New Food and Beverage Incubator to 'Hatch' on West Side Next Year, Emanuel Says

CHICAGO - A multifaceted, nonprofit-based hospitality incubator aimed at nurturing local food and beverage entrepreneurs is opening its doors next year in East Garfield Park, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced this week.

Appropriately named "The Hatchery," the hub will be built on a currently vacant lot near the CTA's Kedzie Green Line Station, 3200 W. Lake St., where it will arm ambitious new business owners with tools to reach optimum success, according to Emanuel's office. Officials project that the $30 million facility will spur at least 150 new jobs in its debut year and as many as 900 during the following five.

“Chicago is the global culinary capital and The Hatchery will give our local entrepreneurs access to food and beverage companies that operate across the world,” Emanuel said. “But (it) will do more than strengthen (city's) position in the food industry; it will also serve as a vital community resource and partner for residents (throughout) the West Side of Chicago.”

The Hatchery is thanks to a partnership among two local nonprofits, Accion and ICNC; and two corporations, the Kellogg Company and Conagra Brands. It boasts a variety of business services, including: food-grade space for about 100 startup or early-stage entrepreneurs; shared kitchens; storage; office areas; and rooms well suited for workforce training sessions and community meetings. Members will also be able to access loan capital from Accion, which is relocating its headquarters there.

The majority of the initiative's resulting jobs will be highly accessible and supported by on-site training programs, Emanuel said. And, a partnership with the Garfield Park Community Council (GPCC) will make possible its deeply discounted rates.

But, The Hatchery is not just for business owners and culinary aficionados. Residents can tap the center, too. They'll be able to use Accion for one-on-one technical assistance, and participate in job readiness programs to learn how to work for the center's tenant companies. The Hatchery will offer locals free classes on relevant food and beverage topics; business consulting and referral services; discounted memberships; and shared kitchen space. It will also host Garfield Park’s neighborhood market — just a stone's throw from its current home at Kedzie Avenue and Lake Street.

Crews will break ground on the project later this year and wrap up in 2018; though, Emanuel's reps didn't specify an opening date on Tuesday. The did exude their optimism that The Hatchery will further strengthen Chicago’s food and beverage industry, which — with a seemingly ever-growing 4,500 companies — remains the second largest in the nation. The sector comprises around 130,000 employees and generates about $32 billion in sales, according to city data. The majority of its regional employment and more than one-third of its sales stem from food manufacturing, specifically.

The Hatchery is receiving support from the Kellogg Company, Conagra Brands, the Coleman Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation and the city of Chicago, among others.

"We believe that this is the most effective way to create jobs and wealth in the neighborhoods that need them most,” Accion CEO Brad McConnell said. “The Hatchery will help us expand on that mission by providing affordable physical space to aspiring food entrepreneurs. We look forward to working closely with our partners in East Garfield to help the community grow.”

Images courtesy of The Hatchery