Food Truck Commissaries in Boston
Having a food truck commissary (or some other established commercial kitchen to work out of) is essential in Boston.
In order to get your food truck permit in Boston, you’ll be required to show proof that you have a contract with a fixed licensed food establishment. You are required to report to this facility twice each day to gather food and supplied, as well as clean and sanitize the truck.
What form the “fixed licensed food establishment” takes is up to you. You can:
- Rent Shared Kitchen Space in a kitchen commissary
- Rent Private Kitchen Space in a kitchen commissary OR from an outside commercial kitchen (restaurants, schools, churches, etc)
- Use Your Own Kitchen if you also own a brick and mortar restaurant
For more understanding about the pros and cons of kitchen commissaries and explanation of all your commercial kitchen options, see our complete Guide to Food Truck Commissaries.
In this post, we’re dealing specifically with your options in Boston.
Boston Food Truck Commissaries
These Boston food truck commissaries provide shared and private kitchen space, plus support and guidance for food truck start ups. We definitely recommend grabbing some space with one of these groups if you can.
Commonwealth Kitchen (Formerly Crop Circle Kitchen)
Commonwealth Kitchen is likely the largest in terms of size and recognition when it comes to Boston food truck commissaries. They offers tons of support and guidance for new food truck wannabes, as well as plenty of support and assistance for growing trucks.
Commonwealth Kitchen has two facilities available for food truckers in the Boston area.
Locations:
- Dorchester Bornstein & Pearl Location on Quincy St (36,000 sq ft)
- Jamaica Plain Location (5,000 sq ft)
About: Commonwealth Kitchen is fully licensed by local, state, and federal agencies as a commercial kitchen. Members can rent space so long as they carry full health department, state, and federal certifications.
Membership Model. Commonwealth Kitchen works on a monthly membership model. Membership gets you access to facilities and pro foodie guidance.
Kitchen Breakdown. Combined between the two location, Commonwealth Kitchen offers:
- over 3,000 sq ft dry storage
- 2,000 sq ft cold storage
- 1,300 sq ft frozen storage
In addition, they’ve got some pretty nifty equipment. Warning, foodies might start drooling at this list.
Commonwealth Kitchen has gadgets like:
- CombiTherm oven with smoker
- Roll in Blast Chiller
- Steam-Jacketed Kettle (60 gallon)
- Produce Washer
- Induction Cookers
- Mixers (60 qt, 40-qt, 20 qt)
- 5 Convection Ovens
- Char-Broiler
- 2 Fryalators
And that’s the abbreviated list!
Other Commonwealth Kitchen Bonuses
In addition Commonwealth Kitchen has a host of other benefits, including:
- Commitment to sustainability, working to become zero-waste food facility.
- Newly remodeled space, with top-of-the-line kitchen equipment (worth about $840,000)
- Food Truck Plug-Ins. Spaces to plug in your food truck and power them up overnight.
- Shared Kitchen Space. Kitchen space for food trucks to cook and prep, with all kinds of tools at their disposal.
- Cold Prep Space. For more sensitive cooking prep, such as chocolate.
- Communal Meeting Spaces. Logistical spaces for food trucks to have meetings or make calls, plus larger gathering spaces for larger collaborative events.
- Private Kitchen Space. When food trucks get too big to share commissary kitchen space, they can rent their own private spaces.
- Cold, Frozen, and Dry Good Storage. Plenty of storage for all kinds of goods.
- Tons of Support. Commonwealth Kitchen is a shared kitchen commissary as well as a culinary business incubator. They provide tons of training and guidance for new food businesses, with managers and directors who have experience with food trucks. Commonwealth Kitchen has launched over 100 businesses since August 2009.
- Famous Food Truck Grads. Some well-known food trucks that came out of Commonwealth Kitchen includes Roxy’s Grilled Cheese and Clover Food Lab, among others.
How to Join Commonwealth Kitchen
In order to join Commonwealth Kitchen, you’ll need to fill out an application and have your food truck business plan handy.
Once you’re given space, you must meet food safety certifications, state and city licensing, and attend equipment tutorials.
