The county is looking for help to establish a “kitchen incubator” that will provide business training and commercial kitchen space to local food entrepreneurs.
The concept is being considered after the Montgomery County Food Council, an independent group of business owners, residents and community organizations, approached the County Executive Ike Leggett with the incubator idea.
Leggett announced Wednesday that the county is looking for “an expert team” to help local food businesses commercialize their products.
“The rapidly increasing demand for local products provides a unique opportunity to build health and wealth in Montgomery County,” Leggett said in a press statement.
The idea is for the county to provide funds and marketing to help start the incubator, but then have it run by a private business partner. The county’s participation after the incubator is established will depend on the its ability to secure outside investors and community support.
Dan Hoffman, the chief innovation officer for the county and a co-chair of the Food Council, said the county already has incubators for technology and environmental startups, but that this one may appeal to a different segment of the county’s population.
“We see this incubator helping new Americans with culinary skills, immigrants, folks with limited means, and maybe even people re-entering the workforce after being in a correctional institution,” Hoffman said.
He said financial barriers make it difficult to start a business in the food service field.
“Equipment is expensive, licensing, permitting, there’s a reason why [food service] businesses often fail,” Hoffman said. “What we want to do is create an environment where folks don’t have to worry about losing their home when starting a business.”
Hoffman said the county has budgeted a modest figure to help start the incubator, but asked that it not be published until after the request for proposal (RFP) deadline on July 23. A request for proposal is basically a formal way the county solicits cost estimates for projects.
Hoffman said the county examined other kitchen incubators, including Union Kitchen in the District and La Cocina in San Francisco, before issuing the RFP.
Union Kitchen, which started in 2012, is housed in a 7,300-square-foot Congress Street warehouse and provides a low-cost commercial kitchen for local businesses to grow and establish their business. The incubator has partnered with established businesses such as Whole Foods and Coastal Sunbelt Produce to distribute food from its members. The kitchen charges $1,000 per month for a full-time membership, and $800 for a “nights and weekends” membership. About 60 businesses now call the kitchen home, and there has been so much demand that Union Kitchen plans to open a second kitchen in the District at the end of the year.
Hoffman said the kitchen in Montgomery County will look to partner with local colleges, community groups, and successful local hospitality businesses such as Honest Tea and Marriott to extend its reach.