Shared Developed by: Funded by: The Food Corridor USDA North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Fruition Planning Kitchen Research and Education & Management (SARE) program Toolkit In partnership with: Purdue University Extension, A Practical Guide to Local Food Program Planning, Launching, and Managing a Shared-Use Commercial Kitchen Authors The Food Corridor, Inc: Fruition Planning & Rachael Miller Management, LLC: Ashley Colpaart Dawn Meader McCausland Meghan King The Shared Kitchen Toolkit was developed in partnership with Purdue University Extension, Local Food Program with direction from Jodee Ellett. Cover photo by Cindi Thompson at Crafted Kitchen, 2017. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the North Central Region SARE program under subaward number LNC15-374. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Toolkit Interviewees & Reviewers Dale Akins Kara Martin Tom Phibbs The Chef’s Workshop Food Innovation Network The Chef’s Workshop Luca Carnevale Zack McMath Iso Rabins Hope & Main Acadiana Food Hub & Forage Kitchen Commercial Kitchen Phil Deng MarketShare Kris Ohleth Casey Steele Garden State Kitchen Square One Kitchens Hannah Edlefsen Hacienda Community Development Corp. (Portland Mercado) Cindi Thompson Annalisa Pearson Crafted Kitchen Business Incubator Center Ross Graham Food Liability Insurance Program Natalie Vandenburgh Lauren Perez The Good Acre Sae Kitchen Djenaba Johnson-Jones Hudson Kitchen SHARED KITCHEN TOOLKIT 2 This Toolkit is intended to provide information to readers. The authors, sponsor, and funder are not offering it as legal, business or other professional services advice, and make no representations that the contents are complete or accurate. Neither the authors, sponsor or funder, shall be held liable or responsible to any person or entity with respect to any loss or incidental or consequential damages alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information provided herein. This Toolkit contains numerous website resource links. All URLs were active as of time of publication in April, 2018. For the most up-to-date links, please refer to the wiki version of this Toolkit: https://sharedkitchentoolkit.wiki.zoho.com/ Suggested Citation: Meader McCausland, Dawn, Rachael Miller, Ashley Colpaart, Meghan King. (2018) Shared Kitchen Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Planning, Launching and Managing a Shared-Use Commercial Kitchen. Fort Collins, CO: The Food Corridor. Available at: http://www.thefoodcorridor.com/resources/ © 2018 The Food Corridor, Fruition Planning & Management, Purdue University Extension. All rights reserved. Project Partners The Food Corridor is enabling efficiency, growth, and innovation in local food. They do this by connecting food businesses with available commercial food assets. Their software, used by the nation’s top shared-use kitchens, allows commercial kitchens to streamline scheduling, invoicing, and payments; manage multiple equipment and space calendars; store and track client compliance documents; communicate with clients; track storage inventory; and more. In addition, food businesses can find and book commercial kitchens, equipment, commissaries, processors, co-packers, and food storage spaces. The Food Corridor also facilitates the Network for Incubator and Commissary Kitchens (NICK) community. thefoodcorridor.com Fruition Planning & Management is a community development consulting firm focused on providing strategic support to organizations that expand opportunities. They use a collaborative approach to deliver insight and build capacity in mission-driven organizations focused on entrepreneurial ecosystems, food systems, ethical cacao and chocolate, and affordable housing. fruitionplanning.com Purdue University Extension Local Food Program uses an interdisciplinary approach to local food systems redevelopment for Indiana. They work collaboratively to create programming, provide educational materials, and build a community of scholarship for local food system issues. Their creative partnerships are designed to engage leaders in community food systems, build local economies, and deliver science- based outreach for Indiana. purdue.edu/dffs/localfood/ For Toolkit inquiries, please contact: [email protected] SHARED KITCHEN TOOLKIT 3 Contents 1 Introduction 8 Food Assistance Programs 33 Disaster Relief 34 Emerging Definitions 2 Food Policy Councils 34 and Kitchen Models 12 Community Dinners 36 Shared Kitchens 13 Special Event Rentals 36 Kitchen Incubators and Photo Shoots 37 Food Business Incubators 13 Film, TV, or YouTube Cooking Shows 38 Community Kitchens 15 