The nonprofit organization launched a Summer Marketplace in July, along with a grocery store, to highlight its members’ creations and others in the Dayton region.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Charlynda Scales, who founded 6888 Kitchen Incubator with Dabriah Rice and Jamaica White, is the owner of Mutt’s Sauce. Based on her experience of bottling and selling the sauce to grocers in the region, she wanted to offer their members and other food entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn what to expect if they want to eventually sell their products at such places as Dorothy Lane Market or Kroger.

Each vendor in the grocery store submitted an application and then 6888 Kitchen Incubator bought their products wholesale.

Both the marketplace and grocery store are giving people access to fresh food in a place the founders described as a food desert. They want to provide local residents new food options as well as educating local food entrepreneurs and helping their businesses grow.

Members now serving lunch

Two of their members, Boss Potatoes and Side Piece Soul Cafe, are now serving lunch.

Boss Potatoes, owned by Martina Scott, features baked potatoes stuffed with a variety of toppings. She plans to open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday to start off. She hopes to expand to five days a week and eventually offer breakfast potatoes.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Side Piece Soul Cafe, owned by Briana Parks, features a variety of soul food such as fried porkchops, sautéed chicken, fried chicken, corn bread, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potato yams. Other items include chicken wraps, wings and fries.

The Cafe is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday with plans to expand hours next week. Side Piece Soul Cafe will open at 7 a.m. for breakfast. On Monday, Aug. 19, Parks’ business will launch on DoorDash and hours will expand once again from 6 or 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you’re looking for a sweet treat, the CheezCake Lab is offering cheesecake slices throughout the week.

A catering collective to help with exposure

Another way the founders are trying to get their members exposure throughout the community is via catering. Rice, who has over 18 years of catering experience, and White own Divine Catering.

She said she gets a lot of inquires for her catering services, but ultimately can’t do them all. In the past, she referred jobs to friends and colleagues, but now she is referring them to the 6888 Catering Collective.

For those that submit an inquiry, the founders will match them with one of their members. For the members that don’t have experience catering, but are a perfect match, the founders may partner with them to educate.

“Without the education it’s hard to be successful,” Rice said. “Our goal is to help with the economy. People can hire employees and they can take care of their families. If they don’t have the right education to actually run the business properly to do that, a lot of businesses fail.”

Rice and White said corporate catering is very different compared to something like a baby shower. They want to give their members the opportunity to try it and see if it’s something they want to do long-term.

A resource for the community

6888 Kitchen Incubator started with six members and now has 10 members including A Grazing Experience, Porters Catering Services, Side Piece Soul Cafe, CheezCake Lab, N’Dulge Luxe Treat Boutique, Boss Potatoes, H3 Energetics, Passion to the Plate, La Petite Kitchen and The Regenerative Farmers Collective.

The space features six shared kitchens and a baking pod that’s open 24/7. There’s also two prep tables, storage and areas designated for shipping and receiving.

The founders built the kitchen commissary to help food entrepreneurs in the area. From their own experiences, they knew there was a need for a space that offers commercial kitchens to those wanting to scale up their business. They also offer an education program called “Sharpen the Axe,” providing financial literacy and coaching programs for food businesses.

“We just want to be a resource for the community,” White said.

They are currently fundraising for phase two of the incubator which includes three more pods and a classroom kitchen. They are hoping to close a $1.3 million gap by the end of the year to complete construction by mid-2025. Completing phase two will also give them more storage, allowing them to have more members.

6888 Kitchen Incubator is accepting new vendors. Their goal is to have 30 members with the space they have now and 50 to 60 members once they expand. They also have plans to start cooking classes in October.

The nonprofit is named after the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (nicknamed “Six Triple Eight”), a battalion of 855 Black women sent to Europe during World War II to solve the problem of the army’s mail.

MORE DETAILS

In partnership with The Gem City Black Business Month, 6888 Kitchen Incubator is presenting “Flavors of Success,” a Culinary panel discussion and showcase, on Friday, Aug. 23.

From 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Hub, located at 31 S. Main St. in Dayton, there will be a panel discussion featuring local food entrepreneurs. Following the discussion, attendees can get a tour of the kitchen incubator, meet with entrepreneurs and sample a variety of culinary creations from their members. This part of the event will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 6888 Kitchen Incubator, located at 32 S. Ludlow St. in Dayton. To register for the event, click here.

For those interested in becoming a member, 6888 Kitchen Incubator offers informational sessions and tours. The next session is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 5 p.m. To reserve a spot, visit eventbrite.com.

More information about 6888 Kitchen Incubator, can be found at 6888kitchen.org or the nonprofit’s Facebook or Instagram pages (@6888kitchen).