BUSINESS
the kitchen can accommodate several clients at one time. A
scheduling app makes sure that each chef has enough room to
work. The facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
START UP
A storage area provides dry storage and spaces for refrigerators
72
for cold storage. And a packaging room offers a variety
of ways to package food, including canning, blast chilling
and vacuum sealing.
For people who dream of becoming chefs or opening
their own food vending business, just getting started can be
daunting, Piscitelli says. But Sunshine Kitchen isn’t only for
experienced chefs. As a food business incubator, it welcomes
anyone from raw beginner with a dream to an experienced
person trying to move business to the next level.
Space can be rented in increments of six months, with a requirement
to use the kitchen for at least eight hours a month
at $15.50 an hour. As the client uses the kitchen more, the
price per hour drops.
“If you are just starting out, we can make it easier. We can
provide the forms to fill out and walk you through it,” Piscitelli
says. He can also answer questions about cottage food
industry laws and other technical questions. Chefs who use
the kitchen also help each other out. It helps keep the newcomer
from taking big risks and making mistakes. Classes
in food handling and food safety are offered as well, with a
ServSafe food manager class and exam on March 4.
Business classes are offered by Indian River State College,
along with help in developing a small business. Adjacent to
the Sunshine Kitchen is the University of Florida Institute of
Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and >>
Chef Tracey
Callahan, owner
of The Traveled
Chef, pours rice
into a pan for
a risotto.
Green potted herbs form a lovely background for a tasty spread of items made by the Sunshine Kitchen clients.