Senator Jack Reed joined with local food entrepreneurs, officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Lisa Raiola, the founder of Hope & Main, on May 9 for a “hard hat” tour and firsthand look at efforts to transform a 100-year-old shuttered school building on Main Street in Warren into the state’s first full-service food business incubator. During the tour, Reed also announced the availability of $30 million in competitive grants for the newly-expanded Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP).
Set to open its doors later this summer, Hope & Main helps local entrepreneurs jump-start early-stage food businesses with a special focus on supporting the local food system. During the tour, Senator Reed and Ms. Raiola joined federal officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to meet with food entrepreneurs who are among the first members of the non-profit’s incubator program and discuss the next steps in supporting Rhode Island’s local food infrastructure.
Now in its final months of construction, Hope & Main’s 17,500-square foot multi-kitchen facility will provide commercial cooking and storage space for food entrepreneurs and small businesses that can’t afford the up-front costs of building their own commercial kitchens. When completed, the renovation will feature three shared-use commercial kitchens, including a gluten-free kitchen and bakery, over 6,000-square-feet of production space, cold and dry storage, a demonstration kitchen and classroom, and a 2,000-square-foot event space.
Hope & Main is now accepting applications and already hosting workshops to help teach prospective food entrepreneurs the recipe for starting a successful food business in Rhode Island, including how to produce, market, finance, and package their products for sale. Hope & Main is also set to partner with New Urban Farmers on a new, on-site community garden, and plans to host a farmers market.
