A new commissary-style community kitchen is set to open soon in one of Peoria's underserved neighborhoods.
Its existence stems from the enactment of the Illinois Cottage Food Operations Act of 2022, which allows certain foods to be made in home kitchens and sold directly to consumers under limited regulations, and the budding food industry. It derives its name from the popularity of commissary or “ghost” kitchens that allow Entrepreneurs looking to launch or evolve their products to rent out valuable kitchen space.
Peoria food entrepreneur Andres Diaz, co-founder of Urban Acres Gardens, said his new commissary kitchen, located in a former medical building at 614 Spring St., will be known as Springboard Kitchen. Ta. Thanks to his recently received $105,000 grant through the Illinois Regional Food Infrastructure Program, Diaz can fast-track the opening of his Springboard Kitchen to this spring.
“The grant money will be used to build the infrastructure for the new kiosk,” Diaz said. Diaz and her family have expanded the Urban Acres Gardens project to include about 17 or 18 garden spaces throughout Peoria's North Valley since its inception in 2018. The garden supplies enough fresh, nutritious produce to feed local residents and the North Valley Farmers' Market during the summer months.
“To receive full approval from the Ministry of Health, we had to update our equipment and building. This will soon become a kitchen that food entrepreneurs will use to grow their businesses,” he added. Ta.
Diaz believes his store will be the first (or at least the first) to open a commissary kitchen in the Peoria area. After consulting with food producers and other potential stakeholders connected to Urban Acres, the community activist and leader decided that the presence of a reliable and well-run commissary kitchen was We felt this was an important opportunity for food entrepreneurs in the North Valley neighborhood and beyond. .
“There is an opportunity here for those cottage bakers to grow their business, but also for some people who sell food online, through Facebook or through (other) outlets.
We wanted to give them a legally permitted and safe place to do this through the Peoria Health Department,” he said.
Diaz pointed to a recent spike in new non-chain restaurants closing within six months of opening. He hopes his Springboard kitchen will help cash-strapped local entrepreneurs succeed through his commissary concept, which eliminates many of the financial burdens that come with owning a brick-and-mortar business. Masu.
“Giving food entrepreneurs the ability to go to market quickly and know where their niche is will allow them to[produce food]more cheaply and effectively from commissary kitchens and ghost kitchens. And as they scale up and grow, they can create a business plan and use the success of their trial here to help bankers and others who may invest in their professional future. It’s an opportunity to (persuade) people,” Diaz explained.
Ghost kitchen boom surges after pandemic
According to online food and restaurant retail information site Kickfin, a ghost kitchen is essentially a “restaurant without dining space.” Their focus is on selling and fulfilling online food orders for delivery using third-party apps like Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash, or using their own delivery operations. ” However, “there is no exact definition of a ghost kitchen as the concept is still evolving.”
Proponents point out that food production at home has overhead costs, so a commissary-style kitchen approach could help low-income food producers get their products into the community. There is. “The cost of operating a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant is significantly higher than ever before, with overhead costs soaring at a time of uncertain demand,” said Travis Kalanick, co-founder of Uber. CloudKitchens.com, a ghost kitchen startup created by . “Ghost kitchens offer prime real estate at a fraction of the cost compared to brick-and-mortar locations. Ghost kitchens allow you to launch a new brand or create multiple virtual restaurants because of your online presence. The possibilities are endless in terms of being able to manage everything in one place.”
In addition to community-based commissary-style kitchens like Diaz's Springboard Kitchen, research into the ghost kitchen phenomenon shows that while more than 70,000 U.S. restaurants were closed at the height of the pandemic, many It turns out that the popular fast food chain restaurant has switched to a ghost kitchen concept. The shutter is closed. For example, in December 2023, CNN reported that Wendy's announced plans to open 700 ghost kitchens in 2021 in collaboration with startup Leaf Technology. CloudKitchens bought over 40 of Ghost's properties in the US for his kitchens, and Applebee's launched Cosmic Wings, a ghost kitchen startup offering Cheeto-flavored chicken wings.
But the corporate-led ghost kitchen market appears to have collapsed. Wendy's abandoned its ghost kitchen plans, Applebee's pulled out, Cosmic Wings and Kalanick's Cloud Kitchen laid off staff. “Some customers felt “cheated'' and “catfished'' when they learned that what they thought was a small restaurant they had ordered from was actually a large chain restaurant using ghost kitchen technology,'' CNN said. reported.
Unlike corporate ghost kitchens, community commissary facilities like Springboard Kitchens are shared kitchens where you can rent space by the hour or on a more permanent basis to store, prepare, and cook food. These are fully licensed commercial kitchens that comply with all state and local food safety standards and are regulated and inspected by local health departments.
How to connect to Springboard Kitchen
Diaz said once Springboard Kitchen is up and running, it will be able to accommodate dozens of local food producers per week in a fully equipped, sterile kitchen environment. He envisions taco, tamale and enchilada makers soon sharing kitchen space with bakers, candy makers and sous chefs, each with their own brand and business plan for success. There is.
Diaz also helps future food entrepreneurs develop marketing plans and work through licensing procedures to introduce their products to the public.
“We have plenty of oven, stove and fryer space so people can try these things and bring their products to market,” Diaz said, adding that by the end of May, We hope to announce a grand opening date for Springboard Kitchen. “Sometime this summer, we may see food entrepreneurs producing and selling their products, whether it's at the Peoria Riverfront Market or on (grocery store) shelves. ”
Local food entrepreneurs interested in contracting with Springboard Kitchen can contact Diaz through the Urban Acres Facebook page or by email at UrbanAcresPeoria@gmail.com. Additionally, a website www.SpringboardKitchen.com has been launched.
