Commercial kitchens and Incubators?
Posted by Julian
I received quite a few inquiries from friends of our Facebook page or site visitors who emailed me directly, wanting to know how to set up shop and start selling at Book Of Cooks. If you are a chef, cook, or caterer you are probably already familiar with what you need to do and this post is not for you. But if you are just a food aficionado for now, and have not worked professionally in the foodservice business before, one of the first steps you may want to consider after you set up your account at Book of Cooks is to visit a commercial kitchen (often called “rental kitchens” or “incubators”).
What is a commercial kitchen? These are establishments that are especially prepared and equipped for commercial food preparation. If you are in the US, you can find them all over the country and rent them by the hour – quite convenient if you are only dipping a toe in the water or want to take a first baby step, and don’t want to risk too much money and time. There is likely one a few blocks from your home, but since they are typically not located on highly transited areas or malls (also, sometimes they are simply restaurants that rent out their space during off peak hours!) you may not have seen them. In most cases, they can also offer guidance and supervision regarding licenses and any other important city, state or federal regulatory requirements in the US. In addition, you get access to equipment, tools and ingredients that you may not have at home, and avoid disrupting your entire household! If you are using their facilities they’ll have a vested interest in your success and continuity, and therefore can become a great asset as you get started.
In restaurant jargon, Front-Of-The-House (FOH) is used to refer to the dining area, where sales and customer interaction takes place; and Back-Of-The-House (BOH) for the the kitchen and storage. You can think of Book of Cooks as the FOH (“store front”, or “lightbox”) where you can showcase, network and meet potential new customers and of commercial kitchens as your place to do your cooking.
If you are in the US. here are some useful links that can help you locate a commercial kitchen in your neighborhood. Please help us expand this list with comments or adding a post on our user forum.
