An Ithaca-based organization has a state-of-the art kitchen available to its members aiming to boost their food-based ventures.
Shared Kitchen Ithaca, a newly established not-for-profit organization, has officially opened its doors, offering food production equipment in nearly 4,000 square feet of shared-use commercial kitchen space at 700 W. Buffalo St.
The facility is set to provide essential resources to both established food businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in Tompkins County.Located at the former site of Greenstar Central Kitchen, Shared Kitchen Ithaca is equipped with professional-grade appliances, including ranges, charbroiler, fryer, Rationale Combi Oven, three-level Italian steam injection electric deck oven, Blodgett convection ovens, 40-gallon tilt skillet, blast chiller, ice maker, proofers, dough sheeter, mixers, food processors and more.
The kitchen has been certified by the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets and licensed as a commissary kitchen by the Tompkins County Whole Health Department.
Ithaca Shared Kitch aims to make high-quality kitchens available to all
Rotondi’s vision for the kitchen is to close a gap in the region’s available kitchen space, which he calls “the stainless steel ceiling.”
“The Ithaca region has long been deficient in the facilities needed for entrepreneurs to manufacture their products in order to grow and scale their businesses,” he said in a statement from the kitchen Monday. “Shared Kitchen Ithaca fills this gap, creating the potential for a renaissance of specialty food production in the Finger Lakes.”
The project garnered significant financial support from local private donors and organizations, including the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency, Tompkins County Development Corporation, Appalachian Regional Commission, City of Ithaca, Friends of the Ithaca Farmers Market, and the Park Foundation.
In addition to providing kitchen facilities, Shared Kitchen Ithaca offers members access to business growth and startup services, support with production and distribution of food products and other business consulting resources.
Erica Brath, owner of Ithaca Breadworks and one of the shared kitchen’s first members, shared her opinion on the kitchen in a statement from the organization Monday.
“Shared Kitchen Ithaca is a game-changer for my business,” she said. “I can bake in 30 minutes in this kitchen what takes me nine hours to do in my home bakery. This is my fifth year in business, and I am finally able to expand thanks to Shared Kitchen Ithaca.”
Apply for kitchen use or help define its future
Membership pricing for businesses and community members ranges from $60 per month for personal community usage to $1,800 per month for full-time businesses.
Funding is available for low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs to become members and use the kitchen at a reduced cost.The initiative received about $110,000 in federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission in January.
The funding is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law, which U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer helped pass in 2021.
Earlier this year, Mayor Robert Cantelmo and Deputy Director for Economic Development Tom Knipe said the project had the potential to foster economic growth, create jobs and address food insecurity in the region.
Ithaca Director for Economic Development Tom Knipe advises Shared Kitchen, which covers start-up costs with help from a City grant and provides reduced kitchen rental costs through an Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency grant.
Shared Kitchen Ithaca is seeking new board members with experience in fundraising, food entrepreneurship, legal expertise, or not-for-profit operations.
Those interested in volunteering as a board member or arranging a kitchen tour can fill out the interest form available on the organization’s website, sharedkitchenithaca.com.
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