The Dillon City Council received an update on their commercial kitchen project at a recent meeting.
The city is exploring the possibility of helping establish a shared use, value-added culinary processing center to serve food entrepreneurs throughout the eastern North and South Carolina area and the I-95 corridor.
This regional “kitchen incubator” would join others throughout the U.S. in spurring the development of small businesses, promoting local agriculture and creating jobs.
The commercial kitchen project would be used in conjunction with the culinary arts facility at the A-Tech Center for entrepreneurial development.
The city leadership envisions processing facilities for retail, wholesale and internet sales. Users might consist of farmers, local growers, and gardeners producing “value added” products; entrepreneurs developing unique recipes for niche markets and gourmet shops; people seeking to preserve and distribute family recipes; and chefs, cooks, an d caterers who need a facility to produce large volumes of food.
The facility would be available at a very reasonable rate. In addition, to encourage product development and safe packaging methods, extended learning classes would be held.
A survey has been being conducted on the city website to determine the interest and needs of the public in relation to a commercial kitchen.
Maggie Riales, Revitalization Coordinator, said they now must file for 501(c)3 status. The cost will be about $550 to do this. The council approved this unanimously.
