Your Pro Kitchen Helps Food Entrepreneurs Get Their Business Cooking
Started by a mother/daughter team, Your Pro Kitchen offers Florida food entrepreneurs a chance to start their own professional food business. They also offer classes that will help you get your feet off the ground while you wait for your permit to be approved. Unfortunately they are limited to Florida at this time but hopefully we will see them expand into more states in the future. I have had the opportunity to ask Cindy, the mom behind this duo, a few questions about their business.
Tell us a little about Your Pro Kitchen.
Your Pro Kitchen is a shared kitchen for aspiring chefs. If you’re just starting your food business or wanting to expand your food business… we can tailor a package to fit your needs.
Only rent the space when you need it!
What inspired it?
Our inspiration was developed when I started Simply Fresh, A gourmet Salsa company. In building my first kitchen to process salsa…I was shocked at the abnormal cost, permitting and all of the regulations! I quickly realized that so much of my time went into the everyday “Kitchen Issues” that I didn’t have time or the money to develop and market my salsa products. The best I could do was to maintain my client base. The idea came to me when several people wanted to rent space in my kitchen. With some research, I came up with the idea of building a kitchen to help people get into the food business with very little up front cost.
What services does your business provide?
Our services are as follows: We are an incubator for start up companies. We offer marketing plans with networking, We help with business plans (which I highly recommend), Cooking classes, Bottle your recipe the safe way!, Food Safety Classes (Florida state required), Design of web site, logos and business cards, Insurance needs, Lab testing, Nutrional Facts for labels, Notary services, Developing vendor relationships.
What goals do you hope to accomplish over the next year? What are your long term goals?
Our goal is to open 4 more locations through out the state of Florida over the next 2-4 years.
Can we expect to see Your Pro Kitchen expand past Florida any time in the future?
Expanding outside the state of Florida is an option to us and we have discussed it.
What are some of your previous experiences and how has it helped with running this business?
Being exposed to the food business through out my life has really helped. Starting my own food business from the ground up has played a major role in starting Your Pro Kitchen. My marketing background in promotions has also helped.
What are some of the lessons you have learned from your business?
There have been many lessons along the way and we will continue to learn and grow. We just went through our slow season and next year we will be better prepared.
What is it like being in a partnership with your daughter? Would you say it is harder to work with family in this kind of situation, or easier than it would be to work with someone who is outside the family?
Working with my daughter has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Do you have any advice that you would like to offer anyone that is interested in launching their own food based business?
Start your food business the legal way (in a certified kitchen) and have a business plan.
Ken R on September 24th, 2009 10:31 am
I’d be interested in checking it out since I’m in Florida. However, I have absolutely NO idea where you are located in the state of Florida for nowhere on your site does it show your location. Where is this kitchen incubator located?
Ken R on September 24th, 2009 10:36 am
Upon further review, the site indicates the incubator’s home office is located in Muang, Phuket. Not to cry foul, but if you want to run a successful business I would think the first thing you’d want to do is make absolutely certain people know where you are located.
Dane Carlson on September 24th, 2009 3:01 pm
Strange that their address isn’t listed correctly on their website. I think that they just redid it. Their address is:
6152 126th Ave, Suite 503
Largo, Florida 33773
Their phone number is 727-953-9879.
Michael Cook on October 6th, 2009 5:36 am
Don’t waste your time, she won’t return your deposit, she said that she mailed mine a month and half ago, I filed a complaint to the BBB. There’s another kitchen in Seffner,Fl go there instead.
Pam on October 12th, 2009 6:44 am
Can you please give me the address of the Seffner location. That is a closer location to me. Thank you.
michael cook on November 13th, 2009 12:01 pm
12008 E Dr Mlk Blvd Seffner, Fl 33584, It’s in a small plaza next to a gas station, it’s a lot nicer than “Pro Kitchen”, who doesn’t have a mixer or a walkin
James on November 13th, 2009 12:03 pm
I went to check out Your Pro Kitchen in Largo, the pictures do it no justice the place is a dump, the sink is sitting on bricks,and as stated above it doesn’t have mixer or walkin cooler. It’s more like “your wannabe pro kitchen”
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