Ithaca Shared Use Commercial Kitchen Opens for Food Entrepreneurs

Shared Kitchen Ithaca, a brand new 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization offering state of the art food production equipment in nearly 4,000 square feet of shared use commercial kitchen space, has opened and is welcoming new members.

Whether you have an established food business or are just exploring the possibilities, please complete the interest form linked here. We will then follow up with you to arrange a kitchen tour. Additional membership information, including a tiered pricing structure, can be found on the organization's website. 

The shared use commercial kitchen is equipped with ranges, a charbroiler, a fryer, Rationale Combi Oven, 3-Level Italian steam injection electric deck oven, Blodgett convection ovens, a 40 gallon tilt skillet, blast chiller, ice maker, proofers, dough sheeter, mixers, food processors and more. The facility also includes a large walk-in cooler, freezer, and a loading dock. The kitchen is certified as a shared-use commercial kitchen by the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets and is licensed as a commissary kitchen by the Tompkins County Whole Health Department. 

Members will gain access to business growth and/or startup services, support with production and distribution of food products, and other business consulting resources. Funding is available for low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs to become members and use the kitchen at a reduced cost. 

Shared Kitchen Ithaca is managed by its first Executive Director and Founder, Rod Rotondi. Rod came to Ithaca after two decades as a food entrepreneur in California where he owned and operated multiple restaurants, a brand of packaged foods he manufactured and distributed nationally (Leaf Cuisine), a book (Raw Food for Real People), a DVD and a cooking school. He previously ran a shared use kitchen in Los Angeles. Previously, Rod worked as a program management officer for the United Nations Development Program in the Middle East. 

Rotondi stated,The Ithaca region has long  been deficient in the facilities needed for entrepreneurs to manufacture their products in order to grow and scale their businesses. This gap is what I call the “stainless steel ceiling”. Shared Kitchen Ithaca fills this gap creating the potential for a renaissance of specialty food production in the Finger Lakes.  - much like what happened in California's Napa Valley following their success with wine and beer. Our region has seen been incredible growth in the beer, wine, and cider industries without the growth of specialty foods - until now. We have the culture, visionary entrepreneurs, farmers, and now the manufacturing space and  tools to make it happen.” 

This project has received financial support from many generous local private donors and through organizations including, the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency, the Tompkins County Development Corporation, the Appalachian Regional Commision, the City of Ithaca, the Friends of the Ithaca Farmers Market, and the Park Foundation. Board President Dominick Recckio stated, “Shared Kitchen Ithaca is at its heart a collaborative project. People who care about addressing food insecurity, growing businesses, creating jobs, innovation, and more have all come together to help make this project a reality. A sincere thank you to our amazing donors, the entrepreneurs who have helped inform the project’s development, and our institutional partners.

The Shared Kitchen Ithaca organization is supported by a dedicated board of directors, and new board member applications are being sought. Community-minded individuals with experience in fundraising, food entrepreneurship, legal expertise, or not-for-profit operations interested in volunteering as a board member are encouraged to fill out this interest form.

Board Secretary and local food and agriculture supporter and advisor Monika Roth stated, “This project has been a long time coming. I’m happy to see it come to fruition. This will be a great opportunity for local farmers and food dreamers to get started, experiment, and find a niche to develop products that will gain traction in the marketplace.”

“Shared Kitchen Ithaca is a game-changer for my business,” states Erica Brath, owner of Ithaca Breadworks and one of the shared kitchen’s first members. “I can bake in 30 minutes in this kitchen what takes me nine hours to do in my home bakery. This is my fifth year in business, and I am finally able to expand thanks to SKI. I hope everyone with a food dream will consider using this amazing resource.”