A new collective kitchen will provide opportunity and battle inequality

MINNEAPOLIS — A groundbreaking for a place that's expected to be a game changer for food entrepreneurs took place Wednesday. Northside Economic Opportunity Network's, also known as NEON, Collective Kitchen will provide commercial kitchen space — and opportunity.

"For us, it's a huge breakthrough it's a big win for the community," said NEON's President, Warren McLean

NEON's President Warren McLean has been working on this project for years, and now it's finally a reality.

NEON's Collective Kitchen will feature a commissary kitchen, a consumer-packaged goods kitchen and five individual retail kitchens to help chefs create the dishes of their dreams — at scale.

"Big issue for food entrepreneurs is they don't have a commercial kitchen and that's required to prepare your food so they can in this facility prepare their food like their own kitchen," McLean said.

This collective kitchen will also feature a second-floor classroom space to provide cooking classes for both business entrepreneurs and the community.

"I have been anticipating this moment," said Jada Williams. Williams is better known as the Bougie Waffle Lady.

"We call it our sweet chick it is a sweet potato waffle with a maple sriracha, " Williams said. She says this new community kitchen is a game changer. "I want to be able to go to big festivals I want to be able to service corporations and sports teams," Williams said.

Jada reached out to NEON with only her dream in hand.

"NEON has started me from the very beginning when I was doing this outside of my house not knowing which way to go, I reached out to NEON and they started me on a food cart and within a year I was able to buy the truck with all of their direction and support," Williams said.

A dream that has come full circle with a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen.

"It's going to become a destination for our clients for this community and it's also because it is a new facility more people will invest in our community as a result of that," McLean said.

The kitchen's aim is to battle inequity. According to the Center for Economic Inclusion, Twin Cities businesses in neighborhoods with majority people of color receive just 6% of bank loans.

NEON's Collective Kitchens is set to open in November 2025.