Shared commissary kitchens are for food trucks, caterers, bakers and small packaged food brands that need a licensed kitchen but can't pay for a build-out of their own. Renting hours or shifts in a permitted space is usually the fastest legal way to start selling food in the US.
The list covers operators with a physical, health-department-licensed kitchen that members book by the hour, the shift or the month. Everyone here was checked against the same questions. What does membership cost, and are there initiation fees or minimum terms? Can you get in 24/7, or are there fixed slots? How much dry, cold and frozen storage is there? Does it handle food truck needs like fresh water, gray water and grease disposal? Does it help with permits, and is it certified for wholesale or USDA work? Most of these kitchens are single-city businesses, so the address matters as much as the price.
The order is set by community votes, not by the editors, and nobody pays for a spot. Each card lists the pros, the cons and real user reviews. Read the cons before you book a tour: minimum commitments and peak-hour fights over equipment are where most shared commissary kitchens let people down.
PREP started in Atlanta as a culinary accelerator on an 80,000 sq ft campus and has since grown into a small chain. There are three Atlanta area sites (ATL North, Lakeside in Tucker, ATL South), plus Austin, Dallas/DFW, Scottsdale and a newer Houston location. It has two models: dedicated private kitchens leased to one company, and shared kitchens split into stations that different producers book at the same time. In Austin, shared plans ran from $800 a month for 30 hours to $1,800 for 80 hours, with a $500 initiation fee.
It fits caterers, food trucks and CPG brands that want room to grow and don't want to change buildings when they move up to a private kitchen. Members have access 24/7 and book shifts online. Memberships run 12 months, so a weekend hobby baker would be overpaying. Staff help with local health permits, but tours are by appointment only.
3300 Marjan Drive, Atlanta, GA 30340, USA
Union Kitchen runs a 17,000 sq ft certified commercial kitchen in DC's Eckington neighborhood. Over 70 local food founders produce there. Shared membership starts at $899 a month and covers production space, office space, gas, water, electricity and fast internet, so there are no surprise utility bills. The facility is USDA, FDA and gluten-free certified, and staff hold HACCP and PCQI certifications.
The main draw is for packaged goods brands aiming at retail shelves. Union Kitchen also has its own grocery stores and distribution, and runs the First Run accelerator as a partner program. A food truck that just needs a commissary letter and a sink will pay for more than it uses. Membership is monthly and sized to production needs, and the site publishes detailed DC licensing steps.
1625 Eckington Pl NE, Washington, DC 20002, USA
The Hatchery is a nonprofit food and beverage incubator in a 67,000 sq ft building in Chicago's East Garfield Park. It has 56 food-grade kitchens, both shared and private, along with cold, dry and freezer storage, loading docks, food truck servicing, coworking and event space. It takes no equity and has no fixed graduation date. Members stay as long as the program helps.
Most shared kitchens just rent hours. The Hatchery adds weekly workshops, mentors, access to capital through a partner lender and introductions to retail buyers. That suits first-time founders more than established caterers who only want a key and a schedule. Producers who work up to 30 to 40 kitchen hours a week can move into a private kitchen lease. Coworking is open only to kitchen users, and local residents get discounted hourly rates.
135 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
BLT Kitchens has two Phoenix area sites: the original on Dunlap near 7th St, and BLT East in Mesa near Power and Southern. Together they have over 14,000 sq ft, two cooking lines, four walk-in fridges and freezers, and more than 20 prep tables. Plans go from a basic membership around $250 a month up to about $1,100 for premium. Peak hours are 6am to 3pm, and off-peak runs 3pm to 6am.
Food trucks are an obvious fit. There's a gray water dump, fresh water fill, a commercial ice machine and trash service, and the commissary agreement the county asks for is included. Caterers and meal prep companies also use it. Access is 24/7. Anyone who can only cook in the morning rush should expect more competition for equipment, because peak slots cost more.
