Chris Brockel
FEED Kitchens

After a pandemic pause and a trial run last November to get the event jump started, Taste the Future is returning in 2024 to its intended time of year — spring. Spring is when life sprouts anew after a long winter of hibernation and inactivity. Life mirrors nature at FEED Kitchens; and when the temperature starts to warm, the sun gets higher in the sky, and snow gives way to rain, then activity at FEED starts to stir as well. It’s a fitting time to introduce our new business hatchlings to the public, along with some tried and true favorites, in an effort to familiarize them with the community before the summer season starts. Taste the Future gives the entrepreneurs at FEED some much needed practice in service and marketing.

Taste the Future 2024 will be held Friday, April 5, 4:30–7:30 pm, at the Warner Park Community Recreation Center. There will be 400 free tickets made available through Eventbrite around mid-February. The best way to watch for tickets is through the FEED Kitchens Facebook page, where they will be announced. While it is a free ticket, we do ask attendees to make a donation based on their ability and enjoyment of the event.

Willy Street Co-op is our presenting sponsor for Taste the Future 2024; and as supporters of all things FEED, we are proud to have them on board with us. Taste the Future features 10 food cart and catering chefs working out of FEED Kitchens, each presenting two small plate offerings for attendees to enjoy. The small plates represent both their business and their culture and are meant to be an introduction to the entrepreneurs themselves. FEED Kitchens rotates chefs at the events, so each event is a bit different, but FEED Kitchens tries our best to get representation based on tenure and geography, so we have a mix of new and veteran chefs as well as cuisine from around the world.

We are still recruiting vendors for this year’s event, and thus far we have Thailand in a Truck presenting Thai cuisine; 3D Mediterranean, a Palestinian chef offering Mediterranean Cuisine; and Devine Grilling offering smoked meats and southern-style sides. Watch FEED’s Facebook page for the announcement of more vendors.

Besides meeting the entrepreneurs, and hearing a bit of their stories, attendees will also have an opportunity to interact with agencies in our region who support business development, food systems development and entrepreneurial support.

FEED Kitchens opened in November 2013 and is the premier food business incubator in our region. Throughout 2024 we will be pausing to celebrate our 10-year anniversary and our accomplishments. In FEED’s 10 years of operation, over 30 businesses have graduated to their own brick-and-mortar facility or moved on to a contracted production arrangement as demand for their product exceeded their ability to produce it at FEED Kitchens.

During that same time, over 12 million dollars have been circulated in our local economy by FEED Kitchens businesses, proving that agriculture and food businesses are a major economic driver in our region. FEED also prides itself in providing access to space, equipment and support to folks who have traditionally lacked that access. As such, our current roster of businesses includes 70% owned by people of color and 50% owned by women.

Join FEED Kitchens at Taste the Future 2024 to celebrate entrepreneurship, good food and 10 years of success!