Latisha Thornton, CEO/Owner of Sweet Tee’s Catering and Event Planning, started cooking professionally more than a decade ago. She opened a restaurant, tuned up her business model during the pandemic, and she’s now busier than ever. Here’s how renting one of our commercial kitchens helps her cater large events and keep her customers coming back […]
Author: Stacy
10 Reasons Meal Prep Companies Love Us (and You Will Too)
Our members who run meal prep companies cook for families, vegans, fitness trainers, and more. They say access to an affordable commercial kitchen is important, but there’s more to it than that. We checked in and put together a list of the top 10 things they need to succeed. Here’s how our members save time and money […]
How to Grow an Artisanal Pasta Business
Meet local pastaio Matt Ruzga. Matt owns Porta Rossa Pasta & Provisions, a shop that started in our shared commercial kitchen as an artisanal pasta delivery service. Matt’s story begins during the pandemic. After spending years mastering his craft at the best Italian restaurants in NYC, Matt suddenly found himself at home. The Covid quarantine, […]
Members Make the Most of the Holidays
When business booms over the holidays, being able to fill orders quickly is key. And our flexible commercial kitchen on-demand model allows you to scale up without committing to a lease or high monthly fees. If your busy times are winter and summer, you can book a kitchen every day in December to fill holiday […]
6 Reasons to Start a Food Business in NJ
Starting a food business can be scary, but it’s one of the most fun and rewarding ways to make a living. If you’re dreaming up a small food business, read on. Here are the top reasons why entrepreneurs are drawn to the industry – and why you shouldn’t wait any longer to join them. #1 […]
Three Daughters Baking Co. Opens Beautiful New Bakery
We’d just opened when Erica Leahy of Three Daughters Baking Co. rented our commercial baking kitchen for the first time. It was 2018, and renting a professional kitchen by the hour was just what she needed: a low-risk way to scale her start-up food business. She could vend at local farmers markets while she built a small […]
New – Financial – Workshop Alert!
Budgeting isn’t the fun part of running a food business, but it’s as necessary as a great recipe, especially in shaky economic times. With inflation and the threat of recession dominating headlines, join us for a discussion of tactics you can use right right now to boost the financial health of your company. We’ll cover […]
Black History Month in the Kitchen
While there are many Black-owned food businesses at Garden State Kitchen, we want to highlight two members who cooked in the kitchen this month. In honor of Black History Month, meet vegan chefs and lifestyle coaches Plant Based Planet, and Bro-Ritos, a growing company with iconic green food trucks and incredible burritos. Plant Based Planet […]
ICYMI: Workshop on How to Sell at Pop-ups & Farmers Markets
Did you miss our January workshop? Every winter, we host a lively panel discussion where the pros explain what it takes to sell artisanal food at farmers markets, pop-ups, and events. This year – our fifth – Dawn Estrada of Cake Jars and Rashida Sawyer of Shi’s Cakes & Things shared their experience vending at […]
7 Best Things That Happened in the Kitchen This Year
Here are seven of the best things that happened in the kitchen this year: #1 Graduations While it’s bittersweet when our members “graduate” from Garden State Kitchen into their own spaces, it’s truly a reason to celebrate their success. Join us in congratulating – and supporting – these businesses who opened doors in 2022: #2 […]