GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or already operating your thriving franchise, it remains the same: running a business is not easy.

Zach and Ashley Elkins know this firsthand. The duo owns Lean Impact Nutrition, a local meal-prepping company that delivers fresh food options to doorsteps every Sunday.

Building their business from scratch in 2017 began at their home, where they prepared simple meals for friends. But, as with many other business owners, Zach said the two decided they wanted to go further.

With more clients, they grew to use local commissaries.

Before finding a place to call their own, the two said they dealt with expensive building costs, shared kitchen scheduling conflicts and the mistakes of trying to start a business.

That’s why they want to make it easier for others. Recently, the two opened their space into the county’s first turnkey kitchen. 

With the help of The Collective Kitchen, local food entrepreneurs can now rent a state-of-the-art space whenever they need it. With 24/7 access, they said this opportunity allows entrepreneurs to grow their businesses without the high cost of maintaining a private kitchen.

“They have access to all of the equipment. Prep tables, cutting boards, knives, cooking equipment, everything,” Zach said. “So, you can just bring in your food and your labor and start your own food business right here.”

With Lean Impact Nutrition only producing food on the weekends, their space, located on North Orange Avenue, remains empty throughout the week. So, they wanted to make use of it.

“We decided a better way to use this as a resource was to help other businesses as a platform for them to start their own food business,” Zach said. “And eventually grow, like we did, out of a commissary space into their own restaurant or food truck.”

Ashley said the space also works as a solution for those who don’t necessarily want to expand their business to those heights just yet. 

This is true for Paemisa Wentz, a new food entrepreneur who recently passed her State of Florida inspection. She said Misa's Thai Street Cuisine will be ready to begin officially operating in the kitchen within a few weeks. 

Originally from Thailand, Wentz is putting a unique spin on traditional Thai dishes. Because of this, she said starting small is the best option.

“The food I’m introducing is not the regular food you’d see at a Thai restaurant,” Wentz said. “So, it’s kind of scary. So, I want to start with a very safe approach; the catering approach is the safest one for me now.” 

Holly Rowan has been running her local baking business, Life’s a Batch, from her home for over three years. She spends the majority of her days baking cakes, cookies and other sweet treats, but her business has grown to the point that it’s now harder for her to handle.

“I'm only able to have one stove here,” Rowan said. “So, my baking shifts...go up to 24 hours … there are weeks that I make over 2,000 cookies, not including cakes or anything else. So, [with] one oven, that’s how long it takes.” 

Since hearing about the new kitchen, Rowan said it may just solve her problem.

“If I could have an actual place where it’s a little bit more organized, easier to get to [and] more ovens, that would cut my baking shifts, I'm sure, in half, if not more,” she said. 

Rowan added that the idea of opening her own shop is nerve-wracking. She said the kitchen could also give her and others in the same boat an idea of what that would look like in the long term.

Zach said those selling any protein do have to be licensed, insured, and inspected by the state to use the kitchen, which he said they would help with.

The Elkins said they will also provide their entrepreneurs with other resources, including business development workshops and marketing assistance, for whatever they may need.

All in all, they said they want to see other small businesses get started and thrive.

“With us starting the same way, I think allowing them to grow their business is fascinating. And we would love to see people outgrow this space and become a really big business,” Ashley said. “Or, just stay in this space and do what they love.”