Hub Kitchen opened for business in July, but you probably didn't even notice.
The shop at 7225 W. North Ave. in River Forest (formerly known as La Parrillita Mexican Grill, or Gossage Grill if you're a longtime fan) is a rental commercial kitchen and culinary incubator, so it's working behind the scenes to nurture future food companies.
Owners Misty and Dan Olson saw a gap in the market after River Forest Kitchen, which had Schoolhouse Kitchen and other clients, narrowed it down to one tenant and that kitchen launched several now-well-known local businesses, including Daily Bagel.
The Olsons were also tenants at River Forest Kitchen along with their son, Alex, who runs the mobile coffee cart Spoke Cafe, and they all needed somewhere to go.
“We saw a big need in the community,” Misty Olson said. “We're not chefs, but we love entrepreneurial startups.”
The Olsons wanted to open their new kitchen in River Forest because most of the other tenants there already had business permits there, like them. That was a challenge, they say, because River Forest isn't a commercial space district, and kitchen space certainly isn't available.
After months of construction and inspections, things are now coming together.
One of the Hub Kitchen's tenants is Sue Jean and her company, New Rose Catering, which delivers dinner to homes every week and caters events for up to 200 people. Construction of the new kitchen was a collaborative effort with the Olsons.
“We talked to them a lot and they really listened to us,” Chan said.
That spirit of partnership continued when the doors opened.
“They said it was my first time coming on Saturday and I'd like to know how it went,” Jan said. Jan offered some suggestions and requests, “and by Sunday morning, they were pretty much done, which is almost unheard of,” Jan said.
Not only does sharing a space keep costs down, it also puts you in a community with other chefs. For example, if Chan runs out of an ingredient, he can call another resident to borrow it, with the promise that they'll replenish it quickly.
Other current tenants include Something's Cooking Catering, Celebrations By Us (catering), Jilly's Jerky, Good Omen Gyoza, Sweet d'Lush (crepe station catering) and of course Spoke Cafe.
In addition to being landlords, Misty and Dan Olson also provide business consulting services to their tenants.
“We don't know much about cooking, but we know a lot about starting and running a business,” Misty Olson said.
“The beauty of this model is that if we help them grow, they'll grow out of the space,” co-owner Dan Olson said.
The Olsons are considering opening another, even larger, kitchen to accommodate new levels of occupancy, and in the meantime, they're dreaming about what other experiences they can offer at the Hub.
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