How To Approach Cafes To Rent Kitchen Space?
Business By CakeDiva73 Updated 22 Jun 2008 , 6:51pm by lainalee
ADeluca,
I would love to share space with someone too. I'm in Sout East Florida and gave up a few good business prospects because I have been baking from home and I need to be in a commercial space. I have contacted my city, Miramar, to see if they are willing to offer 'shared commercial kitchen space' for small bakers like myself and they said it would be too much for the city to get into. I should get help from the county and maybe some service clubs. For a while I thought of starting a huge campaign to garner focus on the need for such a facility which would support "small business" which is the backbone of our nation.
I am looking at asking a cafe close by if I could share the kitchen during the week when I have cakes, as well as a catering company in Miami-Dade (a little way off for me). During the days I work fulltime managing a construction company in Kendall and at night and weekends I do my cake decorating. At this time I'm only doing cake decorating. Evenings and weekends would work for me. This could be something we could discuss.
Regards,
Jeannie
Adeluca,
Where are you located? I would like to share a space and I live in St. Pete
you might try local churches or firehouses, they have kitchens! You might also try a military reserve center, the worest the will say is no. I was looking at renting space from a local bakery, but i can never get hold of the owner 
. So now that's what I'm going to do is check with the fire house down the street and the church nearby.
I've wondered about the possibility of some type of cooperative with other local bakers who all need a commercial space. If you had a few people who could all go in on space on a monthly basis, it might be do-able. Since I have a full time job and do the cake decorating in my "spare" time, I really hate the idea of having to go somewhere else to bake, but it seems to be the only way in most states if you want to be licensed. If anyone here does this kind of cooperative, I'd love to hear about how you work it.
I posted this ad in the cake decorating forum earlier today, no one has posted a reply, it is for the Miami, Florida CC'rs who are interested in renting space.
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-591797.html
Lomikesa,
I would be interested. I am living in Miramar and commutes to my office (my fulltime job) in Kendall and is looking for something in between. I have printed the ad and will also be calling. I'll post my findings.
Regars,
Jeannie
Lomikesa,
I called the Bob in Miami Springs and he said it's a full commercial kitchen and the daily rental is about $100! On Monday I will be going to see the facilities and talk more with him.
One reason I need this, in August I have a large order for 30 - eight inch cakes for a banquet, so I will be needing large kitchen space! 
Additionally it maybe a little out of my way, but for now it's a possibility.
Thanks for the heads-up on this. 
Bob said he was sure he spoke with me yesterday...was that you?
Jeannie
I posted something on Craigslist about renting commerical space and here's one of the responses I got:
why would a restaurant want to take on anyones responsibility for use of the kitchen ? I have just retired from the food business in Colorado, and if you think your own "insurance" would cover the total loss of a place due to theft, fire loss, damage, food loss, it will not. You would need to carry total replacement coverage insurance in addition to food issues coverage, which is separate from equipment costs replacement.
And if you would happen to poision someone, by accident, the kitchen you are using would be hauled into the picture, you know lawyers - pit bulls of society.
Save your money, put your dream on the back burner and plan for your own place. Also look at the costs of flour for the next few years, it will be out of sight.
Kinda depressing and discouraging, eh?
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Geez peardream! What an awful response that person sent! Sometimes I wonder how people have the time to be so rotten! If we don't try we will never know....
I think the response was absolutely right on and far from rotten. This is not happy happy warm and fuzzy compassionate lemme give you a big juicy kiss advice, it's better 'cause it's for real. But someone took thier time to share a more than valid point as well as show the way to go.
There's so much minutiae to having your own place you are constantly being carried out on multiple minutiae riptides going opposing directions not to mention the big stuff. Honest. You know it's true just trying to be legal. Why should another viable business piggy back us?
Warning warning will rogers --graphic content alert-- 
A-and how do we know they are financially sound? You could show up one day to start three wedding cakes you are under contract to provide and find a big IRS padlock on the door. Hey all your stuff is in there. Wait wait it's not fair nobody told me!! Well no offense but you might not be listening.
Oops, another uncompassionate factoid. There's millions of 'em.
If you have a great deal somewhere, great more power to yah but it is tough, fricken tough. The hard cold facts are what we already know, this ain't easy.
This is the meat of the craig list guy's advice that mighta got missed: "Save your money, put your dream on the back burner and plan for your own place."
No offense but if we can't take sound advice straight up, we probably ain't gonna make it in business.
Please don't hate me I'm really a nice person for the most part. 
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