Florida Chefs Workshop Celebrates 7 Years as St. Petersburg’s Premier Shared Commercial Kitchen

Florida Chefs Workshop, 7 years

This year marks a major milestone for Florida Chefs Workshop: seven years of culinary collaboration, community growth, and entrepreneurial success. What began in 2018 as a bold idea—St. Petersburg’s first shared-use commercial kitchen—has grown into a vibrant hub for over 65 food-based businesses across the Tampa Bay area.

Founded and operated by the team behind A Fresh Connection Catering, Florida Chefs Workshop (or FCW, as we like to call it) was created with one goal in mind: to provide an affordable, fully licensed, and professionally equipped kitchen where local food entrepreneurs could bring their ideas to life. And for seven years, that's exactly what we’ve done.

In this blog post, we’re reflecting on how far we’ve come—from startup to staple in the local food economy. We’ll take you through key milestones, explore why our production kitchen model has stood the test of time (while ghost kitchens have come and gone), and shine a light on some of the incredible clients who’ve grown with us.

Let’s celebrate the journey, the community we’ve built, and the exciting road ahead.

From Startup to Staple: Key Milestones (2018–2025)

2018 – The Launch

In 2018, Florida Chefs Workshop opened its doors as St. Petersburg’s very first shared-use commercial kitchen. At a time when the concept was still unfamiliar to many, we stepped in to fill a real gap for local food businesses: access to a licensed, professional-grade kitchen without the massive overhead of building their own. With modern equipment, flexible rental options, and a clean, compliant facility, we became an immediate home base for small caterers, bakers, food truck operators, and specialty food producers.

2019 – Building a Community

Word spread quickly. By our second year, we were no longer just a kitchen—we were a launchpad for culinary dreams. Chefs were swapping tips at prep tables, food artisans were scaling up production, and local media started taking notice. The energy inside the kitchen was contagious, and it was clear: something special was happening here. We weren’t just renting space—we were building a true food community.

2020 – Rising to the Challenge

Like the rest of the food world, we faced a defining test in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic brought uncertainty and disruption, especially for our clients who relied on events, farmers’ markets, and face-to-face customer interaction. But rather than shut down or step back, we leaned into our role as a support system. We adapted our scheduling, enhanced safety protocols, and worked closely with each business to help them navigate the crisis. Some clients pivoted to meal delivery or packaged goods, while others doubled down on retail. Our flexibility and responsiveness kept the kitchen moving—and our community intact.

2021–2023 – Expanding Services and Impact

As the economy rebounded, so did our growth. We added more workstations, upgraded equipment, and introduced a co-op product display area where clients could showcase and sell their goods directly to customers. We began offering deeper support, including guidance on permitting, packaging, food safety, and scaling production. Our roster of businesses grew steadily—proof that the demand for shared, professional space wasn’t just a trend. It was the future of local food entrepreneurship.

2024 – Establishing Ourselves as a Culinary Incubator

By our sixth year, we weren’t just a kitchen anymore—we were a culinary incubator. With dozens of active clients and a steady stream of new inquiries, Florida Chefs Workshop had become a trusted name in Tampa Bay for food startups ready to grow. Our online presence expanded, and so did our reputation. Entrepreneurs were finding more than equipment here—they were finding a foundation.

2025 – A Thriving Hub with 65+ Businesses and Counting

Today, we’re proud to serve over 65 active clients—from vegan bakers to sauce makers, from pet treat producers to protein-packed cookie pros. The kitchen is buzzing daily, with flavors from all over the world coming together in one space. What started as a novel idea has become a cornerstone of the local food scene. And every single success story—big or small—is part of our journey.

Ghost Kitchens vs. Production Kitchens: Why FCW Made the Right Call

Over the past several years, the term “ghost kitchen” gained a lot of buzz—especially during the height of the pandemic. These delivery-only kitchen spaces popped up in warehouse-style facilities, designed purely to pump out orders for food apps with no storefront, no face-to-face customers, and no community presence.

At Florida Chefs Workshop, we took a different path from the beginning—and we’re glad we did.

We’ve always positioned ourselves as a shared-use production kitchen: a space where chefs, bakers, and food entrepreneurs can create, scale, and connect. While ghost kitchens focused on anonymous, app-based efficiency, we focused on supporting real businesses with real stories—brands that wanted to engage directly with their customers and become part of the local culinary landscape.

