Introducing the Create Kitchen Incubator Program

CKIP was developed as a direct response to Tempe residents' expressed interest in food entrepreneurship education, and it aims to give community members a larger voice in shaping their local food system.

The program is completely free and includes 100 hours of hands-on training in the EnVision Community Kitchen, funding for food safety certifications, mentorship from industry professionals and support in finding opportunities to sell their products.

There will be four CKIP cohorts, each eight weeks long. Three of the cohorts will be offered in English, and one of the cohorts will be offered in Spanish. The first cohort will kick off in early 2026 -- applications are now being accepted.

Each cohort will consist of classroom education provided by Local First Arizona. Class content will include:

• Food service purchasing
• Financing and marketing
• Front and back of house operations
• Food service logistics
• Food establishment permitting
• Day-to-day operations
• Food service math
• Industry professionalism
• Alternative business models (Cooperatives, Benefit Corporations, Employee Ownership)
• Sustainable sourcing and marketing strategy

In addition to classroom time, participants will take a field trip to a local farm where they will build relationships with farmers and learn how to source ingredients from Arizona farms. They'll visit Sun Produce Cooperative, a distributor of Arizona-grown fruits and vegetables and locally made food products.
Ideal participants should be in the early stage or ideation stage of their food business concept. Any type of food business is eligible to apply, from bakers to restaurants to salsa makers. Interested participants can visit the CKIP webpage and complete the interest form.