Economic Recovery Through Commercial Incubator Kitchens: A Partnership Model

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The Pasco County Commercial Incubator Kitchen is a partnership between Pasco County Government, Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC), Welbilt, Inc., and University of Florida Extension Service. The program started in fall 2019 and continued to operate throughout the pandemic as the associated businesses were food-based and considered "essential". Objective: Pasco Extension developed a partnership with Welbilt, Inc. to donate the commercial kitchen equipment, and the Extension Service redesigned a county-owned building to support the kitchen. Operating out of the same county-owned facility, Pasco SMARTstart Small Business entrepreneurial classes are provided with the goal of helping citizens start new food-based businesses while removing many of the identified barriers.