Entrepreneurship in Food
Writing a book was hard. There were days when the research seemed endless, when people wouldn’t get back to me, and when I questioned whether all this talk of food really had a point. But throughout the entire process, the good always managed to outweigh the bad. For me, the good really shone through in the food entrepreneurs that I spoke with. They were the people who left me feeling inspired and reassured that the food industry was heading in the right direction.
I spoke on the phone with Shizu Okusa, cofounder of JRINK juicer, who found her beginning in Washington, D.C.’s Union Kitchen, a food accelerator tasked with furthering the growth and success of local food businesses. Pretty soon after that, Shizu visited Georgetown University to speak with Cullen Gilchrist, one of Union Kitchen’s cofounders, as well as two other young entrepreneurs who had started their food businesses there as well.
Since its founding in 2013 as the first commercial kitchen and incubator in D.C., Union Kitchen has seen over 120 businesses come through, including Swizzler, the famous gourmet hot dog truck, JRINK, the D.C.-wide juice brand, and District Doughnut, one of D.C.’s renowned donut shops. When asked in an interview with Georgetown University Eating Society what led him to create Union Kitchen, Cullen said, “It was the idea that by creating Union Kitchen, we could create a more interesting place to live.” He thought D.C. was lacking a strong food scene. Because so much of culture is based on food, Cullen believes that by founding Union Kitchen, he has made D.C. a better city. Check out the video below:
Union Kitchen aims to build prosperous food businesses and provide an environment in which food businesses can be successful. Union Kitchen owns everything from delivery trucks and a 3,700-square-foot commercial kitchen to a warehouse and several grocery stores. A large part of its mission is to create a local footprint and to give food entrepreneurs an environment that allows them to grow regionally and nationally.
After speaking with food entrepreneurs like Shizu Okusa from JRINK, Andy Brown from Eat Pizza, and Samy K from Snacklins, whose successes began at Union Kitchen, I was curious to hear Cullen’s side of the story. What made these business owners so successful in their endeavors? What did Union Kitchen look for when it selected the businesses to accommodate? Cullen listed all the traits you might expect — someone who is smart, who is going to hustle, who is going to work hard — but most importantly, someone who has the ability to learn and be coached by others.
He also mentioned that while starting a food business requires a certain level of commitment and a solid belief in your idea, you have to remember that it’s not about you. It’s ultimately about the customers who are looking for a solution. To sell a product, you have to solve a problem. Cullen said he has many people who come through with ideas they don’t see on grocery store shelves. “There’s a reason they don’t see them. People usually don’t want them,” he explained. You have to make a product people want that is also scalable.
Cullen’s ultimate piece of advice for people looking to start a food business is to become an expert at what you do. “If you’re not great at what you do, you’re probably replaceable,” he readily admitted. If you can gain expertise in your area, you can tell a story that connects to consumers, which will better sell the product. At the end of the day, the founder who created the product and who believes wholeheartedly in the product will drive the company forward. If the passion is there, the next step is expertise. Then, you might just have something.
Union Kitchen’s opening in 2012 seemed to start a trend. Since then, two other food accelerators have launched in the District. Mess Hall opened its doors in 2014 and has since grown to include 40 members. Its mission is similar to that of Union Kitchen; it assists young food businesses by helping them find long-term clients, gain financing, and scale their businesses across the East Coast. It is also extremely committed to environmental sustainability and reducing food waste. One of Mess Hall’s fun and unique aspects is its double role as an event space. They’ve hosted restaurant pop-ups, corporate holiday parties, and even the wedding of two foodies!
The same year that marked the launch of Mess Hall also marked the opening of EatsPlace, a third food incubator created by a group of local chefs and foodmakers to create a local food marketplace. The story of EatsPlace is one worth telling. In 2004, founder Katy Chang was working as an entertainment lawyer when she discovered that she had a brain tumor. Her recovery process led her to discover her true passion: bringing people together through food. In 2012, she purchased a building in D.C., and two years later, EatsPlace was born! In addition to being a restaurant and bar, it is also a food accelerator offering commercial kitchen space for food pop-ups, private events, and other gatherings.
