Are you looking for a licensed kitchen for your food business?
Kitchen Commons has heard a lot of interest and need for affordable licensed kitchen rental space over the years. For our programs, we primarily partner with churches and community centers that have unlicensed kitchens. These kitchens can be used by private groups to make food for themselves, but are not generally set up to produce food for sale. Occasionally these kitchens have received temporary restaurant licenses for one-time events, and some may be options for making items such as baked goods for sale or preserving items under the Farm-Direct Marketing Bill.
To support food entrepreneurs who find the Kitchen Commons site in the process of of seeking out a licensed kitchen to rent, in 2015 we partnered with Multnomah County Health to create and host a webpage compiling various resources including our research to date on rental kitchens. In 2019, we were delighted to learn about The Kitchen Door, which is set up just for the purpose helping you find a licensed, commercial kitchen to rent! Just enter your city or zipcode into the search tool to get started:
Note that some kitchens may ask that you have liability insurance and your business license in place prior to renting. Below you'll find other resources that may be helpful as you develop your food business. Good luck! We look forward to enjoying the delicious fruits of your labor. Feel free to reach out if you're interested in partnering with Kitchen Commons in some way.
The Interfaith Food and Farms Partnership (IFFP), a project of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO), created this handbook that focused on using the assets of local congregations to build local food systems and increase access to “fresh, locally and culturally appropriate food by people with low incomes.”
