Amped Kitchens cut the ribbon on a 117,000-square-foot, multi-tenant, commercial kitchen complex in Chicago’s Belmont-Cragin neighborhood, Thursday.
The facility, which offers 64 private kitchens ranging in size from 150- to almost 2,000-square feet, is the first of its kind in Chicago, according to Amped. It leases to established and growing food businesses including CPG companies, restaurants needing commissary/central kitchen space, meal subscription companies, and anyone looking for R&D or pilot production space.
Each lease includes refrigerated, frozen, and dry storage as well as office space, meeting rooms, attended shipping docks, packing rooms, and an on-site USDA office. Amped Kitchen tenants also have access to expedited government approvals and certification pathways, including organic and kosher.
"We were seeing too many food businesses hit a wall when it was time to grow. We provide them with a fast, accessible path to scale," says Mott Smith, co-owner of Amped Kitchens, in a statement.
Related: Women-Founded Commercial Kitchen Opens in NYC; Lessons From Food Incubators.