NEW BRUNSWICK TOMORROW - NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ

DECENTRALIZED FOOD BUSINESS INCUBATOR PROGRAM BUSINESS PLANNING AND LOCAL SOURCING FEASIBILITY STUDY

FEASIBILITY AND VIABILITY, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE | 2023

Through funding via a USDA planning grant, New Brunswick Tomorrow (NBT) engaged Food Works Group (FWG) to design a new model of kitchen-sharing and group purchasing that centers community connectedness. FWG helped NBT answer how they could both launch a food business incubator curriculum and facilitate local sourcing for their community of food business entrepreneurs before they invest in a permanent facility. FWG led the model for low-infrastructure development, local sourcing, and kitchen-sharing, and our partner, La Cocina (San Francisco, CA), provided expertise to adapt their incubator coursework for the New Brunswick community.

PLANNING MULTI-USE FOOD FACILITY FOR LATINO ENTREPRENEURS AND COMMUNITY

LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS, OPERATIONS PLANNING | 2021 - 2022

Building upon the success of New Brunswick Tomorrow (NBT’s) monthly community pop-up market, Mercado Esperanza, FWG advised on the food-related components of a new multi-use community center that would deepen NBT’s impact on their community of primarily Latino entrepreneurs. FWG assessed the need for a food-grade facility; core services and uses of the space, including a shared-use commercial kitchen; and possible additional revenue-generating facility functions, such as a food hall. Our recommendations included financial viability and framework, value to the NBT community, equipment needs, staffing structure, partnership and programming opportunities, and evaluation tools to measure impact and success.