Shared & Commercial Kitchens
Shared kitchens can lower the cost of starting and growing a food business—but only when the facility, services, and business model are designed around real users and demand.
New Venture Advisors helps communities, nonprofits, developers, and food organizations plan and develop shared commercial kitchens, food business incubators, and related production facilities. Our work combines market research, business and financial planning, food facility expertise, and design advising to determine what to build, how it should operate, and what it will take to sustain it.
Start With the Business Model, Not the Equipment
A commercial kitchen is a collection of equipment and workspaces. A successful shared kitchen is also a business.
Before determining how many ovens, prep tables, sinks, or production rooms a facility needs, we identify who will use it, what they will produce, how often they will need space, what services they value, and what they can afford to pay.
That research helps answer the questions that ultimately drive the facility:
- Is there sufficient demand for a shared kitchen?
- Which types of food businesses and producers should it serve?
- What mix of shared and dedicated production space is needed?
- What equipment, storage, loading, packaging, and other capabilities are required?
- Should the facility provide incubation, technical assistance, co-packing, or other services?
- What pricing and utilization levels can support sustainable operations?
The answers can lead to very different models—from a modest shared-use kitchen to a food business incubator with dedicated production suites, classrooms, storage, offices, and specialized processing capabilities.
Design for Businesses to Grow
Shared kitchens are often designed around helping entrepreneurs enter the market. We also think about what happens when they succeed.
A growing food company may eventually need more production time than a shared kitchen can provide. It may require dedicated space, larger equipment, different packaging capabilities, or outsourced production.
Facilities can support that progression in different ways. Some combine shared kitchens with private production suites. Others offer co-packing or connect businesses with outside manufacturers. Incubator programs may provide business assistance alongside production space.
Thinking about this growth continuum can make a kitchen more useful to entrepreneurs—and more relevant to the regional food economy it serves.
Carry the Business Model Into Facility Design
Once a viable model is established, NVA translates it into the physical requirements of the facility.
We develop conceptual layouts, equipment plans, workflow and production requirements, storage and loading needs, and other food-specific design inputs. We can work alongside local architects, engineers, developers, and contractors to help ensure the facility reflects the needs of its users and the economics established during planning.
Our team can also help clients anticipate food safety, permitting, licensing, sanitation, utility, and other operational requirements that affect design and opening.
Experience Across Shared Kitchen Models
NVA has worked with shared kitchens and food business incubators at different stages of development and with different operating models.
The Hatchery in Chicago combines shared kitchen space with private production suites in a larger food entrepreneurship facility. NVA conducted market research for the development.
CommonWealth Kitchen in Boston combines shared commercial kitchen and business incubation services with co-packing capabilities that allow growing businesses to move toward outsourced production. NVA evaluated the organization’s business fundamentals for lenders.
California Indian Museum and Cultural Center required integrating market demand, facility requirements, operating economics, entrepreneurship goals, and community priorities as part of kitchen design for Indigenous food makers.
There is no single shared kitchen model. The right combination of space, equipment, services, pricing, and support depends on the businesses and community the facility is intended to serve.
Plan a Kitchen That Works
Whether you’re evaluating an initial idea, repositioning an existing kitchen, or preparing a viable concept for design and construction, NVA can help connect the market, business model, and facility.
The goal is to create the right production environment, services, and operating model for the businesses and community the facility is intended to serve.
About Us
New Venture Advisors is a team of business consultants specializing in local food system planning and new enterprise development.
