The Commissary Block Party

Incubator kitchens are an increasingly utilized and effective tool for fostering food businesses in a number of communities across the country. In San Francisco, the Mission District-based La Cocina has been on the leading edge of assisting low-income entrepreneurs with establishing their own food business since 2005. Another notable member is ForageSF, who has branched off into this world after several years of helping small food businesses out with their fun and engaging Underground Markets in addition to their roving supper club and foraging events.

Columbus' Food Fort, established in July of 2011, has been a linchpin in helping the local mobile food industry reach the thriving status it holds today. The opportunities for more innovation by local culinary institutions only promises to increase with the arrival of The Commissary, the brainchild of Kate Djupe. Her own experiences of trying to produce her own baby food for sale showed her there was a need for such a kitchen space that would not only be able to handle this type of production, but also allow for existing businesses to expand and experiment with their own culinary aspirations. Due to a funding gap, a Kickstarter campaign was launched and proved ultimately successful, allowing The Commissary to develop its current space in the Marble Cliff area of the metro.

This successful campaign sparked a Block Party celebration, in which supporters of the venture like my spouse and I were allowed to experience and discover what had been developed from their funds. These were some pictures of what turned out to be quite a fun time seeing this promising venture come to life, with more to come, including a coffee lab from Stauf's Coffee Roasters as well as both a molecular gastronomy and brewery area.

Bright green brick and a balloon greeted us at the entrance

Simple to creative, and from community and business members of
all types, the Supporter Spoon Wall was gorgeously laid out

Artistic murals lined the walls of the drive-thru area for mobile food trucks

The kitchen and community bookshelf (which includes many
borrowable baking tins)

Local band Earwig, who has their own Kickstarter campaign in support of
their new album release, threw out some rocking tunes in a space that will
eventually contain more kitchen spaces for rent

My spouse and I really enjoyed the pierogis from Sophie's Gourmet Pierogis and the
chicken dish from the King-Lincoln-based Los Potosinos. The excellent Dos Hermanos
taco truck was also there serving food. We washed down our eats with beverages
from Mill St. Distillery in Utica, OH and Columbus-based Actual Brewing.

Another in the Columbus Knife Fight series took place tonight. In the end,
Chef Matt White from Columbus Brewing Company edged out
Chef Lara Yazvac Pipia of Two-Top Consulting

Friendly folks from Outfit/Good, a community-oriented T-shirt maker, and
Igloo Letterpress offered some fancy printed goodies for attendees. In addition,
Amy Turn Sharp was also there lending poems on demand to folks typed
out on an old-style typewriter.

The Commissary founder Lara Djupe took us on a tour of the facility. Before
this picture, she mentioned that she may still need to be pinched to believe
it's all actually happened. Based on this picture, I think she's realizing it has.

The Commissary
1400 Dublin Rd
Marble Cliff, OH 43215
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