Use of kitchen has grown to more than 20
Since Edible Enterprises opened in 2009, the Norco-based farm-to-market organization and commercial kitchen space has continued to grow, and over the last few years, its impact has become larger than ever.
There were less than five active users of the kitchens a little more than two years ago. But today, there are 20 active members of Edible Enterprises, with seven more potential users in the application process of becoming permitted to use the kitchen facility, according to Corey Faucheux, director of the St. Charles Parish Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
“We are receiving calls daily from potential clients,” Faucheux said. “Usually about a third of the inquiries cannot use our facility but we refer them to other facilities.”
Edible Enterprises rents its food incubation space — two Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals (DHH)-certified kitchens available for 24/7 use — to food producers on an on an hourly basis in the hopes those entrepreneurs will eventually employ local residents and use locally sourced produce when they make their special spices and sauces in Norco. It is geared toward businesspeople with a food-based idea who don’t necessary have the capital to invest in large-scale equipment, such as commercial stoves.
The food incubator was the first of its kind in Louisiana and is the largest in Southeastern Louisiana.
Faucheux said Edible Enterprises not only helps in terms of food storage and preparation, but also guides clients through the business end of things by outlining a clear plan of action.
“Edible Enterprises demystifies the process for getting products into stores,” Faucheux said. “Having a great recipe is only the start. We outline a process or a list of steps essential to starting a food-based business. By offering a menu of services and assistance from our resource allies like New Orleans Food and Farm Network and River Parishes Community Development Corp., we help entrepreneurs prepare for the documentation, certifications, and/or the testing that may be required in order to begin production.”
To use the facility, a business has to be permitted by the (DHH). Faucheux said Edible Enterprises then leverages their resources to help the business navigate the permitting process, such as processing and recall plans, product labels, obtaining product liability insurance and food testing of products. It also helps the businesses develop a system of production which may include sourcing of materials, manufacture of product and distribution to various marketplaces. It also may help some businesses manage its administrative tasks.
The hope is, in the end, this will only cause growth in local business — a hope that has already been realized in a number of cases, Faucheux notes. Over 70 businesses have used Edible Enterprises, since it opened.
“Some Edible Enterprises businesses hired local resident to help in their production,” Faucheux added. “Some of the facility’s most successful businesses have outgrown our facility and graduated to securing their own space or property.”
It is also developing a new concept called “Fork N Farmer” which buys the abundant local harvest from farmers (who often have unsold produce) and creates products that can be used after the harvest season, like strawberries, blueberries, creole tomatoes, greens and citrus fruit.
Another new development is that New Orleans Food and Farm Network (NOFFN) is partnering with Valmiki 504, a N.O. venture capital firm, to help Edible Enterprises food entrepreneurs who have grown beyond the startup level and are ready to scale up to larger production and distribution.
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