Developing Partnerships & Networks 39 Food Hubs 16 Food Innovation Centers 16 4 Embarking on the Planning Process 41 Accelerators 17 Developing a Planning Food Innovation Districts 18 Budget and Timeline 42 Food Corridors 19 Clarifying Your Goals 42 Public Markets, Restaurant Local Food Systems 43 Incubators, and Food Halls 19 Community Economic Development 43 Spectrum of Kitchen Solutions 20 Community Building and Well-being 44 3 Identifying Opportunities 23 Personal Goals 44 Tips for Clarifying Goals 44 Potential Food Business Renters 23 Crafting Your Vision and Mission 45 Programming and Special Uses 24 Creating a Strategy Screen 45 Incubation Services and Business Classes 24 Developing Outcomes 45 Community and Food Safety Classes 25 Measuring Economic Impact 46 Culinary Programs and Cooking Classes 26 Engaging Your Community 47 Health and Nutrition Classes 26 Food Safety Classes 27 Gathering Feedback 48 Co-packing 27 5 Understanding Your Market 49 Pros and Cons of Offering Co-Packing Services as a Shared Kitchen 28 Feasibility Studies 50 Food Hubs 28 Determining if You Need a Feasibility Study 51 On-site Retail 29 Tips for Preparing for a Feasibility Study 52 Farmers Markets 29 Conducting Market Research 52 Chef or Product Tastings 30 Surveys 53 Pop-up Events and Markets 31 Tips for Developing Your Survey 53 Workforce Training Programs 31 Tips for Reaching Survey Respondents 54 Food Access and Security Programs 32 Interviews and Focus Groups 54 SHARED KITCHEN TOOLKIT 4 Getting Help with Focus Groups 55 Developing a Business Plan 74 Interview Tips 55 Establishing Your Organizational Structure 75 Tips for Successful Focus Groups 56 Nonprofit Organizations 75 Facilitation Tips for Focus Groups Nonprofit Umbrella Organizations 76 and Community Meetings 56 For-Profit Organizations 76 Local Market Conditions 57 Additional Business Structures 77 Defining Your Market Area 58 Co-ops 77 Analyzing Your Competition 58 Social Enterprise Hybrid 78 Investigating Factors That Diminish Demand B Corporation Certification 78 for Kitchen Space 59 Public Agencies 78 Entrepreneurial Headwinds 60 Educational Institutions 79 Challenges to Formalizing Home-Based Businesses 61 Financial Planning 80 Local Real Estate Market 8 Conditions and Trends 62 Development Pro Forma 80 Entrepreneurial Activity 62 Developing Rates and Fees 81 Industry Research 63 Rental/Membership Rates 81 Reflecting on Your Findings 63 Storage Rates 82 Kitchen Alternatives 64 Estimating Revenues 82 Forecasting Utilization 83 6 Service Planning 65 Operating Pro Forma 83 Service Opportunities 65 Operating Costs 83 Food Business Services 65 Fixed and Variable Costs 84 Community Programs and Services 67 Estimating Utilities 85 Researching Services 67 Understanding Your Breakeven 85 Identifying Service Needs 68 Five-Year Projections 86 Evaluating Existing Services 68 Assessing Demand and Willingness to 9 Funding Strategies and Prospects 87 Pay for Services 69 Foundation Grants 88 Cultivating Service Partnerships 69 Federal Grants and Tax Credits 89 Drafting Your Service Plans 70 USDA Grants 89 Determining Which Services to Offer 70 Monetizing Services 71 Most Common USDA Funding for Shared Kitchens and Kitchen Incubators 90 Estimating Whether Services Will Be Profitable 72 Department of Commerce/Economic Development Administration 91 7 Developing Your Business Model and Plan 73 Additional Federal Funding 92 Housing and Urban Development 92 Value Proposition Canvas 73 Health and Human Services 93 Business Model Canvas 74 SHARED KITCHEN TOOLKIT 5 Tax Credits 93 Designing and Equipping Your Kitchen 111 New Market Tax Credits 93 Layout 111 Low-Income Housing Tax Credits 93 Sample Floor Plans 112 Enterprise Zones 94 Equipment 113 Loans and Debt Capital 94 Purchasing Used Equipment 114 Mission-Driven Lenders: CDFIs, Revolving Energy Efficiency and Green Kitchen Design 115 Loan Funds and Community-Based Lenders 94 Storage Areas 116 Microfinance/Microenterprise Lenders 95 Storage Systems 117 Private Lenders 95 Waste Disposal 117 Commercial Lenders 96 Security 117 Venture Capital, Investment Circles, and Angel Investors 96 Outdoor Security 118 Crowdfunding 97 Kitchen Entry and Client Activity Tracking 118 Crowdfunding Considerations 99 Kitchen Supplies 119 Fundraising, Sponsorships, and Capital Campaigns 100 Managing Construction 119 Sponsorships 100 Final Contracts 119 Project Management 120 In-Kind Donations of Goods and Services 101 Timeline 120 10 Facility Design and Development 102 11 Brand and Marketing Strategy 121 Design and Development Process 102 Communicating Your Value Proposition 121 Design and Construction Team 103 Developing Your