Commonwealth Kitchen actually has a few different ways to work with them:
1. Use Shared Kitchen Space
Commonwealth Kitchen has shared kitchen space in Jamaica Plain and at the Dorchester location. The JP space is ideal for new businesses, working with clients to find best locations, equipment, help with cost and scaling, etc.
Cost: $350/month minimum.
The standard usage fee is $35/hour, and requires a minimum of 10 hours/month to use the facility. The hourly rate includes all equipment, workspaces, and utilities. Cold, frozen, and dry storage are available for lease on a monthly basis. Rates are subject to change.
Commonwealth Kitchen actually has a special rate for newbie food trucks that are less than 1 year old.
For them, the cost of $25/hour, with a total of $250 (10 hour) minimum per month.
What’s Included in Commonwealth Kitchen Shared Space
When you join Commonwealth Kitchen, you get all the essential included in your rent and some pretty sweet bonuses, such as:
- One-on-one consulting with CWK staff for help with grant and loan opportunities, sales, business planning, financial analysis, marketing, PR, graphics, accounting, and more.
- Receiving of up to 3 food and dry goods deliveries/week
- Trash, recycling, and compost
- Soap, sanitizer, paper towels (for handwashing)
- Shared office space
- Utilities, portable water, Wifi, day use lockers, and snow removal
Other Costs with Shared Space
In addition to the shared space rent, you should expect to pay some storage costs and parking. Parking can cost anywhere from $100-$250/month depending on the season and after plug-in spots for electricity, etc.
See their full pricing sheet for detail info
Note: Joining Commonwealth Kitchen requires that you have a business plan ready. The businesses plan doesn’t have to be anything too fancy – just something that shows you have a business concept that you’ve spent some time on and that you understand what you’re trying to do.
After intake form and business plan, Commonwealth Kitchen will meet with you to discuss options.
2. Lease Your Own Personal Kitchen Space from Commonwealth Kitchen
This option is for more experienced food trucks who don’t need as much hand-holding and are really looking for their own private space to prep. Fill out the Commonwealth Kitchen’s intake form and they will get back to you in order to discuss space options.
Rents for individual spaces start at $4,000/month for an approximately 2,000 SF space. This price includes base rent plus a proportionate share of all common area costs such as insurance, taxes, common area maintenance, security, etc. This price does not include tenant utilities. Click here for more information on leasing a separate space, including rent levels, estimated common area costs, and descriptions of the spaces.
Note: You’ll need to submit a full business plan and financial information. Preference is also given to business owers in Dorchester, Roxbury, or Mattapan. Also preference is given to businesses who show commitment to local hiring and job creation.
Testimonials
Commonwealth Kitchen has some pretty high praise from former foodie incubators.
“I came into this industry knowing next to nothing, but the support and resources offered by all the people I have met through the kitchen has helped me push Sweet Idea further than I ever thought possible,”
– John Piermarini of the cookie delivery company, Sweet Idea
“The best part about working there was the atmosphere and working alongside other companies. It was always a fun and energetic place to work.”
– Rachel Marshall of Nella Pasta
Stock Pot Malden
Stock Pot Malden is a another major food truck commissary in Boston, providing support as well as space for culinary entrepreneurs to get their hands dirty.
Stock Pot Malden Locations
Stock Pot Malden actually has two licensed commercial kitchens available for share commissary use – Polka Dot and Triangle. They’re both very close to one another, although the size of the buildings vary.
Kitchens provide access to top-notch kitchen space, cold storage, dry storage, prep space, and on duty kitchen supervisors.
Polka Dot Building
342 Pearl Street
Malden, MA 02148
Triangle Building
420 Pearl Street
Malden, MA 02148
Also have options for culinary incubation, in which Stock Pot Malden can partner with you to raise funding and investment. This won’t be open to everyone, but it’s a cool perk option for using Stock Pot Malden facilities.
Other Features of Stock Pot Malden:
- Experienced Support. Stock Pot Malden is lucky enough to have David Stein (aka Brother Trucker) as executive chef and in-house culinary consultant. David has experience as a food truck owner and operator, as well as a commissary manager.
- ServSafe Training. ServSafe training and certification is available monthly with Stock Pot Malden.
- Culinary Incubation. You have the option to partner with stock Pot Malden to raise funding and investment. This won’t be open to everyone, but it’s a cool perk option for using Stock Pot Malden facilities.
