By Michelle M. Sharp, Founder and Content Creator of Meet the Minnesota Makers
Chika Griswold, owner of paleo-friendly Num Nuts LLC, started her business in her home kitchen, where Minnesota law limited her 
sales. As her nut mix and Nut Gravel toppings grew in popularity, she wanted to expand, but the law requires that all food or beverages sold in retail stores meet specific requirements, including production in a state or county inspected commercial facility. To scale up, Chika needed to acquire her own commercial kitchen or outsource the manufacturing, but neither were viable options. Her solution came through a shared-use commercial kitchen.
Space to Grow
Similar to a timeshare, shared-use commercial kitchens allow multiple enterprises to rent the same kitchen space. These facilities can springboard small food makers to new markets and help establish strong small- and mid-sized food and beverage businesses in our region, according to Jason Robinson, Business Development Director of the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), a Minnesota nonprofit that works with growers and food innovators to advance agriculture.
“The shared use kitchen sector is, in some sense, a public service that caters to the needs of the local community,” explains Jason. “Whether that need is geared towards serving a specific ethnic group, whether it’s meant to be affordable kitchen access for startup food businesses, or for scaling businesses that need more warehouse and fulfillment space.”
Seven Songs Organic Farms VFW space
Finding the right shared-use kitchen is a perennial challenge faced by growing food businesses. These arrangements often lead to thorny questions around timing, geography, cost, and atmosphere. They are also not a magic wand for all regulations surrounding food production. An inspected commercial kitchen doesn’t mean you can legally make food in it for sale. The maker and inspector work together, with the maker ultimately bearing responsibility for meeting all legal requirements. Luckily, Chika found the fit she needed at MSP Kitchenery.
I’m really happy with where I ended up,” says Chika. The company has three locations–St Paul, Hopkins, and Plymouth. “When I was looking, it felt like there weren’t many choices that were truly available and convenient to where I live. It’s especially nice to be in a space where I meet other producers. We support each other and share information about opportunities for our community.”
Finding such a nice fit at MSP Kitchenery might be because the owners, Nikkolette and John Krumheuer, bring a unique perspective to their management. Nikkolette worked in
Mango Man Cooks!
shared-use commercial kitchen as she established her own food business, Nikkolette’s Macarons. When she decided to open MSP Kitchenery, she wanted to create a functional space where entrepreneurs could book the time they needed, feel safe and have access to top notch industrial equipment–from mixers to sheet pans, ovens to cold storage.
“It’s such fun to create a space where makers can support each other,” says Nikkolette. “We’ve work to create a lively space where everyone has their own dedicated zone.”
Learn about the shared-use commercial kitchen stories of Mango Man Cooks!, Seven Songs Organic Farm, the Bee Shed, and the mission of Madison, Wisconsin’s FEED Kitchens in volume 7 of Local Feast! magazine. Use their map to find a location to pick up your free copy or enjoy the digital edition. Full feature runs from pages 22-26.
Visit meettheminnesotamakers.com or follow @meettheminnesotamakers on Facebook and Instagram to discover the small business owners leading Minnesota on a tasty sustainable path forward. Meet the Minnesota Makers is a news site that connects you to the local food, farms, artists and artisans that make Minnesota thrive
