Raising the Bar on Shared Use Kitchens

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lisa McMullen, Co-Founder of Short Street Group, located in Kernersville, NC, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

The Short Street Group’s core focus, along with community stakeholders and partnerships, is to assist makers and startup entrepreneurs in the entertainment, arts, design, culinary, and consumer product industries by developing suitable, affordable, and accessible environments designed to provide needed programming and business resources to overcome common hurdles and providing the opportunity to thrive.

Tell us about yourself

Our team is comprised of entrepreneurs in the event, entertainment, food, and product development industries. In searching specifically for commercial workspace for product development, the obvious lack of access to affordable co-working or shared-use space and support services through all stages of the artistic and business development that help meet the needs of entrepreneurs became apparent. In February 2021, the Short Street Group began the development of Project Short Street, a culinary ecosystem that includes a commercial commissary and light production campus (“Short Street Kitchen”) in conjunction with a comprehensive business incubator program (“Street Street to Success”), designed to support creative culinary entrepreneurs. Headquartered in Kernersville, North Carolina, Project Short Street is a centrally located response to the obvious lack of needed resources for chefs, caterers, bakers, food trucks, and product developers in the greater Carolina Core.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The Short Street Kitchen campus is a 9000-square-foot facility designed specifically to help its members launch their businesses and products in a controlled environment with support services, advisory access, and regulatory oversight. Designed as a light industrial production space, the Short Street Kitchen campus provides ample prep space, necessary equipment, and unlimited access for small-to-mid-scale food production and product assembly. The facility is Health Department permitted, Department of Agriculture certified, and USDA approved. With the available programming, advisory services, and structured oversight, members are expected to maintain the highest standards.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

As a business that supports 50+ other businesses, the stakes are high. As a for-profit entity, our goals and objectives have to align with the goals and objectives of our members. The management team works closely with and alongside the members to ensure the stabilization, profitability, and sustainability of the facility. The success of one directly impacts the success of the other.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Plan - Write a business plan to ensure that you are giving consideration to the small pitfalls of starting a business. And maintain your business plan throughout all stages of startup, stabilization, and growth. It should be the roadmap for your business going forward.
Small Steps - our incubator program stresses the importance of taking small steps to achieve your goals. This allows for the needed consideration in making the next best decision.
Focus - It’s easy to become distracted as your business grows. Make sure that you continue to give attention to the objectives that you’ve outlined for your business. This will include saying no to opportunities that do not fit your objectives.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.projectshortstreet.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectShortStreet
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shortstreetkitchen/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-short-street/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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