A shared commercial kitchen is in the process of rebranding as a local nonprofit’s official space.
River Forest Kitchen, 349 Ashland Ave., which opened in July 2015, is now managed and primarily occupied by Sugar Beet Schoolhouse, which offers culinary programming for children and families.
The kitchen provides space for a handful of culinary businesses to cook and create their product. Prior to 2015, the building housed Constructive Chaos, which offered arts and culinary programming for kids and teens.
Cheryl Muñoz, founder and executive director of Sugar Beet Schoolhouse, said the organization has been holding classes out of the kitchen space for about six months, and available class time had become limited.
Adam Friedberg, a principal with Brand & Company, which owns and repurposed the 2,500-square-foot space in 2015, said they approached Muñoz about the possibility late last year.
Friedberg said they realized the space was underutilized, and decided that Sugar Beet Schoolhouse can make use of a multipurpose room and other general area space that can be used while another vendor is occupying the kitchen.
“He saw the potential for us to grow and use the space even more,” Muñoz said. “They’re giving us a big vote of confidence.”
The change won’t affect the number of vendors who operate out of the space or their schedules, Muñoz said. Friedberg said Brand & Company continues to own the space and remains landlord, while Sugar Beet Schoolhouse acts as the management company, running the space and using the bulk of it.
Deno Andrews, a board member with Sugar Beet Schoolhouse, said the nonprofit took control of kitchen management two weeks ago; the entire deal took three weeks, he added. Signage outside the building will change in the near future.
“I don’t expect we’ll do too much to make it look different,” he said.
Andrews said the move provides a great opportunity for the nonprofit — which had planned long-term to build something similar — while allowing Brand & Company to remove itself from kitchen management.
“The risk-to-reward ratio was a no-brainer for taking the right step at the right time,” he said.
Muñoz and Friedberg said the rebranding means the building sort of blends what it’s currently used for with what it used to be used for, Constructive Chaos. An adjoining greenhouse and garden are other aspects that benefit Sugar Beet Schoolhouse.
Muñoz enjoys that children, while there for their own class, are able to see vendors making products in the kitchen. Friedberg credited her with seizing an opportunity and having a detailed plan to see it through.
Muñoz said she looks forward to building a full culinary program for kids and families — including summer camps, which they’ve wanted to do for some time — since they’ve sourced the community for program ideas. Down the road, the nonprofit will look to designate dedicated preschool and elementary programming classrooms.
“We’re excited to be kind of wearing our mission,” she said. “We’ll be able to offer the community what they want.”
More Top Picks Aukey Dr02
Friedberg said the move also allows Brand & Company to become more involved in other projects in the area, though he wouldn’t elaborate on what those are beyond pointing to the 226 Harrison St. property, where River Forest Kitchen tenant Happy Apple Pie Shop will soon occupy its own space.
“We’re excited to kind of let Sugar Beet Schoolhouse run with this,” Friedberg said.
A Valentine’s Day market and grand opening will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 11 at the space, 349 Ashland Ave. in River Forest. For more information, visit www.sugarbeetschoolhouse.org.
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.