Some trucks that work out of Stock Pot Malden include:
- Chicken and Rice Guys
- Stoked Pizza
- Bone Daddy Burgers
- Taco Party
- Northeast Of The Border
- And more!
Stock Pot Malden is a great choice for food trucks. They have expert resources and food truck gurus on staff to help guide you to success.
With over 20 cultures represented and a range of foodie businesses (from bakers and caterers to food trucks), you’ll have plenty of chances to learn and interact with others.
Interested? Sign up for a free tour of the Polka Dot Kitchen facilities!
Other Commissary Alternatives
There are plenty of other kitchen prep and commissary options if Stock Pot Malden and Commonwealth Kitchen (the two biggies) don’t sound right for you.
Kitchen Inc
Location: 201 Somerville Ave, Somerville, MA 02143, USA
Phone: 617-765-0433
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.kitcheninc.com
Kitchen Description: Kitchen Inc is Boston’s new kitchen incubator. It’s designed to power culinary entrepreneurs by providing infrastructure ( such as equipment includes walk-ins, ovens, grill, food carts and food truck, etc.), financing and other support. Interact with like-minded entrepreneurs and sell your products through our high-visibility retail space.
Biga Breads/Wildflour Catering
Location: 50 Terminal St, Boston, MA 02129
Phone: 617 872 8865
Email: [email protected]
Kitchen Description: This fully equipped and licensed commercial kitchen and bakery has deck ovens, rack ovens, refrigeration, prep space, storage space, and a loading dock.
The commercial kitchen is available after 3pm. The baking facility is available in the evenings and early mornings.
33 South Street Kitchens
Location: 33 South Street, Somerville, MA 02143
Phone: 617-290-5858
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.33southstreet.com
Kitchen Description: 33 South Street is a new1 2,000 sq ft commercial kitchen facility in Somerville, MA, geared primarily towards existing food businesses looking for the next stage of growth.
33 South Street Kitchens offers individual kitchen spaces, a beverage developer’s laboratory, and a food photography studio.
The food photography studio is adjacent to one of the hot kitchens, allowing for food products to easily be shot right after cooking. The beverage lab and the photography studio will be available to be booked by tenants and outside clients.
On the loft level (approx 4000 sq ft) there are eight ‘studio kitchens’ available 24/7. Each can be leased to a single company for $2500/month plus allocation of utility charges; or, if desired, a studio may be leased to two companies who must make their own sharing schedule and split of charges.
The studios are 200 sq ft tiled rooms with windows affording natural light. They are equipped as cold kitchens with prep sinks, hand sinks, reach-in refrigerators and reach-in freezers, stainless steel worktables, wire shelving and rolling sheet pan racks.
There are two hot kitchens dedicated to the eight studios, with a total of 56 running feet of hood. Studio tenants also have use of a chill down walk-in adjacent to each of the two hot kitchens as well as dedicated shelving in a storage freezer, use of warewash areas, mop sinks, restrooms, employee lockers and a meeting space.
Additional cold, frozen, and dry storage may be leased by studio tenants in the ground floor warehouse. Studio tenants may also choose to rent parking spaces.
The ground level of the kitchen building houses four larger discreet kitchen spaces for lease at varying prices starting at $3200/month.
North Shore Food Truck Kitchen Commissaries
CTI Shared-Use Commercial Kitchen
Location: 554 Pawtucket Street Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: 978-322-8400 / 978-822-8415
Email: [email protected]
Website: Merrimack Valley Small Business
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 6pm-6am, Saturday-Sunday 24 hours, Holidays by appointment
Hourly Rates: $16 Weeknights / $21 Weekends and Holidays
Basic Requirements for Kitchen Tenants:
- Proof of Liability Insurance
- Photo ID
- CORI Background Check
- ServSafe and ServSafe Allergen Certifications
- EIN Tax Identification Number
- City Business Certificate
- MA Sales and Use Tax Registration Certificate
- Wholesale Food License (if applicable)
- Additional documentation my be required
Note: This kitchen is Nut free and Latex free
Kitchen Local
Location: 14 Cedar Street, Amesbury, MA 01913, USA
Phone: 978-204-3197
Email: [email protected]
Website: Kitchen Local
In order to receive the food permit, you’ll need to go through:
- An in-person meeting at Kitchen Local to discuss your business needs/plan and to review the Kitchen Local Application Packet
- A signed Kitchen Local, LLC Operating Agreement
- An up-to-date ServSafe Food Manager’s Certificate and Allergen Certificate
- A certificate of insurance showing a minimum of $1,000,000 occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, with Kitchen Local, LLC listed as an additional insured on the GL Policy.
