Commercial shared kitchens are one of the most helpful opportunities for any local food entrepreneur. Not only do they help their clients navigate the business side of things, the kitchens allow them a space to create their goodies without having to spend even more money. There are a few commercial shared kitchens in Tampa Bay but Pro Kitchen Hub Tampa owner Kristin McKinney sets herself apart from the others with her latest venture, The Bakery Box Pop-Up.

The Bakery Box Pop-Up soft opens today with an official grand opening planned for next month. 14 of Pro Hub Kitchen Tampa’s clients sell their goodies and gain a whole bunch of experience in the interim. Take a peek:

“In an effort to utilize the small space connected to her business, which sat vacant for a couple of years, Pro Kitchen Hub Tampa owner Kristin McKinney decided to launch a new service window that food vendors can use as a pop-up space.

The Bakery Box Pop-Up, a shared 300-square-foot retail space located at 5226 S. Dale Mabry in Tampa, allows Pro Kitchen Hub Tampa clients to sell their products to the public. So far, the list includes local small foodie businesses including Moonlights Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Rush, Urban Bakers, and Big Crush Slush.

McKinney opened the shared commercial kitchen, Pro Kitchen Hub, back in 2015 as a way for small food entrepreneurs to learn about the business without having to spend a ton of money. Over the last five years, the kitchen served as a launching pad for almost 450 small businesses including Empamamas, Gulf Coast Sourdough, and Craving Donuts. 

“Anyone that’s a baker, caterer, food truck, or any type of food retail can come in and rent time and space from us instead of having a full overhead,” McKinney tells CL. 

McKinney’s two decades of experience as a caterer gave her the insight she needed to open Pro Kitchen Hub Tampa to help out other small business owners. It’s open 24/7 so owners can work on their businesses whenever their schedules allow. She says clients rent between 10 hours and 160 hours a month.”

You can read the rest of the article here. I don’t know about you but I’m always down for some baked goodies and sweet treats.