14,000-Square-Foot Food Incubator Setting Up Shop in the South Bay

Local food entrepreneurs looking to kickstart or expand their businesses should check out Hollister Kitchens, a new commercial kitchen commissary being built in Chula Vista. Its founders run Fulton Kitchens and Fishburn Kitchens, similar hubs in the Los Angeles area which each house multiple prep-kitchens that are all private and health department-approved. The 14,000-square-foot South Bay site on Hollister Street will hold 25 spaces ranging from 250-square-feet to 600-square-feet. Some come with hoods installed and some do not, but each unit contain dishwashing, hand, and prep sinks; co-owner Yossi Berrin-Reinstein likens it to renting an almost fully-furnished apartment space with your own key and 24/7 access.

In San Diego, where commercial kitchen space is often hard to find, Hollister Kitchens offers the space and infrastructure to allow for larger-scale production and distribution needs as well as offering dedicated areas for food-manufacturing outfits or restaurants with dietary restrictions. The venue also contains dry storage, walk-in cold storage, and office space. For now, it won’t have a retail component, but Berrin-Reinstein doesn’t rule out future storefronts.

The food incubator is looking next at Phoenix and Las Vegas for potential expansion. The Chula Vista site should be completed in two months, and is currently taking questions and applications via its website.