Food Business Incubator Projects
Waynesboro Shared Commercial Kitchen Viability Assessment
Waynesboro, VA
New Venture Advisors is partnering with the City of Waynesboro to assess the viability of creating a shared commercial kitchen within an existing facility owned and operated by Vector Industries. This assessment will determine whether the space can be renovated and equipped to serve local producers and food entrepreneurs who need access to a licensed commercial kitchen and production facility, whether Vector has the operational capacity to manage such a program, and whether that program can be structured to complement Vector’s core mission of workforce training and employment services for adults with disabilities. (2026)
Shenandoah University Commercial Kitchen & Culinary Hub Feasibility Study & Strategic Business Plan
Winchester, VA
New Venture Advisors is supporting Shenandoah University in undertaking a 12-month feasibility study and strategic business planning process to assess regional demand, clarify the Hub’s mission and operating strategy, evaluate facility and equipment needs, and establish a realistic pathway to financial and operational sustainability. The work will include targeted stakeholder engagement, best-practice research, and site-specific analysis, culminating in a data-driven Strategic Business Plan that affirms feasibility, outlines implementation steps, and provides a compelling case for future investment. (2026)
McHenry County College Food Service Drawings
Crystal Lake, IL
New Venture Advisors supported the development of a shared commercial kitchen at McHenry County College’s Carey Center for Agrarian Learning. The space will support farmers and food entrepreneurs in making and storing value added products. The College had recently identified an existing campus building to support the project objectives. Building on a 2022 feasibility study, the new space will support the aggregation and light processing of products grown on campus and by area farms while providing access to commercial kitchen facilities for students, farmers, and community members. NVA provided food consulting and food-space design expertise in partnership with the project’s architectural team, helping refine the original facility design to match the new building’s smaller, more efficient footprint while maintaining the project’s core functions. (2026)
Hot Bread Kitchen Social Enterprise Financial Modeling
New York, NY
New Venture Advisors will design and deliver a dynamic financial model covering contracted meal production and a shared commercial kitchen facility. This model will inform Hot Bread Kitchen’s decision on whether to move forward with a commercial kitchen build-out in the Bronx, NY. (2026)
Los Alamos Kitchen Collective Shared Kitchen Planning & Development Support
Los Alamos, NM
Los Alamos Kitchen Collective is preparing to convert a former restaurant into a shared commercial kitchen and food business incubator. New Venture Advisors will support with planning, technical guidance, and coaching to advance the project toward development. (2026)
Agriculture, Food Security, and Innovation Center Feasibility Study
Prince George’s County, MD
New Venture Advisors is conducting a feasibility study for the Prince George’s County Agriculture and Food Security Innovative Center, a proposed hub to preserve agricultural heritage while expanding food access and economic opportunity. NVA is assessing operational, financial, and implementation considerations for a multi-function facility supporting aggregation, processing, business incubation, food recovery, and workforce training. (2026)
Mountain Roots Community Kitchen Evaluation & Design
Gunnison, CO
In Colorado’s Gunnison Valley, Mountain Roots Food Project is building out a new space that will support their education, entrepreneurship, and local food access programs under one roof. Over several engagements, New Venture Advisors worked with the organization to explore its vision across new programs and products, and verify the match for their community kitchen and food hub needs in this new facility. The proposed facility includes a teaching kitchen, aggregation and distribution space, and small-batch production areas as well as public facing space to grow programs for the public. The team partnered with the organization to ensure the design and programs support Mountain Roots’ long-term goals. (2026)
Small Business Incubator Feasibility Study
East Providence, RI
In East Providence, city leaders wanted to explore how to transform the former Oldham Elementary School into a vibrant multi-use incubator. New Venture Advisors conducted a feasibility study to design a space that fosters entrepreneurship across the blue economy, small business, and the arts. The project integrated community needs, workforce opportunities, and housing access into its planning. NVA also partnered with the City to identify development partners and host listening sessions to guide an inclusive and locally grounded vision. (2025)
Download report and business plan.