Here’s why our model continues to thrive:

🎯 Diverse Business Models, Not Just Delivery

Ghost kitchens limit clients to online ordering and delivery. At FCW, our clients do it all—catering events, selling at farmers’ markets, fulfilling wholesale orders, running food trucks, or building e-commerce brands. That variety brings resilience and adaptability.

🤝 Community Over Isolation

Ghost kitchens operate in silos. FCW thrives on shared energy and collaboration. It’s not unusual for a baker to team up with a coffee vendor, or for a sauce maker to land their first wholesale client through a casual kitchen conversation. This is a space where inspiration is contagious.

🧰 Support and Services That Go Beyond the Rental

Most ghost kitchens hand you a key and a timer. At FCW, we’re hands-on: helping clients get licensed, offering food safety guidance, sharing marketing tips, and answering the big (and small) questions that come with running a food business. We want our members to succeed—and grow.

📣 Opportunities to Engage With Customers

We encourage our members to build brand recognition, not hide behind a screen. Whether it’s participating in local events, hosting tastings, or stocking products in our front-of-house co-op display, our kitchen helps businesses be seen and remembered.

🔒 A Reputation Built to Last

The ghost kitchen trend is fading—many have shuttered or consolidated. Meanwhile, Florida Chefs Workshop continues to grow. Our longevity, flexibility, and reputation in the community have made us a trusted home base for food entrepreneurs throughout Tampa Bay.

Client Spotlights: Success Stories Born in Our Kitchen

One of the most rewarding parts of our journey at Florida Chefs Workshop has been watching our clients take off—launching right here in our shared kitchen and then growing into something even bigger. These aren’t just success stories; they’re graduation stories. Each of the entrepreneurs below began their journey with us, built their foundation within our walls, and have since gone on to open brick-and-mortar locations or expand their operations far beyond what they first imagined.

Psalms’ Gourmet Brittle

What started as a mother and son’s holiday treat has grown into one of St. Pete’s sweetest sensations. Psalms Mack and her son, Carlton Owens, brought their cherished family recipe to life in our kitchen, launching Psalms’ Gourmet Brittle with just a few batches and a big dream.

From their first peanut brittle poured in our commercial kettles to full-scale production across multiple flavors, their journey is one we’ve proudly watched flourish. Today, they’ve graduated from our kitchen and expanded into their own space, growing their business and brand while continuing to sweeten the local food scene. We were honored to be their launchpad.

Cookie Fueled Mama

Before the storefront, before the loyal fan base, and before the cookie cult following, Christina Malone—Cookie Fueled Mama—was baking her very first batches right here at FCW. A national Strongman competitor with a craving for the ultimate cheat-day cookie, Christina started with a vision and a mixing bowl—and we provided the space to bring that vision to life.

Through experimentation, passion, and a lot of hustle, Christina built her brand into something bigger than cookies—it became a movement. In 2025, she proudly moved into her very own brick-and-mortar shop in St. Petersburg, and we couldn’t be prouder to have been her first step. Her story is pure proof that sweet dreams do come true.

Curious Cat Bakery

When Natalia Lima set out to create a vegan croissant that could convert even the most skeptical pastry lover, she came to Florida Chefs Workshop to make it happen. With the right equipment, commercial ovens, and a supportive kitchen community, she transformed a bold idea into a delicious, plant-based success story: Curious Cat Bakery.

From day one at FCW, Natalia refined her technique, perfected her recipes, and built a loyal following. Now, she’s taken the next step—expanding into her own production space and scaling her business for regional distribution. Curious Cat Bakery is now known throughout the Bay Area (and beyond) for redefining what vegan baking can be.

These entrepreneurs are just a few of the many who have launched, grown, and graduated from our kitchen. Each success adds to the legacy of what Florida Chefs Workshop is all about: helping food businesses take their first step—and their next big leap.

FCW Today: A Thriving Culinary Ecosystem

Fast forward to 2025, and Florida Chefs Workshop is buzzing with activity, energy, and enterprise. What began as a bold concept has become a culinary cornerstone in the Tampa Bay area, now home to more than 65 active businesses using the space to prepare, produce, and pursue their food dreams.

