Create Kitchen Incubator Program

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Do you have an idea for a food business that you want to launch, but don’t know where to start? Do you have a food business in its first year of operation that you'd like to scale up? Join the Create Kitchen Incubator Program (CKIP) to learn everything you need to know about starting & growing a food business. This FREE 8-week course will teach you about:

Food Service Purchasing
Financing and Marketing
Front and Back of House Operations
Food Service Logistics
Food Establishment Permitting
Day-to-day Operations
Food Service Math
Industry Professionalism
Alternative Business Models
- Cooperatives, Benefit Corporations, Employee Ownership

The program will run 4 times over the course of the next 2 years.

The timelines are:
Winter 2026: Mid January - Mid March Cohort Full
Fall 2026: Mid September - Mid November
Winter 2027: Mid January - Mid March
Fall 2027: Mid September - Mid November

Create Kitchen Incubator Program Detail:

Participants will receive 100 hours in the EnVision Shared-Use Kitchen upon completion of the course
2-hour classes once a week for 8 weeks
Field trips to a local farm and to meet with local chefs
Spanish-speaking cohort will be offered
Mentorship from Food Service Professionals

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Why the Create Kitchen Incubator Program?

The Create Kitchen Incubation Program was developed as a direct response to Tempe residents' expressed interest in food entrepreneurship education, and it aims to build Tempe residents' capacity to participate in and shape their local food system. The goal of CKIP is to provide food business entrepreneurs in the beginning or early stages of operation with the education, connections, support, market access, and tools that they need to create a thriving, sustainable business. By developing a network of food processing businesses that work closely with local farmers, millers and ranchers to bring fresh, Arizona-grown agricultural products and value-added goods into the city, the program aims to kickstart the development of a thriving local food economy in Tempe.

EnVision Kitchen Mixer EnVIsion Kitchen Scones 2

Click below for an eligibility map:

Priority Area Map

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Due to this being a grant-funded program, priority will be given to applicants who:

Live in one of the neighborhoods highlighted in the above map (Top Priority)
Live anywhere in the City of Tempe (Secondary Priority)

If you live outside the City of Tempe and are interested in participating, you can still submit an application. We will review applications from non-Tempe residents after all applications from Tempe residents have been reviewed. In addition, due to limited space, participation is limited to two people per household per cohort. However, we understand that there are often unique circumstances, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions so that we can do our best to accommodate your request.

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