Webster Launchpad Kitchen is a licensed Incubator kitchen located at 640 W. Huron Street in Pontiac, Michigan. The kitchen provides food entrepreneurs, caterers, bakers, chefs, and other food businesses access to professional commercial kitchen space without the expense of operating their own facility.

The kitchen is designed for licensed or license-ready food entrepreneurs, including caterers, bakers, meal-prep businesses, packaged-food producers, food trucks/mobile food businesses, and other approved food businesses. We also accommodate certain community and one-time uses.

 If you produce food for sale to the public, you generally need the appropriate food establishment license or other regulatory approval for your business and activity. Licensing requirements vary depending on what you make, how it is packaged, and where and how it is sold. However, a license is not required to tour the facility, attend a class, or participate in certain approved activities.

Yes. Our team can help entrepreneurs understand the general licensing process and identify resources that may apply to their business. However, the appropriate regulatory agency such as MDARD or the local health department makes the final determination regarding licensing.

Check out their website here: https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/licensing/food

Yes. Launchpad Kitchen offers educational programming designed to help food entrepreneurs better understand commercial kitchen operations, food licensing, food safety, business readiness, costing, production planning, and other fundamentals of operating a food business.

Requirements depend on your business and licensing category. Commercial users will be required to provide their appropriate food license, ServSafe certification, liability insurance, business information, create an account on The Food Corridor, and go through orientation before production begins.

Yes, when the arrangement meets applicable licensing requirements. Depending on the event and food operation, you will need a temporary food establishment license or approval from the regulatory agency overseeing the event. We recommend completing these requirements well before the event date rather than waiting until the day of the event.

Yes. Launchpad Kitchen may be available to community organizations, individuals, businesses, wedding parties, nonprofit organizations, and others who need commercial kitchen space for an approved one-time event or project. Availability, fees, insurance, food safety requirements, and licensing requirements may vary depending on the activity.

Potentially, yes. We can accommodate certain private and special-event kitchen uses. Contact us with the date, type of event, number of guests, and how the kitchen will be used so we can determine the appropriate rental arrangement and requirements.

Yes. We welcome inquiries from nonprofit and community organizations for programs, community meals, special events, culinary education, and other approved uses.

Launchpad Kitchen includes professional equipment for baking, hot production, cold preparation, assembly, and sanitation.See our attached Equipment List

Yes, depending on the type of production and available workstations. Launchpad Kitchen is a shared use facility, so users are expected to respect designated work areas, equipment reservations, sanitation procedures, and other kitchen users. Reservations are made on Food Corridor on a first-come, first-served basis.

Users should plan to provide their own ingredients, packaging, and business-specific supplies. Certain shared equipment and utensils may be available. We recommend confirming what is included before your scheduled production time. *See our attatched Equipment List.

Yes. We encourage prospective food entrepreneurs to tour the facility, learn about available equipment and workstations, and discuss their business and production needs before beginning the onboarding process.

That's exactly where Launchpad's educational resources can help. You do not have to understand every license, regulation, or commercial kitchen requirement before contacting us. We can help you understand the general pathway from an idea or home-based operation toward becoming ready for commercial production.

MDARD provides information about food establishment licensing, food safety, processing, and Michigan's regulatory requirements. Visit :https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/licensing/food