Shared kitchens have gained notoriety in recent years, picking up speed after the pandemic, as many ghost kitchens began closing and restaurants struggled to recover. However, shared kitchens originally began in the 1960s, as a way for smaller-scale food producers to make use of commercial spaces without making a large investment. Many of today’s shared kitchens feature entrepreneurs, food truck operators, non-profits, catering companies and startups, and are becoming more common as restaurant models continue to evolve.

The advantages

Shared kitchens provide several opportunities for chefs to start or expand their businesses, offering:

An affordable location for food prep, cooking, and packaging
Access to professional-grade equipment
Facilities that comply with health codes and are inspected by health officials
The opportunity to collaborate, network, and learn from other chefs who share that space
Flexible scheduling to work around other commitments

The shared kitchen space allows chefs many of the perks of entrepreneurship, without some of the headaches.

The challenges

Deciding whether a shared kitchen will work for you means looking at all angles of the model, including where you might be challenged with:

Coordinating schedules with other chefs and businesses
Managing smaller working and storage spaces for prep, packaging, and keeping an inventory
A potentially challenging process when you want to scale your business

Making the choice

Deciding whether a shared kitchen will work for your business means looking at all sides to see where you can benefit best. If you want a rental space for collaborative cooking spaces, professional equipment, and flexible access, a shared kitchen may work for you. However, if you require privacy, need extra storage and want the convenience of being able to go to work on your schedule, a shared kitchen may not be the way to go.

If you think a shared kitchen is right for you, do your homework. Here are a few things to consider before you get started:

Search for locations near you
Check on off-peak periods for potential financial savings
Confirm storage capability and tailor your orders and menu around your space
Use available educational resources to get all the information you need about insurance, hidden costs, government help, and more

Shared kitchens have certainly grown in popularity in recent years, allowing smaller-scale operations to thrive as the foodservice industry continues to change and evolve.