La Casa de Amistad cooking up opportunities through new commissary kitchen
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- La Casa de Amistad has received a $267,000 grant to establish a commissary kitchen at their community center.
La Casa de Amistad is serving more than just food, it's serving opportunities as CEO of La Casa de Amistad Juan Constantino says this is a dream that has been two years in the making.
"It's just been a big expansion with reach within our community, different opportunities that we can provide folks. And one of the questions we got constantly from entrepreneurs was, where was there access for a commercial kitchen to start their business?" Constantino said.
The commissary kitchen will be a shared commercial space that local entrepreneurs can rent to prepare food in a licensed, professional setting that meets health and safety standards.
Some of the features include a flat top grill, a steamer, prep space, freezers, refrigerators and storage space.
Renovations are set to begin in the upcoming weeks, with the kitchen expected to open by the fall of 2025.
In the first phase, La Casa de Amistad will focus on completing the main kitchen space, with plans to expand into the former school cafeteria in the second phase, adding more prep areas and storage space.
Once construction wraps up, applications will open on la casa’s website, with rental fees starting as low as $25 an hour.
"It's going to take a year or three to really see the impact of it, but we strongly believe this is going to be a big success for our community, and hopefully a model that can be replicated across South Bend in the region," Constantino said.
Constantino says the vision behind the new kitchen hits close to home.
He says his mom and grandmother make tamales and sell homemade dishes.
He sees this project as a way to help others turn similar passions into real opportunities, whether it's creating new cuisines, different foods and opening the door for future food trucks or storefronts.
" It means empowerment, it means opportunity, and it means access for our Latino and immigrant community members, many folks, when they first arrive to the country or to the area, what they turn to is food as they look at opportunities to generate revenue for their household," Constantino said.