Matt Walton’s caramel corn was a hit. Gourmet shops were clamoring for more, hooked on a recipe handed down by his grandmother.

But Walton hit a wall. He couldn’t find a commercial kitchen to expand production.

His company was too big for his home, and too small to afford the tens of thousands of dollars needed to renovate a leased space to meet health codes.

A new project in Lincoln Heights called L.A. Prep is aimed at helping Walton and a growing number of local artisanal food manufacturers that are primed to one day hit the shelves of Costco or Trader Joe’s. READ FULL ARTICLE »