Coworking + Kitchens: A Deep Dive Into Shared-use Kitchens

What if we told you that shared commercial kitchens are one of the original offerings in the flex space industry?

This creative model offers a cost-effective and accessible way for culinary entrepreneurs to get their business off the ground and expand into larger operations – and it’s been around for years.

In this deep dive, we’ll explore what a shared-use commercial kitchen is, who they’re best for, and how they fit into the wide and wonderful world of niche coworking spaces. 

What is a shared-use commercial kitchen?

Shared-use commercial kitchens, also known as commissary kitchens, are professional-grade cooking facilities that can help food and culinary entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. 

They offer access to specialized equipment at an affordable cost and are regulated by local health and safety laws, making them a great choice for those who need access to a commercial kitchen, but who don’t want to invest in their own facility. 

A brief history of shared commercial kitchens

Shared-use kitchens have been around for several decades, but have grown in popularity in recent years, thanks to the rise of food entrepreneurship. Let’s take a brief look at the history of these shared spaces.

1. The first shared kitchen facilities opened in the 1960s.

They were primarily used as a way for small-scale food producers to access licensed and inspected commercial kitchen spaces without having to invest in their own facilities.

2. The next evolution came in the 1990s.

Shared kitchens began to expand as a business model, with private companies establishing commercial kitchens that could be rented out to food businesses. They were usually located in urban areas and were used primarily by catering companies or food trucks.

3. Finally, there are the modern day commissary kitchens.

In the last decade, shared kitchens moved towards targeting budding entrepreneurs. Online platforms like KitchenShare began to connect food entrepreneurs with available kitchen space, making it easier to find and book commercial kitchen facilities on-demand.

Today, shared kitchen facilities are a common feature of the food industry, with hundreds of facilities located across North America. 

How are shared commercial kitchens shaping the food industry today?

We write a lot about different types of shared “workspaces”, be it on the Optix blog or on other external sites like Coworking Resources. There are many things that these shared spaces all have in common, but one thing stands out – entrepreneurship.

At its core, what shared spaces are doing are enabling entrepreneurs to succeed across a wide variety of industries. Whereas once this was only limited to knowledge workers in coworking spaces, now it can apply to many more industries.

Shared kitchens are no exception. What commissary kitchens do is encourage more entrepreneurship in the food industry, empowering chefs to go out on their own without requiring extensive resources.

While before, entrepreneurs in the food industry needed large corporations or extensive capital to start a business, now they are free to operate independently at a lower cost to entry.

In turn, these kitchens make entrepreneurship more accessible, while promoting a more collaborative and sustainable food ecosystem.

Who are commissary kitchens for?

Commissary kitchens are best for small-scale food businesses or entrepreneurs that are looking to take their business to the next level.

Here is a list of some of the most popular members of shared commercial kitchens:

• Small-scale food producers: such as bakers, chocolatiers, and artisanal food makers, who need a licensed kitchen to produce and package their goods
• Entrepreneurs and startups: that are looking to launch a food business but don’t have the capital to invest in their own commercial kitchen facilities
• Food trucks and mobile food businesses: that need access to a licensed commercial kitchen to prepare their food
• Catering companies: that require additional kitchen space for large events or to expand their operations
• Pop-up restaurants: and supper clubs that want to test out new concepts or hold temporary events
• Nonprofit organizations and community groups: that want to provide access to licensed kitchen spaces for food-related initiatives and programs

The affordability and accessibility of shared commercial kitchens make them a great place for many kinds of food businesses to use.

Benefits of shared commercial kitchens

Much like micro-gyms and other coworking and flex space niches with specialized equipment, the greatest benefit of shared commercial kitchens is access to professional-level, high-quality equipment and space at an affordable cost. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits that shared kitchen spaces offer their members.

They are more affordable and cost-effective

If you want to sell sandwiches at your local Farmer’s Market, you are probably not ready to purchase your own food packing facility. However, you do need a professional space to work out of (it may even be legally required).

Much like other shared flex spaces, shared kitchen facilities serve as a more affordable alternative to investing in your own commercial kitchen facilities, as you only pay for the time and space you need.

They offer access to professional-grade equipment

Kitchen commissaries come equipped with high-quality appliances, utensils, and tools, all of which can be expensive to purchase and maintain as an individual. It is unlikely that you as individual will purchase a blast chiller, but purchasing a membership to a shared-use kitchen will enable you to access one.

They are health-code compliant, licensed facilities

As any food entrepreneur knows, health and safety is a big deal. At a shared kitchen facility, you can rest assured that you are working out of a space that is health-compliant, without you needing to worry about it.

These facilities are regularly inspected and maintained, ensuring that health and safety standards are met and reducing the risk of foodbourne illness or other hazards.

They are also fully licensed and inspected by health authorities, providing entrepreneurs with the necessary permits and certifications to operate legally. This can be a huge selling feature for those just getting their businesses off the ground.

