angeles.
In the announcement, Rotondi said he envisions Shared Kitchen Ithaca as a means to address a deficiency in the local food landscape by providing opportunities for businesses that may struggle to find a foothold otherwise.
“Shared Kitchen Ithaca fills this gap [by] creating the potential for a renaissance of specialty food production in the Finger Lakes,” Rotondi said. “Our region has seen incredible growth in the beer, wine, and cider industries without the growth of specialty foods — until now. We have the culture, visionary entrepreneurs, farmers, and now the manufacturing space and tools to make it happen.”
Local artisanal baker Erica Brath owns Ithaca Breadworks, and became one of the first members of the shared kitchen during a soft launch earlier this year.
“Shared Kitchen Ithaca is a game-changer for my business,” Brath said. “I can bake in 30 minutes in this kitchen what takes me nine hours to do in my home bakery. This is my fifth year in business, and I am finally able to expand thanks to [Shared Kitchen Ithaca]. I hope everyone with a food dream will consider using this amazing resource.”
Disclosure: The Park Foundation is also a funder of The Ithaca Voice.
