Mpls. Food Entrepreneurs Rent 'Kindred Kitchen'

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) A new business is cooking up new opportunities in North Minneapolis. Kindred Kitchen is a rental commercial kitchen, plus a whole lot more.

For a price, you can rent out the fully-loaded commercial kitchen complete with storage, stoves, pots and pans.

"We rent by the hour, so a general market rate tenant, if you're going to rent more than 10 hours a month, its $25 an hour and if it's less than 10 hours a month its $35 an hour," said Terese Hill, Operations Manager for Kindred Kitchen.

Anyone with a food license can rent and residents of North Minneapolis get a discount.

"These are [Ross & Son's] 'Southern Brand' Hot Tamales here. Homemade, I make 'em at home," said James Ross, a North Minneapolis resident who is renting out the kitchen. "A lot of people are like me. They don't have a place to make their stuff."

He's been cooking out of his home for more than 15 years. But now he's hoping to expand his catering business.

"It's going to enable me to get into the stores, wholesale. It will be more convenient, it will be more sanitary," said Ross.

Because of the extra space and storage at Kindred Kitchen, he will be able to triple his tamale production.

"Here, I can make 400 or 500 a batch," said Ross.

Besides renting out the space, Kindred Kitchen also has what they call an incubator business program. It's a series of classes that walk new entrepreneurs through the restaurant business, everything from licensing to branding their product.

"That's my goal, to be the first entrepreneur to build and manufacture hot tamales in North Minneapolis," said Ross.

There are also scholarships available for people who are interested in renting or taking classes.

The Grand Opening at 1200 West Broadway is going to be Monday, Nov. 11 at 4 p.m.

Sonya Goins, Producer
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