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| La Cocina (nonprofit) | |
|---|---|
| Name | La Cocina |
| Formation | 2005 |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | Small business incubation for low-income and immigrant food entrepreneurs |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
| Region served | San Francisco Bay Area |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
| Leader name | Tara Foley |
La Cocina (nonprofit) La Cocina is a San Francisco-based nonprofit food business incubator that supports low-income, immigrant, and women entrepreneurs through commercial kitchen access, business development, and market opportunities. Founded in 2005, it connects culinary entrepreneurs to resources used by vendors at venues such as Ferry Building Marketplace, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Fort Mason Center and wholesale channels including Whole Foods Market, Safeway Inc., and local farmers' markets. The organization operates at the intersection of community development, urban policy, and small business incubation, collaborating with institutions like SFMOMA, San Francisco International Airport, and Office of Economic and Workforce Development (San Francisco).
La Cocina was established in 2005 in the Mission District of San Francisco amid neighborhood change and debates about displacement tied to events like the Dot-com bubble and urban redevelopment around Mission Bay, San Francisco. Early influences included community-based initiatives associated with Nuestra Casa, La Raza Centro Legal, and advocacy by immigrant entrepreneurs involved with Mercado Central de San Francisco. The incubator model drew inspiration from social enterprise pioneers and food-sector projects linked to organizations such as Slow Food USA, Heifer International, and urban agriculture movements involving City Farmer. Over time La Cocina expanded programming and secured support from municipal actors including the Mayor of San Francisco's office and regional funders like San Francisco Foundation and Ford Foundation.
The organization’s mission centers on creating economic opportunity for low-income and immigrant women entrepreneurs through culinary entrepreneurship. Its model combines commercial kitchen access similar to shared kitchens used by Kitchen United and Pilotworks, business training resonant with programs at Kiva and SCORE, and market access strategies akin to initiatives by Good Eggs and Farmigo. The accelerator emphasizes culturally rooted foodways from communities connected to Mexico, El Salvador, China, Philippines, Guatemala, and Vietnam, supporting producers to scale from street vending to retail and wholesale channels like Safeway Inc. and specialty retailers such as Bi-Rite Market.
La Cocina offers incubation cohorts, technical assistance, and retail opportunities that mirror models from Techstars and Small Business Administration training but adapted for food entrepreneurs. Services include certification assistance for California Department of Public Health regulations, food safety workshops paralleling curricula from ServSafe, bookkeeping and licensing support similar to Mercy Corps microenterprise programs, and packaging design akin to services offered by IDEO's nonprofit engagements. Market channels include pop-up restaurants, partnerships with institutions like San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and catering for corporate clients such as Salesforce and Twitter.
Originally based in a commercial kitchen in the Mission District near Valencia Street, La Cocina later developed a dedicated incubator facility with commissary kitchens, refrigeration, and shared workspace comparable to facilities at Dreams of Hope and co-ops such as Rainbow Grocery Cooperative. It has collaborated with real estate partners like BRIDGE Housing Corporation and municipal entities involved in projects at The Embarcadero and Hunters Point to secure affordable space. Entrepreneurs also access retail stalls at venues similar to Ferry Building Marketplace and event partnerships at Golden Gate Park and Oracle Park.
La Cocina alumni have launched businesses that achieved retail distribution, wholesale contracts, and hospitality partnerships, contributing to local jobs and neighborhood vibrancy similar to outcomes documented by San Francisco Foundation and urban studies by University of California, Berkeley. The organization has received awards and recognition from civic institutions and philanthropy including honors akin to those granted by James Beard Foundation, Fast Company (social innovation categories), and coverage in outlets like The New York Times, The Guardian, and San Francisco Chronicle. Case studies on La Cocina have been cited in research from Stanford Graduate School of Business and urban policy analyses at Public Policy Institute of California.
Funding sources have included philanthropic grants from foundations such as Ford Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and San Francisco Foundation; corporate partnerships with retailers and foodservice firms like Whole Foods Market and Safeway Inc.; and public support tied to initiatives by Office of Economic and Workforce Development (San Francisco). Programmatic partnerships have spanned nonprofits and cultural institutions including Slow Food USA, SFMOMA, Kiva, and community organizations addressing immigrant services like La Raza Centro Legal.
Governance is provided by a board of directors drawing from nonprofit, culinary, and civic sectors similar to boards at organizations like Kiva and Slow Food USA. Leadership has included executive directors and staff with experience in community development, culinary arts, and social entrepreneurship, with advisory relationships to academics from University of California, Berkeley and practitioners from hospitality groups such as CUESA and Bi-Rite Markets.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco Category:Food and drink companies of the United States Category:Community development