Re: Shared-use Kitchen

On 12 May 2007 12:53:45 -0700, slicechop@xxxxxxxxx magnanimously
proffered:

<snippity-do-dah>

There are lots of considerations indeed, and my decision to pursue
this or not will be gauged on the pros and cons that come feedback
like this as well as through research into other operations' successes
and failures.

Two common aspects to some existing operations seem to be the
requirement that the users of the facility meet local sanitation
training requirements (in my area's case, ServSafe), and that each
individual have liability insurance, with the facility listed as an
'additional insured'. But a contract that ties together all the
details into a signed agreement would also be neecessary to not only
cover liability issues, but also to outline expectations of conduct,
terms of payment, a non-competition clause, et.al.

All that aside, I think giving the community a place to nurture and
grow culinary talents is worth considering. So we'll see where this
leads.

Around 17 years ago I looked into starting a shared-use commercial
kitchen similar to the one you've outlined. It was to be located in
Grey Lynn, an inner-city suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. (That was
before real estate prices in the area had become unbearable.)

Small shops throughout NZ had been carrying homemade food items for
years (with no problems), but council health departments were starting
to crack down on the shops and demanding that homemade products be
made in approved and certified premises that met existing hygiene
requirements.

I already had three users: myself (salsas); an old friend and former
restaurateur who made amazing pickles and chutneys; and another old
friend who made a range of delicious sauces. We also knew other people
who made all sorts of goodies, from jams and jellies to cakes, fruit
pies and meat pies.

The idea was to set up a large, hygienic space that met health
department specifications (not all that difficult or expensive), with
plenty of preparation, power points, storage and provide some basic
equipment to share - such as freezers, fridges (with a "d") and
commercial dish and glass washers - along with a commercial blender or
two, mixers, stove, oven, pots, pans and implements.

Other more specialised equipment could be supplied by the individual
and hired out to anyone else who wanted to use it.

The building I had in mind had an area in the front that could easily
be converted into a small retail shop and a roster could be set up so
that one of us was there to do some selling during the week. Using the
kitchen would depend on a scheduled roster, but, in theory, it could
operate 24/7.

Getting all that going would have been a pretty time consuming and
initially expensive exercise, but since all three of us had experience
in setting up either retail food outlets, restaurants or both, we
figured we could handle it and our operating plan looked solid.

What we didn't count on were the legal liability and insurance
complications. And since no one we knew of had done anything like this
before, there was no one we could ask for advice. God knows our own
legal advisors and insurance people were next to useless.

So we put the project on the back burner, so to speak ... got on with
other projects and, 17 or so years later we're all too old and
comfortable to bother.

But when we get together and reminisce, we always talk about what
might have been and how we wished we'd pushed ahead with it back then.

Great idea though. I wish you all the very best in making it happen.

--

una cerveza mas por favor ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Annual Without Permit
    ... "As long as they can find some assets you have, ... liability that escapes me, I'll try to post out to ... some insurance forums and ask how much they would charge me for liability ... Sure but if you own a farm, have no liability insurance and your dog gets ...
    (alt.gathering.rainbow)
  • Re: Annual Without Permit
    ... "As long as they can find some assets you have, ... liability that escapes me, I'll try to post out to ... some insurance forums and ask how much they would charge me for liability ... Sure but if you own a farm, have no liability insurance and your dog gets ...
    (alt.gathering.rainbow)
  • Re: Car insurance. New cars.
    ... There are only 4 states that liability is not required ... and even in those 4 there is still a minimum of coverage ... have to show proof insurance to renew our tags and a no insurance citation ... > any vehicle you drive on the public roads. ...
    (sci.med.transcription)
  • Re: woooohooooo!!!
    ... Folks with land or home to lose should check their own homeowners ... insurance policy's liability coverage. ... liability clausE exists and that IMO folks attending a permit gathering ...
    (alt.gathering.rainbow)
  • Re: The futures not very bright for 2000 Orange staff
    ... Staff in the shops try to pass you on to the manufacturer to sort out ... The shops have no stock for replacements. ... insurance premium to get service or replacement. ... both a useless phone and useless insurance and a contract that you cant ...
    (uk.telecom.mobile)
Loading