They provide a community of like-minded professionals 

Entrepreneurship is a lonely journey, with nearly 30% of entrepreneurs struggling with loneliness and isolation. When you’re building your own business from the ground up, having a community of people who are on a similar journey can go a long way.

Shared commercial kitchens provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to collaborate, network, and share knowledge, ideas, and resources. In that sense, they are very similar to coworking spaces that also place an emphasis on community. 

The advantage here is that everyone in a shared commercial kitchen is working in the food industry, so learning can happen faster. This is one of the key benefits of niche flex and coworking spaces according to Steve Krueger, Founder at niche coworking community ECOMsquare (you can hear more of his thoughts in our webinar on member retention).

They allow for flexible scheduling and membership opportunities

With a shared space, memberships are typically flexible enough that members are not tied down to using it on a set schedule or at specific times of the day. This enables members to use the space on a part-time or as-needed basis, making it a much more affordable option than what would traditionally be available.

These are the reasons why commissary kitchens are the ideal choice for food entrepreneurs looking to get their business off the ground.

Coworking + Kitchens: what’s the relationship?

At Optix, we like to think about how the coworking business model can be applied across a variety of different industries, from fitness to golf simulators. 

Shared-use kitchen facilities borrow from the coworking model by selling space and community. This means the primary way that shared kitchens make money is by selling access to the space, equipment, and resources that someone needs in order to be successful.

Selling space isn’t the only thing commissary kitchens and coworking spaces have in common, however. 

Here’s a list of a few more things they share:

• Cost-effective for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses
• Rely on shared resources
• Offer flexibility
• Encourage collaboration and community-building
• Benefit from coworking space automation software like Optix

It’s no wonder then why the two concepts go hand-in-hand. If you’re involved in the coworking or flex space industry at all, we highly recommend keeping this trend on your radar.

Technology to run a shared-use kitchen facility

When setting up a shared-use kitchen space, you may be wondering what type of technology would be best suited for running it.

We often hear from our clients that they love Optix because it is flexible enough to fit a wide variety of business models and needs – including kitchen spaces.

You can use Optix to:

• Automate your day-to-day operations, like invoicing and resource booking
• Optimize your business decisions with detailed analytics
• Grow your business 
• Engage your community and delight members with an incredible experience

This one-pager is a great resource to help you better understand what coworking software like Optix can do for your shared kitchen space.

Shared commercial kitchen examples

Here at Optix, we support a wide variety of flex space businesses including a number of shared commercial kitchens around the world. Here are a few examples of shared commercial kitchens (and Optix clients!) who are shaping the food industry and empowering culinary entrepreneurs to succeed. 

Chefs Touch Commissary Kitchen

Chefs Touch Commissary Kitchen is a shared commercial kitchen located in the Bay area of California. They offer 17,000 square feet of full-service, shared use commercial kitchen space including a flat griddle top, char broiler, meat slicer, commercial gas stoves, and more.

Though they serve a wide variety of food-based businesses, their primary demographic is food trucks, caterers and bakers. In fact, their space is able to equip a whopping 65 food trucks at one time!

Communal Coffee

Communal Coffee is a one-of-a-kind co-roasting facility in Germany geared towards the needs of coffee roasters. Started by four entrepreneurs in the coffee industry, it is a one-stop-shop for anyone who needs a facility to get their local coffee business off the ground. 

According to their website, members at Communal Coffee can enjoy pallet storage, the use of packing lines, and QC-lab time, as well as a free introduction to equipment and roasters, and member events. It is the ultimate option for anyone looking to develop their coffee roasting abilities to launch a successful business.

Atlas Kitchen USA

Atlas Kitchen USA is a beautiful shared-use kitchen facility located in Massachusetts. The well-equipped facility caters towards all culinary entrepreneurs including farmers market vendors, photographers, bakers, and more. 

The space is licensed, certified, cost-efficient, and above all, fuelled with passion by people who know and love the food and restaurant business.

Example of a shared-use kitchen membership plan

We know that people often want to see examples of how others are pricing their membership plans and products. Though your miles may vary, here is one example of a membership plan at a shared kitchen facility that may be helpful for you in your business.

Here, the membership includes access to the commercial kitchen space, all equipment, and facilities, an online portal for co-op food purchasing, networking, education, and more.

Shared kitchens: the future of the industry?

As the popularity of entrepreneurship grows and more niche food suppliers enter the space (looking at you, co-roasting!) shared-use kitchens will continue to be an important platform for food entrepreneurship and a key driver of the industry’s transformation.

As with so many of these incredible flex space trends, we’re excited to see what the future has in store!

Are you looking to start a shared commercial kitchen? Want to learn how you can better manage your shared kitchen space with the help of software?

Book an Optix demo with a member of our team to learn how Optix can help you automate your day-to-day and make your business run more efficiently.