HOT BREAD KITCHEN

Very interesting venture and organization, built to teach immigrant women baking skills and prepare them for their own business or for employment.

Our Mission

Hot Bread Kitchen increases economic security for foreign-born and low-income women and men by opening access to the billion dollar specialty food industry. We do this through our culinary workforce and business incubation programs, Project Launch and HBK Incubates.

To help offset the cost of our training and to build esteem in the contribution of immigrants, we sell delicious multi-ethnic breads that are inspired by our bakers and the many countries that they come from.  We make it a priority to use local and organic ingredients.

As our staff of trainees grows, so does our product line.  As part of our mission, we preserve valuable baking and culinary traditions and “br-educate” New Yorkers about the tasty and important contributions of immigrant communities.

Leader: Jessamyn Rodriguez

Our Staff

Jessamyn W. Rodriguez, Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Jessamyn W. Rodriguez is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the award-winning Hot Bread Kitchen.   Since its inception in 2007, she has led the growth of the organization from a visionary idea to a thriving bakery and workforce development program.  Hot Bread Kitchen won the 2009 “Best Small Business” for Queens from the NYC Department of Small Businesses and has become nationally recognized brand that has been covered in print (New York Times, Daily News, and Food & Wine Magazine), TV (Today Show & NPK), and Radio.

Jessamyn combines her passions for baking and social justice for foreign-born women in Hot Bread Kitchen.  Her efforts have also been recognized by Echoing Green, which selected her from over 1500 social entrepreneurs and by the Eileen Fisher Company that awarded her a Grant for Women Entrepreneurs in 2007.  Jessamyn has an MPA from Columbia University and a BA from the University of British Columbia. Before starting Hot Bread Kitchen, she gained 10 years of experience in NGOs, government, and the United Nations, focusing on human rights, education, and immigration issues. She worked in many places, including the US, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Bosnia, Guatemala, and Chile.  Jessamyn also has a Master Baker certificate from the New School University and was the first woman to be hired as a baker at Chef Daniel Boulud’s renowned Restaurant Daniel.

KITCHEN RENTAL and INCUBATOR CONCEPT

 

Kitchen Rental and Program Detail

 

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN OFFERINGS

Our 2,300 square foot, shared commercial kitchen is equipped to handle most needs of start-up caterers, specialty food producers, and bakers. The modular layout of our space is designed to accommodate six separate production spaces for businesses.
Our commercial kitchen offers:

• Four individualized stations of specialized commercial equipment including: convection ovens, 6-burner ranges, steamer, grill, deep fryer, 30-gallon tilting braising pan and 20- and 80-quart Hobart dough mixers
• Two private prep rooms with ample counter space and sinks for ingredient preparation and packaging. The smaller prep room is temperature controlled, ideal for confectioners and chocolate makers.
• Dishwashing space
• Dry, refrigerated and freezer storage (rented by the month)
• Receiving included, easy load-in and out area
• Easily accessible: close to the FDR, accessible street parking, one block from the 6 train and three blocks from 2/3 train

Once businesses are ready to start producing, we work with each business to ensure they get inspected and licensed by the appropriate state or city agency. We also assist with commercial kitchen training, efficient kitchen use and recipe scale-up.

PROGRAM OFFERINGS

The business development portion of our incubator program includes:

• Monthly business and culinary workshops focused on financial preparedness, sales and marketing, accounting, logo and label design, and more
• One-on-one monthly finance advising
• Exposure to a vibrant and dynamic entrepreneurial and culinary environment
• Partnership opportunities with other incubator businesses
• Marketing opportunities