About
A collaboration between The Office of Continuing Education, The Rotunda Rental Initiative, The Center for Economic and Workforce Development and The Department of Tourism and Hospitality, the Kitchen Innovations Food Product Development Program, also known as, “The Incubator” is a program designed to help food manufacturing entrepreneurs bring their product to market.

The Incubator is housed in a professionally equipped industrial style teaching kitchen at Kingsborough Community College with state-of-the-art equipment. Students’ entrepreneurial dreams are nurtured and brought to fruition through the Incubator.

Students come to the program with their unique food product that they believe is worthy of manufacturing for sale to the public for profit.

Instruction
The new entrepreneurs are taught how to use the professional kitchen equipment, to maximize their work stations for best production and to scale up their recipes in order to mass produce their product for better profitability.

The students are also instructed on how to apply for the necessary insurance policies to protect themselves and their companies from product liability lawsuits. They are also guided in obtaining their 20 C License from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, to manufacture food for retail sale.

Students are assisted in how to choose the packaging for their unique product, how to market their product and how to advertise their product. Distribution and storage of the final product is also part of the Incubator program. Additionally, food purchasing and best places to buy product are relayed to the students.

The student entrepreneurs are also guided in the labeling of their products. Both the artistic and required nutritional information are covered. Moreover, the students are instructed on the Federal Department of Agriculture’s requirements for labeling.

Proper sanitation guidelines are enforced and taught to all students. If the students want a Qualifying Certificate in Food Protection from The City of New York Department of Health they are directed to on-campus classes that will qualify them to take the exam for the New York City certificate, as well as, Servsafe, the National Restaurant Association’s certificate that is good throughout the entire country. These certificates are not required to be an Incubator student but students are encouraged to take the exams for the betterment of their knowledge in the food industry.

Kosher
Kosher products can also be produced in the Incubator. Rabbis trained in Kosher Certification supervise the Incubator program on Wednesdays and Thursdays during manufacturing of Kosher food products.