History Of The Shared Commercial Kitchen
The SCC officially opened in July 2001, in the Burrell Slater Community Education Center. The Center is one of only 15 such kitchens in the United States and the only one in the State of Alabama. How Does A Shared Commercial Kitchen Work A shared commercial kitchen allows small entrepreneurs in the food-related industry to share the equipment and facilities of a professionally-equipped kitchen and the expertise of food processing professionals in all aspects of the production and sales of their individual products. This allows small businesses to begin and to compete with larger, established businesses. Thus, providing consumers with a more specialized, wider range of products and products tailored to meet specific, small segments of the economy.
This will be the first business venture for many of the clients of the SCC and the staff is well prepared to assist in their start-up. The majority of users will fall into the categories of specialty-food producers, caterers, and drop-in or occasional users. We anticipate great diversity among the products produced by SCC clients (e.g., sauces, baked goods, candies, etc.). Planning for a food business is similar to planning for any small business. Each business will need assistance with pricing, bookkeeping, marketing, and distribution as well as with needs unique to the food business. The SEC staff will assist businesses with planning, computer training, referrals to local professionals, lists of food brokers, and other food industry information. Other resources will be identified for assistance at both the local and state levels.
Having staff personnel on hand to provide assistance when needed is one of the most important services offered by SCC. The staff will play a key role in training for the proper use of equipment, in demonstrating efficient production methods, and in helping to identify potential packaging or production problems. A buying cooperative may also be established through the SCCC to provide concentrated buying power and thus obtain favorable prices for purchased products. Clients have access to the SCC Web Site, which hosts an E-Commerce Shopping Cart for |
The Shoals Entrepreneurial Center was established in 1992. A second facility was opened in 1997, for the specific purpose of providing an entrepreneurial center in neighboring Sheffield, Alabama. The client selection process for the Sheffield facility identified four potential entrepreneurs seeking facilities for the production of food-related products. These interests reinforced findings from a previous informal survey that identified fourteen existing and/or potential small local businesses that stated unequivocally that they would use such a facility.
It was decided, after additional research, that the need for a shared commercial kitchen facility was real and unmet. Reacting to this need and the potential opportunities presented by activity in the food industry, the SEC formed a partnership with USDA, ARC, TVA, and the Florence City School System. USDA and ARC provided funding while TVA contributed a large amount of surplus equipment. The Florence City School System provided space to house the operation. Thus, the partnership created the Shoals Culinary Complex (SCC), a local homegrown food industry operation, to foster entrepreneurship, create job opportunities, and grow the food industry for the Shoals.
The Shoals Culinary Complex is a unique incubation concept offering assistance to specialty food producers in getting their product to market. 
At the SCC, assistance is offered in the areas of product development and testing, ingredient procurement, packaging, labeling, cost analysis, co-packing, health department compliance, and marketing in a licensed and permitted facility.
Each potential client will be required to fill out an application form identifying a target market (or market to be tested), the anticipated number of hours of kitchen usage per week or month, and the anticipated number of employees. Tenants must show that they are versed in the use of the SCC kitchen equipment or they must go through a training program offered by our staff.