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TowneBank Community Kitchen – Project Update
We appreciate the continued interest in the TowneBank Community Kitchen and want to provide a quick update on our timeline.
We are still awaiting final approvals from the City of Richmond Department of Planning and have not yet received our Certificate of Occupancy. Due to more regulatory red tape than anticipated—and with City Council entering recess in August—we now expect permitting to be delayed until September or possibly October.
In the meantime, prospective tenants can begin preparing to use the kitchen by completing the necessary steps with VDACS or VDH. However, please note:
You cannot apply for a City of Richmond Business License or your own Certificate of Occupancy until we receive ours.
Instructions for completing the regulatory agency’s processes are available in the Documents list once you’re approved to use the kitchen.
We are experiencing high demand, especially with two other shared-use kitchens in the area recently closing. Space will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please also note that this kitchen is designed for small-scale use—if you need more than 40 hours of kitchen time per month, this facility may not be the right fit.
We’ll continue to share updates here as we move forward. Thank you for your patience and support!
WHAT IS A COMMUNITY KITCHEN?
A Community Kitchen is a shared-use, licensed commercial space that is certified for food production. Entrepreneurs, food makers, and small businesses can rent the kitchen by the hour or day, giving them access to professional-grade equipment and facilities while meeting regulatory compliance standards.
You may find that you need a Community Kitchen if you are a:
– Start-up food business in need of your first professional facility
– Home-based business looking to legalize and grow your operation
– Established business relying on irregular or difficult kitchen rentals
– Established business looking to expand or reach new markets
Who can benefit from the Community Kitchen?
Businesses that benefit from a Community Kitchen include caterers, food trucks, prepared meal services, meal or box delivery services, pet food makers, personal chefs, bakers, street vendors, cake decorators, and producers of specialty food items such as condiments, beverages, and candies. Delivery-only restaurants, also known as “dark restaurants,” “ghost kitchens,” or “cloud kitchens,” are also increasingly leveraging shared-use kitchens to minimize overhead and launch pop-up or virtual dining options.
A Community Kitchen provides an affordable, accessible solution for small food entrepreneurs looking to scale their operations without the significant upfront investment of building a full commercial kitchen. Whether you’re a seasoned business or just getting started, it’s the perfect space to grow your food venture!
9221 Forest Hill Ave, Richmond, VA 23235
(804) 355-0300
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