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ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – A new business-minded community space is open in Tompkins County.
Shared Kitchen Ithaca officially opened its doors to potential members last week. The non-profit offers 4,000 square feet of shared space with state-of-the-art food production equipment for existing businesses and startups.
Founder and Executive Director Rob Rotondi will manage the establishment. Rotondi previously worked as a food entrepreneur in California, where he owned and operated multiple restaurants, including a shared-use kitchen in Los Angeles.
“The Ithaca region has long been deficient in the facilities needed for entrepreneurs to manufacture their products in order to grow and scale their business,” stated Rotondi. “This gap is what I call the ‘stainless steel ceiling.’ Shared Kitchen Ithaca fills this gap, creating the potential for a renaissance of specialty food production in the Finger Lakes, much like what happened in California’s Napa Valley following their success with wine and beer. Our region has seen incredible growth in the beer, wine, and cider industries without the growth of specialty foods, until now. We have the culture, visionary entrepreneurs, farmers, and now the manufacturing space and tools to make it happen.”
The kitchen is licensed by the Tompkins County Whole Health Department and certified by the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Additional information can be found here, and you can fill out an interest form here.