On any given day, you’ll find a wide range of culinary ventures sharing the kitchen in harmony:• A catering team prepping elegant hors d’oeuvres for a waterfront wedding• A baker fine-tuning a gluten-free banana bread recipe for retail shelves• A food truck crew restocking before the lunch rush• A meal prep business packing dozens of custom orders• A pet treat maker crafting small-batch organic dog biscuits

This variety is exactly what makes FCW so dynamic. We intentionally built a kitchen model that could serve a wide spectrum of food entrepreneurs—not just one kind of business or one style of cuisine. That diversity creates natural opportunities for collaboration, inspiration, and shared success.

We’ve also scaled our systems to support the growth. With an efficient online booking platform, clients can reserve stations 24/7, tailoring their kitchen use to their production cycles. Our multiple workstations, commercial-grade equipment, ample dry/cold/frozen storage, and regularly inspected, fully licensed environment mean that every business, no matter its size or stage, can operate with confidence and consistency.

More than just a rental space, FCW operates as a full-service culinary incubator. We provide regulatory guidance, food safety support, and practical insight from years of industry experience. Our team understands what it takes to launch and grow a food business—because we’ve done it ourselves.

And as some clients “graduate” into their own storefronts or facilities (like Psalms’ Gourmet Brittle, Cookie Fueled Mama, and Curious Cat Bakery), new entrepreneurs come in to take their place, bringing fresh ideas and energy to the kitchen. This natural cycle of growth and renewal is what keeps our community strong and sustainable.

At Florida Chefs Workshop, we don’t just make food—we help make futures. 🍽️🚀

What Sets Us Apart

In a world full of rental kitchens and food production spaces, what makes Florida Chefs Workshop stand out?

It comes down to more than just stainless steel and square footage. From day one, we’ve built this space around three key values: community, support, and growth. And those values shape everything we do.

🧭 Built-In Mentorship and Real Support

We don’t just hand you a key—we walk beside you on your journey. Whether it’s navigating licensing, mastering food safety, pricing your menu, or scaling your operation, our team offers real, experienced guidance. Having operated a successful catering company ourselves, we know the questions that come up—and we’re here to help answer them.

🌱 A Culture of Collaboration, Not Competition

Our kitchen thrives on camaraderie. We’ve seen bakers connect with coffee vendors, sauce makers link up with food truck chefs, and pop-up vendors trade marketing tips over prep tables. There’s a spirit of “we’re in this together” that runs through everything here—and it shows.

🛠️ A Space Designed to Launch and Lift

FCW is part commissary, part co-working space, part business incubator. You’ll find top-tier equipment, flexible workstations, dry and cold storage, and even a co-op display area for product sales—but also the intangible resources that make a business sustainable: encouragement, networking, and community.

🏆 Graduation Stories, Not Just Renters

When a business outgrows our kitchen and moves into its own space, we celebrate it. That’s the goal. FCW isn’t where food dreams stop—it’s where they start. Our alumni have opened storefronts, expanded into regional distribution, and built beloved local brands. That track record speaks for itself.

🧑‍🍳 A Kitchen That Feels Like Family

Maybe most importantly, we genuinely care. We care about your success, your product, your late nights and early mornings, your goals and your grit. That’s why so many of our members call it more than a kitchen—they call it home.

Continuing the Journey

As we celebrate seven incredible years at Florida Chefs Workshop, we’re filled with gratitude—for the entrepreneurs who believed in us, for the community that supports us, and for every whisk, spatula, and bold idea that’s passed through our kitchen.

From our first days as St. Petersburg’s only shared-use commercial kitchen to becoming a launchpad for over 65 food-based businesses, we’ve stayed true to our mission: providing an accessible, supportive, and fully equipped space for culinary creators to thrive.

We’ve seen family recipes become retail products, side hustles turn into storefronts, and quiet dreams grow into booming brands. And we’re just getting started.

To everyone who has been part of this journey—thank you. Whether you mixed your first batch here, scaled your business under our roof, or simply supported someone who did, you’re part of the FCW family.

As we look ahead, we’re excited to welcome the next wave of dreamers, doers, and flavor-makers into our space. Because one thing’s for sure: when chefs come together, fresh connections (and amazing food) follow.

Thinking of launching your own culinary venture? Whether you're a seasoned chef, a startup foodie, or somewhere in between, Florida Chefs Workshop is ready to help you get cooking.

👉 Book a tour, ask a question, or reserve your kitchen time today at www.floridachefsworkshop.com

📞 Or call us directly at 727-308-1256 — we’d love to show you around.

Let’s build something delicious, together.