Together, We Can Make Change Through Food
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My name is Bailey Foster, and I am the founder of Real Good Kitchen.
I have a passion for food, and I care deeply about the future of my city. As a Knoxville native who lived away for many years, I've seen the potential that shared kitchen spaces have to shift economic power, elevate new voices and contribute to a thriving food economy. Shared kitchens have a critical role to play in the future of the food industry, and Real Good Kitchen has a critical role to play in the Knoxville community.
Everyone has a food story, and we need to hear them all!
I started on the journey to build Real Good Kitchen more than 3 years ago. I had seen the very real economic and cultural impact of incubator kitchens like La Cocina in San Francisco, and I was excited about the opportunity to build something similar for the growing Knoxville food and beverage industry.
We’re building Knoxville’s first full-service, shared commercial kitchen and food business incubator. We’re aiming to open our doors in January 2021, but we need your help to get there!
Our Mission
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Our mission is two-fold: to provide a high-quality, full-service commercial kitchen facility and to provide the specialized support and resources that food entrepreneurs need to start and grow their businesses.
Real Good Kitchen makes food business ownership more accessible by lowering risks and barriers--we invest in the equipment and infrastructure that food businesses need to operate legally and optimize production. We also offer mentorship, support and a network of resources focused on the unique challenges of food business ownership.
At Real Good Kitchen, we believe that we can make change through food. We're a TN Public Benefit Company which means we're committed to making an impact in our community.
We envision greater equity, opportunity and financial security for more people through food business ownership.
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We know Knoxville loves local food, and we think there's so much room for more of it. With our commitment to creating jobs, providing financial support, sourcing locally and serving under-represented entrepreneurs, you can be sure that your contribution will have an impact for your favorite local businesses and your whole community!
How it Works
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Our Space
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Real Good Kitchen is a 2500 square foot commercial kitchen facility and food entrepreneurship hub located on Magnolia Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee. It’s also a community of food professionals sharing space and resources, collaborating and working side-by-side to build their businesses.
Real Good Kitchen is the first full-service, shared commercial kitchen in Knoxville, and we are aiming to open our doors in January 2021! Construction is almost complete, but we need your contribution to help us get across the finish line.
Our Kitchen Community
At Real Good Kitchen, we share a kitchen that welcomes everyone and values diverse capabilities, talents and traditions. We're building a community through the common language of food, and we're all going to eat well in the process!
We have seen incredible demand for shared kitchen space in Knoxville. We're very excited by the variety of Knoxville businesses we will serve. We'll offer a space where food businesses at any stage can find the support and resources they need. Business ownership can be a difficult journey--at Real Good Kitchen, you don't have to do it alone!
Here are just a few of the amazing folks who will be joining us when we open our doors.
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Femeika of Meik Meals serves Knoxville with weekly healthy meal prep, catering, and fine dining. She offers healthy omnivore and vegan meals.
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Chris of Lirio Chocolate makes high quality bean-to-bar craft chocolate. He sells to consumers and local business such as the Oliver Hotel and Highline Coffee.
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Courtney & Rachel of Treetop Coffee Shop are a mission-driven, mobile coffee vendor and bar in Knoxville. With every cup of coffee, Treetop Coffee Shop donates to support children around the globe.
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Maria of TequeKnox is part of the team behind the popular Enjoy Latin Food truck. She also offers catering and specialty Venezuelan snacks called Tequeños that she sells at festivals around East TN.
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NeverFull Waffles is a late-night waffle delivery service offering anything from classic waffles to premium flavors like Cookies and Creed. Founded by a group of ambitious UTK students, they'll be slinging their waffles out of Real Good Kitchen.
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RGK's Bailey & Mel with Joseph and Bryce, two of the founders of NeverFull Waffles, during a kitchen tour.
Your Contribution
We are raising $30,000 to help us get up and running. Your contribution at any level will help us reach our goal!
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$10,000 --for essential pieces of equipment for storage and production efficiency. Things like metro shelving, speed racks, sheet pans, stock pots and colanders. (33%)
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$15,000--for essential operating expenses--things like rent, supplies, utilities and payroll--as we get started. (50%)
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$2,500--to jumpstart our Food Entrepreneur Capital Fund to provide the capital for entrepreneurs to take the next steps with their businesses. (8.5%)
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$2,500--to help with platform fees and the cost of providing the special perks we’re excited to offer! (8.5%)
We love our community and are confident that with your support we will reach our goal, but it’s important to admit that sometimes campaigns fall short. If that happens, we will work to ensure that the funds we raise still meet the essential needs of our customers and our business in the categories we’ve outlined.
The Nitty Gritty
Here are a few other facts:
- Real Good Kitchen is first to market with an innovative, full-service solution for food businesses and an accessible location 1.5 miles from Downtown Knoxville
- The shared kitchen industry has grown over 300% since 2013
- Shared kitchens and incubators are a proven concept with 600 kitchens in 48 states across the country, including TN
- We have strong early market demand with a customer list of 100+
- Shared kitchens represent a sustainable solution for the future of the food industry which has suffered estimated losses of $240 billion (and growing) during the Covid-19 pandemic
Starting a business is not for the faint of heart. We speak from experience. Every member of Real Good Kitchen's team is also a small business owner. We think that helps us serve our members better, and it means we understand the risks and challenges they're facing.
How you can help
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You've read this far. Thanks so much! We appreciate the support the Knoxville community has shown us on our journey so far. We need your help now with a contribution to get us over the finish line!
Even if you can't give a lot, there are other things you can do. We've got just a few weeks to make our campaign a success, and we need your help!
Get the word out about Real Good Kitchen! Make some noise about our campaign!
- Spread the word in your circles and social media channels. Know others who might be interested in contributing? Share our campaign link.
- Have a friend who wants to start or grow a food business? Send them our way. Anything you can do will help.
And that's our story. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support. It takes a community to build a kitchen, and we couldn't do it without you!
Bailey, Mel, Alex, and Ayumi
