Looking for help locating a shared kitchen.

Hello all,

I am a long time lurker first time poster. It has been a dream of mine to operate a mobile pork dispensary in and around Chicago and I am finally at a point of savings to move forward. The only hangup in my plan has been finding a commissary/shared kitchen that will allow the use of my commercial grade smoker under their exhaust hood (Kitchen Chicago, Logan Sq Kitchen and Now We're Cooking all declined). Well that and Chicago regulations on prep work aboard the truck

I wanted to ask the forum if you have any suggestions for me ... maybe catering companies with a commercial kitchens that would be willing to allow me to use their facilities and in exchange they could use the smoker? I am just looking for any option here. Or if there is a shared kitchen in the suburbs that accepts a smoker, I would definitely be willing to drive out.

Any help or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Jeff

Sorry, I can't help. but just out of curiosity, what kind of smoker is it?

Jeff, IDK if your smoker will be accepted (Evanston has a history of disapproving of them) but you might try Now We're Cookin' http://www.nwcookin.com/ (So sorry, I see you already tried them...I didn't read carefully enough)

Also, I found this very interesting shared-kitchen mapping site: http://www.culinaryincubator.com/maps.php?state=IL

I have some friends that rent out a prep kitchen in the burbs - there is no way a quality kitchen will trade you for a smoker. . They want cash

HI,

Is your smoker for interior use only?

I knew of a situation where the food was smoked outside on the property of a restaurant. They used the kitchen inside to prepare and later package their BBQ.

It was very friendly arrangement where the BBQ person paid the restaurant in BBQ they used in the restaurant.

Regards,