Folsom Restaurateur Develops Rentable Kitchen Concept For Start-Ups Looking For Space
FOLSOM (CBS13) — A Folsom restaurateur who took a hard look at what he's been through is now looking to help others succeed.
Jeff Back isn't afraid of risk. He owns Back Bistro in the Folsom Palladio.
"With this restaurant, we took out a second mortgage, got SBA loans and put it all out there and risked pretty much everything," he said.
It paid off, but he understands how start-up costs can eat into a restaurant's profitability. That's why he is developing "24 Hour Kitchens" - a commercial space that can be rented by the hour.
Back says it's perfect for start-ups who may be working from their home.
"You need big commercial ovens and normal households cannot accommodate that," Back said. "Plus, the volume, the storage requirements, [the] health code requirements in place."
It's a growing trend during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"People who work in the restaurant industry see there is an overhead to that. They are reaching out for something smaller like this where they can establish themselves in business," Back said.
Rhonda Avara with Lulu's Kitchen has seen rentals increase.
"This area is broken down into two kitchen facilities," said Avara as she gave us a tour.
There are 35 companies that rotate the space.
"It's all kind of scheduled like a doctor's appointment. They call and say, 'Hey, do you have Monday available for 4 hours?' And I find them the hours I have available," Avara said.
Avara has had chefs, bakers, caterers and food trucks rent from three to 24 hours.
"All people using the kitchen have access to all the pots and pans underneath … all of the counters and all of the utensils back here," she said.
They have refrigeration and counter space to prepare and pack - and it's all inspected by the health department.
"Especially when you have different stations and different chefs talking with each other, it's going to be a whole network that we can create," Back said.