We reported a couple of weeks back about a $14,000 grant that was awarded to the City of Waynesboro to fund a feasibility study to evaluate a proposed community commercial kitchen at Vector Industries.
We got more information on this from the city on Monday – the new study will build on a study from 2021 conducted by the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, which identified a need for a commercial, shard-use agricultural enterprise center in our part of the Shenandoah Valley.
This new study will take a more focused look at current local business demand in Waynesboro and the surrounding area in Augusta County and the City of Staunton, and then specifically the feasibility of locating a commercial kitchen within Vector Industries, a Waynesboro-based nonprofit organization that provides training and employment opportunities for people with a diverse range of abilities.
Vector Industries has expressed interest in expanding commercial kitchen operations within its facility, creating the potential to support local entrepreneurs while strengthening the regional food economy.
The grant-funded study will explore the potential for a shared-use commercial kitchen that could provide local food entrepreneurs and small businesses with access to licensed production space and equipment, helping reduce barriers to starting or growing a food-based business in the region.
“This grant gives us the opportunity to take a closer look at a need that has been identified both regionally and by businesses here in our community,” said Greg Hitchin, the director of economic development in the Waynesboro city government hierarchy.
“A shared commercial kitchen could provide an important resource for food entrepreneurs who are ready to start or grow but may not have access to the space or equipment they need to take that next step,” Hitchin said.
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Chris Graham
