Community Development Dept Launches Food Business Incubator Program

The Cambridge Community Development Department announced the launch of the Cambridge Food Business Incubator Program today. The program helps Cambridge food entrepreneurs strengthen and grow their businesses through low or no-cost opportunities. It offers technical assistance and educational resources to food businesses in Cambridge, with a focus on women- and minority-owned businesses as well as first-time food entrepreneurs. The goal of the Food Business Incubator Program is to provide a complete package of resources to first-time food entrepreneurs, including access to affordable space, skills, and training to grow their business

The Food Business Incubator Program currently includes two programmatic elements:

• The Cambridge Food Truck Program, which launched in spring 2017 and schedules eligible food truck vendors at locations in Cambridgeport, Central Square, and North Point Park. The Food Truck Program provides low-cost public space for food truck vending, allowing first-time food entrepreneurs to test branding, menu ideas, and business concepts before making larger-scale investments.
  
  
• The Food Business Workshop Series, which begins in October 2019 and offers a variety of professional training and expertise tailored to the needs of early-stage food business owners. The Food Business Workshop Series provides complementary education and training for businesses that are new to the food industry; topics will include ServSafe certification, finance, hiring best practices, and food business options beyond brick and mortar.

The Food Truck Program and Food Business Workshop Series prioritize women and minority-owned businesses, first-time food entrepreneurs, and Cambridge residents during the application and registration process. It is not required that workshop attendees also participate in the Food Truck Program.

“ServSafe Certification Training,” the first Food Business workshop, will take place on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at the Cambridge Public Library Main Branch from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For additional details and a full listing of upcoming workshops, visit cambridgema.gov/FoodBusinessIncubator.

For More Information

Contact Christina DiLisio, Economic Development Specialist, at cdilisio@cambridgema.gov or 617/349-4601.