Cooking up success inside a kitchen built for community

Tucked in the heart of Mobile, Alabama, a vibrant kitchen pulses with the spirit of possibility. Inside, you’ll find a simple recipe for success: passion mixed with support and resources to help food entrepreneurs bring their culinary dreams to life and create job opportunities for the region.  

Launched in 2023 by the Hispanic Business Association of the Gulf Coast (HBAGC), the Continental Commissary Kitchen has been a lifeline for people looking to establish or grow their own food ventures, many of whom come from underserved communities. 

The Spire-supported “Inspiration Kitchen” is a fully certified shared-use kitchen and provides a safe commercial space for chefs, bakers and caterers to prepare meals for their businesses.  

“We are so proud to be able to provide a home to food businesses and meet our goals of providing services to the underserved community,” said Dr. Leida Javier, CEO of the Continental Commissary Kitchen. “It amazes us how the shared kitchen incubator is a hub of diverse food, flavors, smells and personalities.”  

Within their first 15 months of operation, the kitchen has helped 41 small business owners. Some have already secured catering contracts and expanded their food trucks, adding more flavor to Mobile’s already soulful food scene.    

“This is their dream. This is our mission,” said Leida. “We are proud of helping increase hospitality food services and the economic base of the city, county and state.”

Additionally, the kitchen offers its members specialized training courses that cover everything from safe food handling to developing financial and marketing strategies.

“Every day we ask, ‘Wow, how did and how could we do this?’ Then, we see food entrepreneurs knocking on our doors looking for guidance, help and training.”  

The kitchen is equipped with plenty of natural gas appliances, including gas stoves, convection ovens, warming equipment, gas grills and a gas fryer. There are separate prep areas for fresh produce, salads, sandwiches and catering orders as well as walk-in coolers, dry storage, washing stations and a commercial display refrigerator. 

In the near future, Leida hopes the kitchen can grow to support more entrepreneurs and help educate businesses and kids alike.  

Spire is proud to support the kitchen as it continues to dish out opportunities in Alabama.