Food System Planning for the Waukegan Food Ecosphere
Waukegan, IL
Adelante Center for Entrepreneurship operates multiple social enterprises creating wealth, living wage jobs, and food security in distressed communities. New Venture Advisors provided comprehensive business planning, financial modeling, and strategic coaching that shaped Adelante’s integrated food ecosystem, helping develop strategies for the organization’s Garfield Produce Company (hydroponic microgreens operation), Post Marketplace Cafe, Post Pantry food delivery program, and plans for a flexible commercial kitchen supporting both catering operations and community programming. (2025)
Community Kitchen Feasibility Study
Junction City, KS
Junction City Main Street and the Live Well Geary County Food Policy Council reached out to New Venture Advisors to conduct a feasibility study for a shared-use commercial kitchen designed to strengthen local food access and entrepreneurship. This study supported more than 80 small food businesses, 15 farmers, and a community meals program guided by the 2024 local food system plan. The team developed detailed financial models across four potential downtown sites to evaluate operational viability. NVA also crafted a funding strategy that aligned with the goal of renovating a historic property while ensuring long-term sustainability. (2025)
The Food Mill Food Infrastructure and Ag Corridor
Columbus, GA
In Columbus, Georgia, The Food Mill and its partners are transforming a corridor into a vibrant ecosystem for food access and entrepreneurship. New Venture Advisors helped design the model for this next phase, building on earlier facility expansion work. The project features shared kitchens, gardens, mobile farmer markets, and retail spaces supported by a Healthy Food Financing Initiative grant. The team also conducted capacity assessments to align partner strengths and expand opportunities across neighborhoods. (2024)
Philabundance Community Food Strategies for Hartranft and PCK Entrepreneurial Program
Philadelphia, PA
In North Philadelphia’s Hartranft neighborhood, community-driven change is at the heart of Philabundance’s Neighborhood Thrive Initiatives. New Venture Advisors supported engagement efforts to identify strategies that increase food access and strengthen equity. The team coached local partners to lead inclusive outreach grounded in community ownership and trust. Building on resident feedback, NVA also created an entrepreneurial curriculum for the Philabundance Community Kitchen to help residents explore food business opportunities and workforce development. (2024)
Business Impact NW
Seattle, WA
New Venture Advisors evaluated the feasibility of a shared kitchen and food business incubation program for Business Impact NW (BIN) in Woodinville, Washington. During BIN’s 90-day due diligence period, NVA conducted a rapid assessment of operational, facility, and financial viability, advised on lease negotiations, and explored sustainable sourcing and electric kitchen strategies within a planned LEED-certified facility. (2022)
Oneida Community Cannery
Oneida, WI
Through a multi-year collaboration with the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, New Venture Advisors helped bring the Oneida Community Cannery through concept development —a commercial and community-use food production center designed to preserve traditional foodways and foster local entrepreneurship. Beginning with a feasibility study in 2018 and culminating in a detailed business plan in 2022, NVA guided the Nation through each stage of development. The process emphasized culturally responsive engagement rooted in storytelling, intergenerational dialogue, and local leadership. NVA also crafted an operating model that translated traditional recipes into scalable production systems, blending heritage and innovation in food systems planning. (2022)
CLiCK Expansion Feasibility Study
Windham, CT
Serving as a vital hub for food entrepreneurs in Windham, Connecticut, CLiCK, Inc. provides affordable kitchen access and education for lower-income and minority business owners. With demand steadily increasing, New Venture Advisors conducted a feasibility study and developed a multi-phase expansion plan to help CLiCK grow sustainably while meeting members’ evolving needs. The team analyzed facility use and programming to guide strategic development and ensure alignment with user priorities. NVA also facilitated board discussions to design a phased approach to construction, programming, and operations—balancing growth with available resources and long-term community impact. (2022)
Can-Do Kitchen Strategic Plan
Kalamazoo, MI
To support the bold transformation of Can-Do Kalamazoo from a shared kitchen into a full-scale business incubator and enterprise hub, New Venture Advisors led the organization through a comprehensive expansion strategy. The team developed a relocation and facility design plan that enabled sustainable growth while meeting the needs of local food entrepreneurs. In collaboration with Michigan Women Forward and LISC, NVA also supported the creation of a microloan program to expand access to capital for underrepresented business owners. These strategic initiatives positioned Can-Do Kalamazoo to scale its impact, deepen partnerships, and broaden its support for entrepreneurs across industries. (2021)
