A commercial kitchen is something that has been around for decades. In the early days, there were often informal setups in restaurants, churches, or school cafeterias that you could rent for a catering job or small production run—think homemade jam or cookies for a local bake sale. Most of these spaces weren’t properly permitted for rentals, but they flew under the radar of health department inspectors.
That changed in 1981 when the aptly-named First Commercial Kitchen opened in Hawaii. Founded by Peter Kam, a sanitarian (a public health professional who inspects food facilities), this was the first fully-permitted kitchen of its kind. Kam ran a small manufacturing plant for hoisin sauce but saw an opportunity to help other small food producers grow. He offered them space and guidance, and soon their products were on grocery shelves across the islands.
In 1986, Eastern Washington University launched a similar concept with their Small Business Incubation Center, converting a 6,825-square-foot commissary into one of the nation’s first fully-permitted shared-use kitchens. This space provided small businesses with access to advanced equipment, as well as mentorship from peers and professionals. It set the stage for future incubator kitchens like La Cocina in San Francisco, which opened in 2005 to support low-income food entrepreneurs with affordable kitchen access and business development resources.
By the early 2010s, culinary entrepreneurship was booming, driven by consumer demand for locally sourced, less-processed foods and the post-recession shift toward passion-driven careers. Major retailers like Whole Foods and Kroger introduced local buying programs, giving small food brands access to prime shelf space.
But this access came with a challenge: scaling production. Many small producers started in shared commercial kitchens that couldn’t meet the strict standards required by large retailers. Meanwhile, co-manufacturers—companies that produce food at scale—typically wouldn’t take on the small orders these brands needed.
To fill this gap, a new generation of commercial kitchens emerged. They offer more professional, wholesale-ready environments with scalable solutions. Shared-use commercial kitchens like The Kitchen Terminal in Redondo Beach, Crafted Kitchen in Los Angeles, and Kitchen Chicago provide part-time spaces for small brands to handle production and R&D. These kitchens often feature tasting rooms and foster strong community support, making them ideal for early-stage businesses.
At the higher end, Amped Kitchens in Los Angeles and Chicago pioneered the concept of private commercial kitchens designed for self-manufacturing. We cater to brands that are too large for shared spaces but not yet ready for co-manufacturers. Our clients sell through retailers like Whole Foods, Costco, and beyond—regionally, nationally, and internationally. Other top-tier providers include Revolving Kitchen in Dallas, The Hatchery in Chicago, and Union Kitchen in Washington, D.C., all of which support growing food brands with production space and business resources.
Meanwhile, ghost kitchens—spaces designed exclusively for delivery-only restaurants—became ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic, peaking in 2021. Since then, demand has moderated as consumers return to dine-in experiences and traditional takeout.
The industry continues to evolve as brands grow more sophisticated about self-manufacturing and regulators become more comfortable with commercial kitchens as a production solution.
Ready to see how a commercial kitchen can take your business to the next level? Fill out our interest form, and let’s get started today!