739 E Dunlap Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85020, USA
This is a family-owned, membership-based shared kitchen with four Seattle locations: SoDo, Marginal Way, Stadium and the International District. More than 40 local producers work there, including food trucks, caterers, farmers market vendors, wholesalers and delivery-only brands. Members book scheduled shift blocks and share the same set of commercial equipment. Joining costs a one-time $100 application fee plus a signed membership agreement.
It works well for King County mobile food units, which need an approved commissary to get a permit. Monthly cost depends on how many slots you book. Members who take both the morning and afternoon slots get 24/7 access without the graveyard fee. There's free Wi-Fi, a computer and printer, and alarm and key access. The shift system means no dropping in unannounced.
3201 4th Avenue South, Suite B, Seattle, WA 98134, USA
LIT is a family-owned shared commissary kitchen in southwest Houston. It's open 24/7 behind secure gates. The building went through a renovation of roughly $350,000 in 2023 and 2024. You can book by the hour, the day or the month. The monthly membership is $199 on a book-as-you-go plan with a six-month minimum, and storage is an add-on. There's also an in-house photo studio for shooting menu items and product photos.
The owners have restaurant backgrounds and pitch themselves as a concierge for new food businesses, so beginners get hands-on help. It's a good fit for caterers, meal prep brands and small restaurants that need overflow space. The six-month minimum means it doesn't suit a one-off pop-up. With one site, anyone on the north side of Houston faces a long drive.
10887 S Wilcrest Dr, Suite A, Houston, TX 77099, USA
Cook Collective is a 6,500 sq ft shared kitchen on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. It has eight prep stations, a hand wash sink at each one, dry, cold and frozen storage, a delivery zone, and Ansul fire suppression over the cooking line. You book by the shift. Plans start at two shifts a month and go up to seven a week, from about $195 per shift. Storage is rented monthly.
It suits NYC caterers, bakers and small producers who cook on fixed days and want steady, predictable shifts. Before the first booking, every business has to go through onboarding, which includes proof of a license application. Per-shift pricing adds up quickly for anyone cooking daily. The kitchen is open seven days a week.
999 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238, USA
This Orlando business is both a catering company and a licensed commissary. Food trucks, food trailers, hot dog carts and caterers use its commercial kitchen, storage and parking. The site says packages start at about $8.50 an hour, and a basic commissary plan with no kitchen time has been advertised from around $50 a month. That's cheap for Central Florida.
The main customers are mobile vendors who need a commissary address for their state license plus somewhere to park and prep. It also offers help with licensing, menu development, food safety training and business planning. The owners run a catering operation out of the same space, so members share the kitchen with a working business. Anyone after a quiet, private production room should look elsewhere.
929 W Michigan St, Orlando, FL 32805, USA
Metro Commissary Kitchens is a shared, health-compliant commercial kitchen in Portland, Oregon. Caterers, bakers and food truck operators rent time there instead of building their own licensed space. It's set up as a flexible, lower-cost option for small food businesses that need permitted space to prep, cook and store. Portland has a big food cart scene, and carts need a commissary.
It's for Portland-area vendors who want a local base without a long lease. Small operators with irregular production can book around their schedules. Brands that need USDA certification or large-scale co-packing will outgrow it. Pricing and booking details come through direct contact, so compare offers before signing.
My Commissary Kitchen is a certified shared kitchen on Chesapeake Blvd in Norfolk, Virginia, serving the Hampton Roads area. It has one location and posts its prices openly. Walk-in renters pay $35 per hour with a 2-hour daily minimum and a $50 booking fee. Members pay a $250 annual fee and get the same hourly rate with a 5-hour monthly minimum. Monthly plans run on a 12-month contract, from $500 for up to 20 hours down to $1,500 for up to 120 hours. That works out to $12.50 per hour at the top tier.
The kitchen suits food trucks, caterers and small producers who need a licensed place to cook. A basic food truck affiliation costs $150 per month. It includes a signed commissary agreement, 24/7 access to potable water, grease and gray water disposal, a dish sink and waste disposal. Truck parking costs extra. Every renter has to add the kitchen as additionally insured on a current certificate of insurance. Anyone who needs several locations or a large brand network will not find that here.
3351 Chesapeake Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23513, USA