It’s a great time to be a lover of food or a new entrepreneur in the food business. The Bay Area is home to many innovative restaurants, street food, community markets, and a great passion to evolve the food world. The organic food movement has been followed by other evolutions described as ‘slow food’, ‘farm to table’, ‘pop-up eateries’, ‘foraging’ and others.

Diners have never seen such choice and creativity, which has inspired many non-professionals to follow their food passion and start a business. Launching a new restaurant or other food business is usually an expensive venture, but a new incubator center in Oakland will soon provide the space and support for food lovers to realize their dreams.

Forage Kitchen is a co-working space for food with a 2,700-square-foot kitchen, shared office and equipment rental, and business support such as design and permit consulting. Currently under construction on 25th Street, it will be a space where food professionals can take their business from start to finish. It will also be a place for non-professionals to get access to professional stovetops and ovens so they can improve their cooking skills or just use the space for fun projects. For $99 per month, members can use the kitchen and benefit from the training and cooking help that will be available.

Forage Kitchen is a project of Iso Rabins and Matt Johansen. Iso is the chef and founder of forageSF, The Wild Kitchen, and The Underground Market. Matt is one of the founders of the Biergarten in San Francisco. After years of working in shared kitchens, they've learned just what works and what doesn't in commissary kitchens. The inspiration for Forage Kitchen is to solve all the challenges of running a food business and help others succeed with less struggle.

Forage Kitchen says their mission “is to expand the local food economy by supporting its producers. With workspace, business support, and connection to local farmers, we make the business of starting a business just a little bit easier. Forage Kitchen will be an incubator where we can push the food movement forward by helping small food makers to become successful.”

Forage Kitchen is currently accepting applications from people who want to use the space for business or pleasure. There are more than 500 interested people on a waitlist for Forage Kitchen’s 40 spots and Vision Hispana will be sharing the story of Hispanic cooks and entrepreneurs once the center opens.