An L.A. Kitchen worker prepares boxed meals using reclaimed food for distribution to seniors. L.A. Kitchen buys reduced-priced food for the nonprofit program and produces 4,000 meals per week for Los Angeles residents over the age of 65.

An L.A. Kitchen worker prepares boxed meals using reclaimed food for distribution to seniors. L.A. Kitchen buys reduced-priced food for the nonprofit program and produces 4,000 meals per week for Los Angeles residents over the age of 65.

The L.A. Kitchen program provides job skill training to young adults who have aged out of foster care and formerly incarcerated people. The program admits 22 new students every 14 weeks.

The L.A. Kitchen program provides job skill training to young adults who have aged out of foster care and formerly incarcerated people. The program admits 22 new students every 14 weeks.

The kitchen is located in Lincoln Heights, just northeast of Downtown Los Angeles, in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. The population is 70% Latinx and 25% Asian. The average income, at $30K, is lower than the city average.

The kitchen is located in Lincoln Heights, just northeast of Downtown Los Angeles, in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. The population is 70% Latinx and 25% Asian. The average income, at $30K, is lower than the city average.

An on-site staff member takes inventory of the kitchen’s cold storage room. Tenants benefit from the amount of food they can keep refrigerated in the large, communal room as opposed to the confines of a smaller individual kitchen. The L.A. Prep webs

An on-site staff member takes inventory of the kitchen’s cold storage room. Tenants benefit from the amount of food they can keep refrigerated in the large, communal room as opposed to the confines of a smaller individual kitchen. The L.A. Prep website advertises its amenities: “On-site access to everything a growing food-making business needs: flexible cold, dry and frozen storage; test kitchen; co-working space; guidance from a deeply experienced management team; group buying, one-on-one coaching, and business acceleration services.”

Large industrial shelves are stocked with cooking supplies and food in one of the warehouse’s largest kitchens.

Large industrial shelves are stocked with cooking supplies and food in one of the warehouse’s largest kitchens.

The 20,000-square-foot converted warehouse contains 54 licensed wholesale production spaces.

The 20,000-square-foot converted warehouse contains 54 licensed wholesale production spaces.

Disposable shoe covers are required upon entry and aprons in use are hung on numbered hooks. L.A. Prep helps empower its tenants by ensuring that all kitchens are in compliance with food-preparation health and safety regulations, thus allowing chefs

Disposable shoe covers are required upon entry and aprons in use are hung on numbered hooks. L.A. Prep helps empower its tenants by ensuring that all kitchens are in compliance with food-preparation health and safety regulations, thus allowing chefs to focus on their craft. L.A. Prep advertises that it “works with public health agencies to streamline licensing and permitting for our tenants. What takes months elsewhere can often be done in just weeks [here], depending on jurisdiction and products.”

A cook prepares a batch of ghee for the brand 4th & Hearth.

A cook prepares a batch of ghee for the brand 4th & Hearth.

The 4th & Heart team makes 500 jars of ghee daily. They’ve seen an explosion in their business since moving to the L.A. Prep location from another kitchen incubator in Redondo beach.

The 4th & Heart team makes 500 jars of ghee daily. They’ve seen an explosion in their business since moving to the L.A. Prep location from another kitchen incubator in Redondo beach.

Two chefs operate their Italian food business from L.A. Prep. They create individually boxed meals that are sold from refrigerated vending machines in busy office parks around Los Angeles.

Two chefs operate their Italian food business from L.A. Prep. They create individually boxed meals that are sold from refrigerated vending machines in busy office parks around Los Angeles.

Before L.A. Prep, small food businesses could spend months or years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to build out a facility to make their products, which was a huge barrier to growth. Often, they would either lose orders from major buyers or th

Before L.A. Prep, small food businesses could spend months or years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to build out a facility to make their products, which was a huge barrier to growth. Often, they would either lose orders from major buyers or they would operate in illegal kitchens. Giving over their concepts to contract manufacturers meant losing control of their products, pricing, and revenues.

L.A. Prep works as an advocate for the entrepreneurs so they can keep their entire process affordable and in-house.

The kitchen’s location of Lincoln Heights has been called “the Ellis Island of Los Angeles” as it was home to successive waves of immigrant populations beginning in the early 1900s. Its proximity to Downtown made it an ideal home for residents worki

The kitchen’s location of Lincoln Heights has been called “the Ellis Island of Los Angeles” as it was home to successive waves of immigrant populations beginning in the early 1900s. Its proximity to Downtown made it an ideal home for residents working in the city.

The previously abandoned warehouse was restored in 2013, brought up to code, and is now a vibrant space filled with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. L.A. Prep provides a collaborative setting for tenants where makers have access to L.A. Pre

The previously abandoned warehouse was restored in 2013, brought up to code, and is now a vibrant space filled with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. L.A. Prep provides a collaborative setting for tenants where makers have access to L.A. Prep's team of business professionals, including business accelerator Food Centricity.

