The city of Tempe is now offering a free two-month program for new or small-scale food business entrepreneurs.
This U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded program is meant to bring more locally-made food to the marketplace.
Cohorts of the Create Kitchen Incubator Program will get access to food service and business education, as well as 100 hours of hands-on training in the Envision Community Kitchen.
Tempe spokesperson Mary Kate Nacke says the program is meant to get restaurateurs and other food business owners interested in using local products.
“Instead of working with large vendors who are getting their food from all over the country and shipping it and having these costs,” Nacke said, “like what if we had the local restaurants using food from farms that are nearby either in their city or within the Valley.”
First priority is for applicants living in north Tempe.
The program kicks off in mid-January and will run additional cohorts through 2027.