Forage Kitchen aims to be the place for chefs and makers to develop their food businesses and a bustling cafe, in a brand new facility in Oakland. Founded by cousins Iso Rabins and Matt Johansen (also a founder of Biergarten in Hayes Valley), the culinary incubator offers a full kitchen space, business assistance to small business owners, recipe workshopping, and bookkeeping help.
The kitchen operates on a membership basis, with different tiers for varying amounts of usage; a residency program allows members to showcase their goods in a rotating public café in the front of the building. Notably, the first resident will be Jeff Mason of Pal's Takeaway (which most recently shared space at Firebrand Artisan Breads), serving sandwiches, rotisserie items, and more.
Rabins, who also founded forageSF, The Wild Kitchen, and The Underground Market, says that this is something he wished was available when first starting out in the culinary scene. Additionally, the Food Craft Institute will share office and classroom space, operating as a partner and assisting the food businesses in the Forage Kitchen community. Members can choose from four different membership tiers, varying by hours of numbers needed in the kitchen space (check out the pricing here).
Forage Kitchen will be open for members seven days a week with operating hours from 5 a.m. - 2 a.m.The café will open be to the public; hours will vary.