Faith in Place Community Kitchen Incubator Initiative
Chicago, IL
Faith in Place explored an innovative idea to convert kitchens in houses of worship into Community Incubator Kitchens, activating an extensive and underused network of food production spaces. The initiative aimed to create opportunities for farmers, community members, and entrepreneurs to produce local food products in shared, community-centered settings. New Venture Advisors developed a self-assessment toolkit to help faith leaders evaluate their facilities’ readiness and potential for shared kitchen programs. The team also produced a detailed starter guide covering financial, operational, and strategic considerations to support the successful launch and management of these community-based kitchens. (2020) Download guide here
Open Door Community House Incubator Operating Plan
Columbus, GA
New Venture Advisors designed and supported the launch of Open Door Community House’s Culinary Incubator in Columbus to expand pathways for its Culinary Arts and ServSafe graduates. NVA developed an operating plan, provided individualized coaching during the pilot phase, and created hands-on curriculum tools to support emerging food entrepreneurs in building sustainable businesses. (2020)
Worcester Regional Food Hub
Worcester, MA
Originally piloted in 2016 as a kitchen incubator and aggregation hub, the Worcester Regional Food Hub strengthens the regional economy by connecting producers and consumers, advancing workforce development, and supporting food business incubation. New Venture Advisors conducted a market assessment and developed a business plan to guide the hub’s expansion and long-term sustainability. This work helped position the Food Hub for its successful transition to a permanent home at Union Station in 2025. (2019)
LISC Phoenix Commercial Kitchen Strategy
Phoenix and Mesa, AZ
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation, known as LISC, is one of the largest nonprofits in the country supporting projects to revitalize communities, transforming them into healthy and sustainable places to live, work, and raise families. Two projects in metro Phoenix, a cultural center and an affordable housing development, include commercial kitchens that will operate with a missional emphasis on job creation and serving small businesses, particularly local, women, native and minority-owned. NVA assisted in building the capacity of the management teams, and the refinement of their operating models. (2018)
The Hatchery
Chicago, IL
In partnership with IFF, Allies for Community Business (formerly Accion) and the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago, New Venture Advisors assessed the market demand for a large, innovative food business incubator to be developed in East Garfield Park and serve as a job creator in this lower income neighborhood. Opening in late 2018, the incubator combines private production kitchens, a shared-use kitchen and comprehensive business support services, filling a much needed gap for food entrepreneurs in Chicago. (2017)
Commonwealth Kitchen Strategic Roadmap
Boston, MA
This innovative, non-profit kitchen incubator is among a small but growing class of kitchen incubators with an ambitious vision and complex model—combining shared kitchen space with hands-on business support for entrepreneurs, building co-packing capabilities, growing a brand and a sales and marketing arm, and operating with a specific focus on minority and women entrepreneurs. Through a detailed review of the current organization and business lines, NVA developed a set of proposed paths for the organization to follow to attain its financial goals, developed comprehensive financial projections for these strategies and established a five-year roadmap for implementation. (2017)
Headwater Food Hub
Ontario, NY
Headwater Foods, Inc. is a thriving food hub in upstate New York with a wholesale business line and a CSA service. New Venture Advisors worked with Headwater on a market assessment to quantify institutional demand for fresh cut produce, in support of the hub’s plans for a new processing business line. (2015)
Floyd Food Company
Floyd, VA
SustainFloyd is a nonprofit organization in rural Virginia that develops new ideas to support the next generation of Blue Ridge Plateau’s rural community while preserving its resources, traditions and heritage. New Venture Advisors worked with SustainFloyd to develop a business plan for a value-added agricultural center to process and market locally-produced fruits, vegetables and dairy products. The business launched in 2014 as the Floyd Food Company, beginning with a line of frozen soups. (2013)
