Calling all Reno foodie entrepreneurs: Nourish & Flourish Kitchen Market, a local foodie business incubator and commercial kitchen, has plans to open at the old Bavarian World site at 595 Valley Rd. in December.
The non-profit “commissary kitchen” supports 50-plus members, comprising local chefs and bakers who have culinary dreams of owning their own small business and selling their products commercially. In addition to access to a shared kitchen space, Papa Sal and Mama Val of Italian Hearts pasta sauce acclaim will offer mentorship to those breaking into the business.
Papa Sal will be the head kitchen manager, while Mama Val will be the director.
Sal and Val will offer guidance and help members take advantage of the various perks available, including using a 30- to 50-person event space on-premise (at a small fee) for ticketed events. A retail space will also be available for hosting pop-ups or selling goods, and all members will get the assistance they need to become commercially compliant.
All members will have access to the shared kitchen as well as dry and refrigerated storage space and several classes and educational opportunities to help them thrive in the competitive food market.
Those who are interested in membership can get started by reaching out to [email protected]. As of early November, about 50% of the allotted slots were already filled, and Mama Val and Papa Sal were holding interviews to fill the other open spots. Membership fees will be decided case-by-case and use a sliding scale based on member needs; their website lists space rental starting at $650 month with access to the kitchen and storage. Both partial and full scholarships may be available.
Additional assistance from the community is needed to support the scholarship opportunities, granting access to Nourish & Flourish for those who otherwise couldn’t afford it.
Nourish & Flourish would also like to work with community members who can provide a customer base or other channels for product sales for the kitchen members.
The project was devised by the Local Food Network, a Reno-based business that promotes the production and consumption of healthy, whole foods. In addition to supporting local makers, the group helps local farms that share their values and community gardens. One way LFN supports local is through its weekly, year-round farmers market, Reno Mobile Market.