LA prep.jpg
An L.A. Kitchen worker prepares boxed meals using reclaimed food for distribution to seniors. L.A. Kitchen buys reduced-priced food for the nonprofit program and produces 4,000 meals per week for Los Angeles residents over the age of 65.
The L.A. Kitchen program provides job skill training to young adults who have aged out of foster care and formerly incarcerated people. The program admits 22 new students every 14 weeks.
The kitchen is located in Lincoln Heights, just northeast of Downtown Los Angeles, in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. The population is 70% Latinx and 25% Asian. The average income, at $30K, is lower than the city average.
An on-site staff member takes inventory of the kitchen’s cold storage room. Tenants benefit from the amount of food they can keep refrigerated in the large, communal room as opposed to the confines of a smaller individual kitchen. The L.A. Prep webs
Large industrial shelves are stocked with cooking supplies and food in one of the warehouse’s largest kitchens.
The 20,000-square-foot converted warehouse contains 54 licensed wholesale production spaces.
Disposable shoe covers are required upon entry and aprons in use are hung on numbered hooks. L.A. Prep helps empower its tenants by ensuring that all kitchens are in compliance with food-preparation health and safety regulations, thus allowing chefs
A cook prepares a batch of ghee for the brand 4th & Hearth.
The 4th & Heart team makes 500 jars of ghee daily. They’ve seen an explosion in their business since moving to the L.A. Prep location from another kitchen incubator in Redondo beach.
Two chefs operate their Italian food business from L.A. Prep. They create individually boxed meals that are sold from refrigerated vending machines in busy office parks around Los Angeles.
Before L.A. Prep, small food businesses could spend months or years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to build out a facility to make their products, which was a huge barrier to growth. Often, they would either lose orders from major buyers or th
The kitchen’s location of Lincoln Heights has been called “the Ellis Island of Los Angeles” as it was home to successive waves of immigrant populations beginning in the early 1900s. Its proximity to Downtown made it an ideal home for residents worki
The previously abandoned warehouse was restored in 2013, brought up to code, and is now a vibrant space filled with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. L.A. Prep provides a collaborative setting for tenants where makers have access to L.A. Pre
LA prep.jpg

An L.A. Kitchen worker prepares boxed meals using reclaimed food for distribution to seniors. L.A. Kitchen buys reduced-priced food for the nonprofit program and produces 4,000 meals per week for Los Angeles residents over the age of 65.

The L.A. Kitchen program provides job skill training to young adults who have aged out of foster care and formerly incarcerated people. The program admits 22 new students every 14 weeks.

The kitchen is located in Lincoln Heights, just northeast of Downtown Los Angeles, in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. The population is 70% Latinx and 25% Asian. The average income, at $30K, is lower than the city average.

An on-site staff member takes inventory of the kitchen’s cold storage room. Tenants benefit from the amount of food they can keep refrigerated in the large, communal room as opposed to the confines of a smaller individual kitchen. The L.A. Prep website advertises its amenities: “On-site access to everything a growing food-making business needs: flexible cold, dry and frozen storage; test kitchen; co-working space; guidance from a deeply experienced management team; group buying, one-on-one coaching, and business acceleration services.”

Large industrial shelves are stocked with cooking supplies and food in one of the warehouse’s largest kitchens.

The 20,000-square-foot converted warehouse contains 54 licensed wholesale production spaces.

Disposable shoe covers are required upon entry and aprons in use are hung on numbered hooks. L.A. Prep helps empower its tenants by ensuring that all kitchens are in compliance with food-preparation health and safety regulations, thus allowing chefs to focus on their craft. L.A. Prep advertises that it “works with public health agencies to streamline licensing and permitting for our tenants. What takes months elsewhere can often be done in just weeks [here], depending on jurisdiction and products.”

A cook prepares a batch of ghee for the brand 4th & Hearth.

The 4th & Heart team makes 500 jars of ghee daily. They’ve seen an explosion in their business since moving to the L.A. Prep location from another kitchen incubator in Redondo beach.

Two chefs operate their Italian food business from L.A. Prep. They create individually boxed meals that are sold from refrigerated vending machines in busy office parks around Los Angeles.

Before L.A. Prep, small food businesses could spend months or years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to build out a facility to make their products, which was a huge barrier to growth. Often, they would either lose orders from major buyers or they would operate in illegal kitchens. Giving over their concepts to contract manufacturers meant losing control of their products, pricing, and revenues.

L.A. Prep works as an advocate for the entrepreneurs so they can keep their entire process affordable and in-house.

The kitchen’s location of Lincoln Heights has been called “the Ellis Island of Los Angeles” as it was home to successive waves of immigrant populations beginning in the early 1900s. Its proximity to Downtown made it an ideal home for residents working in the city.

The previously abandoned warehouse was restored in 2013, brought up to code, and is now a vibrant space filled with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. L.A. Prep provides a collaborative setting for tenants where makers have access to L.A. Prep's team of business professionals, including business accelerator Food Centricity.

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