The Clovis Culinary Center is available for cottage food industries with a sliding rate scale based on how much a business uses the space. Photo by Ben. Hensley

Year-end data from the Clovis Culinary Center for 2024 showcased its success growing local businesses and bolstering the Valley food scene.

Under its certified commercial kitchen program, the center supported 92 active users, many of whom have launched and maintained more than 300 food businesses since the center opened seven years ago.

Maintaining its mission of developing homegrown culinary entrepreneurs, the center saw a 480% rise in catering services and a 340% increase in baked goods last year alone. More than half of its businesses are women-owned, as well as 68% minority-owned and 37% run by very-low to moderate-income business owners.

Moving forward, the center helped start 34 new businesses last year, creating 85 full-time and 25 seasonal positions. It also transitioned 26 entrepreneurs from home-based business as well as assisting in five brick-and-mortar restaurant openings.

Young businesses saw plenty of time to grow in the kitchen, totaling more than 9,000 kitchen-usage hours. Specialty food producers amounted to 58.9% of clients, followed by caterers (10.5%), value-added food producers (8.8%), bakers (5.9%) and private chefs (5.9%).

Facilitating economic growth for culinary-industry amateurs all the way to professionals is what the center was founded on. Its services, funded by the City of Clovis, federal grants and private donations, include additional grant opportunities for veterans and residents in economically challenged areas.

Optimism for the center remains high under its leadership, which includes Board President and Founder of Fresno Street Eats, Mike Osegueda.

Opened in 2018, the center aims to provide a space for budding entrepreneurs, established chefs and everything in between, to grow their culinary experience.

Driven by recent success stories featuring past clients like Dad’s Cookies, St. Francis Homeless Project, Hydroot Organics and more, the center remains a key player in small business innovation in the Central Valley.