Commissary Kitchens for Rent by State

What a commissary kitchen is

A commissary kitchen is a licensed commercial kitchen that rents space to food businesses. You cook, bake, pack, or store food in it. The kitchen holds the health permit, the equipment, and the cleaning schedule, so you do not build or license your own. Most rent by the hour, and many also offer a monthly plan with a shelf, a rack, or a freezer of your own. Read the full guide to commissary kitchens for the details.

Who needs one

Food trucks and carts need one in most counties. The health department wants a licensed kitchen on file where the truck fills water, dumps grease, and stores food. Read what a food truck needs from a commissary before you tour one. Home bakers and packaged-food makers need one when they outgrow their state's cottage food limit, or when they want to sell to stores and wholesale buyers. Caterers and meal-prep cooks use one for the big jobs their home kitchen cannot hold.

How to pick one

Start with location. A kitchen you drive past every day beats a cheaper one across town, because you will be there before dawn and after close. Then match the kitchen to your work:

• Hours. Ask when you can cook. Some kitchens run 24/7. Others close nights or weekends, which is when many food businesses work.
• Storage. Dry, cold, and frozen storage are often separate fees. Ask what a shelf costs and whether it is locked.
• Minimum booking. Many kitchens set a floor of a few hours per session or a set number of hours per month. Read how much kitchen time you need before you agree to one.
• Equipment. Check for the one piece you cannot work without: a deck oven, a 60-quart mixer, a tilt skillet, a truck bay with a grease trap.
• Paperwork. Most kitchens ask for liability insurance, a food handler card, and a business license. Read what insurance a renter needs and how to get a health permit with a commissary.
• The agreement. Before you sign, read what to check in a kitchen rental agreement.

Tour two or three kitchens before you choose. Rates and terms on this site come from each kitchen's own website, so confirm them on the tour. See what a commercial kitchen costs to rent if you want a sense of the going rate first.

Find one near you

Pick your state below, then your city. Each listing shows the rate, the minimum booking, the storage, and a link to the kitchen's own site. If you know what equipment you need, the Kitchen Match tool filters the listings for you.