- A security deposit of $200.00 to Kitchen Local
About Kitchen Local:
- Shared kitchen or full kitchen space is available to rent by the hour, 24/7/365.
- Shared kitchen (either Baker’s or Cook’s kitchen) rental is $20.00/hour.
- Full kitchen (both Baker’s and Cook’s kitchens) rental is $40.00/hour.
- Dry and cold storage are available to rent on a first come, first served basis.
- Baker’s Kitchen: Contains stainless steel work table and a wood-top bakery table. Electricity for small electric wares such as a food processor, table-top induction range, or any other small ware you would like to bring. Also contains 1 stainless steel portioning table; double electric convection baking oven; 30-quart floor mixer; proofer; and hand sink.
- Cook’s Kitchen: Contains double gas oven with 6 burners and a flat top; 24-quart electric steam kettle, 2 stainless steel work tables, with electric drop downs; portioning table; and a hand sink.
- Other Equipment Includes: microwave; 3-compartment sink and drying rack; prep sink; mop sink, walk-in frig and double-door, reach-in freezer; dry and cold storage shelving; speed racks; utility carts; stools; and assorted wares. Such as cutting boards, baking sheets, stock pots, fry and sauté pans, mixing bowls, measuring cups, etc.
South Shore Food Truck Commissaries
Montione’s Bakery
Location: 215 South Worcester St., Norton, MA 02766, USA
Phone: 508-285-4777
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.montionesbiscotti.com/bakeryrental.html
Dartmouth Grange Shared-Use Kitchen
Location: 1133 Fisher Rd, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
Phone: 508-636.1900
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.dartmouthgrange.org/services_kitchen.html
- a six-burner range
- conventional oven
- convection ovens
- 20 gallon tilting skillet
- 40 gallon tilting steam jacket kettle
- wet filling machine
- commercial mixer
- vegetable wash and prep areas
- freezer
- refrigerators
- dry storage area
The kitchen is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on a first come – first served basis. Rates vary depending on equipment use and storage requirements.
Western Massachusetts Food Truck Commissaries
Commercial Kitchen
Location: 302 Boxboro Rd Stow, MA 01775
Phone: 978-442-5956
Email: [email protected]
Kitchen Description: 1325 sq ft of kitchen space, certified by the of board of health. Partially equipped, long term rental wanted. Available for cooking, packing, and shipping. Retail is allowed. $16.20/ sq ft, and tenant pays utilities.
Berkshire Harvest Rental Kitchen
Location: 195 Water Street, Lee, MA 01238
Phone: 413-822-8815
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.berkshireharvestrentalkitcen.com
Kitchen Description: A fully equipped commercially licensed kitchen available for rent by the hour, seeking to help farm and food businesses thrive.
Whether you are a baker, caterer or a small food producer Berkshire Harvest Kitchen is the perfect place to launch your business. They also have a large space available for teaching classes. The hourly rate is $20/hr. Open 24/7, first come first served. Regular schedules can be arranged.
Western MA Food Processing Center
Phone: 413-774-7204
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.fccdc.org/food-processing
Kitchen Description: The Western Ma Food Processing Center (FPC) founded in 2001 is a commercial kitchen and processing facility run by the Franklin County Community Development Corporation (FCCDC). They are FDA approved production facility, a Certified Organic processing facility and have a USDA grant of inspection for meat processing.
The kitchen is available 24/7 for businesses of all sizes and stages of development. They have rental and co-packing opportunities, plus also offer business and product development support.
This facility is designed to best manufacture sauces, fermented foods and frozen foods, with many large steam jacketed kettles, an IQF processing line, multiple work spaces, and storage. They specialize in local foods and have close relationships with many of the Pioneer Valley farmers.
