215 West Culinary Incubator

Alongside Muscatine Community College and the Iowa Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at EICC, we celebrated the grand opening of the 215 West Culinary Incubator!

The Culinary Incubator program is designed to support local small food businesses to start or scale their business by providing access to commercial kitchen space. In addition, users of the kitchen will have access to business guidance and trainings through the SBDC, whether they’re launching a new idea or growing an existing venture.

Features:

• Fully equipped commercial kitchen

• Secure storage for ingredients and supplies

• Flexible rental options: one-time or recurring hourly use

Before using the kitchen, entrepreneurs must have a food manager's license, liability insurance, and a business plan. Don't have all of these yet? No problem. The SBDC is available to guide small businesses through the process.

This initiative is a testament to the power of collaboration. The Culinary Incubator program brings together Eastern Iowa Community Colleges and the SDBC, contributing invaluable business and culinary expertise; the Community Foundation, providing the space and infrastructure; and the entrepreneurs who bring their talent, ideas, and drive. This partnership was made possible in part by the USDA, whose startup grant helped turn this vision into a reality.

Interested in using the kitchen or learning more? Contact Courtney Cooper at 563-288-6001 or ckcooper@eicc.edu.