Nine years.

279 food entrepreneurs.

Countless needs.

Findlay Kitchen has been around for nine whole years (we can hardly believe it!), and has supported nearly 300 food entrepreneurs during this time; entrepreneurs who would otherwise not have access to commercial-grade kitchen equipment, who would not have learned how to build out a business plan, and certainly would not have been able to grow their businesses through opportunities like the Taste of Findlay Market section at Taste of Cincinnati, the Findlay Kitchen kiosk at Jungle Jim's, and the Findlay Market Shopping App. Hear what a few of them have to say about their experience:

• “Findlay Kitchen allows you to grow at your own pace while receiving the benefits of mentorship and a community of passionate food entrepreneurs.  It is the absolute best place to start a business!” - Damien and Sarah Thompson, Honey Child Pops

• “Findlay Kitchen is important to my business because I was able to have a place to operate our business in a certified kitchen. The staff is an awesome team that puts forth effort to help each and every member of the kitchen.” - Donetta Williams, Dat's Ole School Cookin'

• “I will forever be indebted to Findlay Kitchen. Without Findlay Kitchen, I honestly do not know if The Arepa Place would exist. We received so much valuable mentoring and experience that helped ensure our success. The help and guidance we received while using Findlay Kitchen provided us with the knowledge and the confidence needed before opening our first  brick-and-mortar.” - Isis Arrieta-Dennis, The Arepa Place

• “Findlay Kitchen has been a hub of growth for our business. The business team has been extraordinary in helping its members take their businesses to the next level. I'm grateful to be part of Findlay Kitchen.” - Nickey Stevenson, Southern Grace

• “Findlay Kitchen's learning and support network helped give me the confidence and know how to get my business off the ground.  We have learned so much, used the kitchen for larger catering orders, and have even hosted cooking classes and dinners in the gorgeous front room.” - Alex Nager, Harmony Plant Fare

• “Findlay Kitchen played a big part in giving us the confidence to step out and reach our goal. If you have a dream, start at Findlay Kitchen. There’s a place for everyone there.” - Kevin Foston and Tara Patterson, Maker's Bakers Co.

The truth is that none of these entrepreneurs would have been able to find success at Findlay Kitchen without its infrastructure: the physical space, the large-scale equipment, and everything else that goes into running a commercial kitchen day in and day out. 

Findlay Kitchen's equipment has been around for nine years, and it is well-loved. It is showing signs of wear and tear, and much of it needs to be replaced if we want to continue serving our members as best we can. Do you want to know what it really takes to keep a space like Findlay Kitchen running every single day? Here are just a few of the nitty gritty details to give you an idea of our needs:

• Annual Hood Cleaning = $4,000 

  Hood cleaning is an annual expense for all food establishments, but, unlike restaurants, which typically have just one hood, Findlay Kitchen has eight hoods throughout the building. To ensure Member can function normally during the day, our hoods must be cleaned overnight, which makes for a higher than typical expense.

• Adjustable Height Table = $3,000 

  Our Classroom Kitchen has an adjustable height table that is no longer functional, impacting events that require flexibility between sitting and standing, like cooking classes and external dinner rentals. At $3,000 each, replacing it has been difficult, and the broken table limits our ability to generate revenue. 

• Robo Coupe = $1,200 each

  A Robo Coupe is a beefed-up commercial-grade food processor that nearly all of our members use in some capacity. Robos are pricey, difficult to fix and we only have two left of our original five. 

• Folding 8 ft Tables = $85 each 

  Our folding 8-foot tables are a vital tool for our members to set up at the Findlay Market Outdoor Market, where they can soft test their business concept in front of the public for the first time. These tables take a beating and usually need replacing every 2-3 years due to wear and tear.

• Reserve Fund For Future Needs

  With so many pieces of large-scale equipment, it's only a matter of time before something else needs to be fixed or replaced. We want to ensure that we are able to keep every single one of our 14 commercially licensed spaces up and running 24/7 for our Kitchen members to build their businesses and achieve their dreams. 

Will you donate today to support the messy, complicated side of food entrepreneurship, and make dreams come true for entrepreneurs like Damien and Sarah, Donetta, Isis, Nickey, Alex, Kevin and Tara, and so many more?