Carving out a new space
The brothers behind Rowhouse Cinema are taking on Manchester as they open Fulton Commons, a large commissary kitchen in a former school
Acommissary kitchen and themed co- working space is on track to open in September in a former schoolhouse in Manchester — spearheaded by brothers Irwin and Brian Mendelssohn of Botero Development, the company behind projects like Rowhouse Cinema and Bierport in Lawrenceville.
With the price of doing business on the rise around the city, Brian Mendelssohn, 42, said he wanted to offer an option that allows people to start a functioning business with more infrastructure than a shoestring — for way less than the cost of a build- out
and rent. It will provide space for 30 chefs a month.
Pittsburgh’s commissary options prior to this one include the very small La Dorita in Sharpsburg, The Bakery Society in Mount Oliver and Community Kitchen, a culinary skills training facility in Hazelwood.
None has the scope of what will be Fulton Commons, an 18,880- square- foot Manchester space in the former St. Joseph’s elementary school at 1546 Fulton St., which the brothers found in the spring of 2018.
“We weren’t entirely looking for a space [ to build a commissary kitchen], but when we came upon it, we knew that’s what we should do,” Irwin Mendelssohn, 46, said.
“We saw the growth of commissary kitchens nationally and, with the strong local food scene, we thought this would be a great fit for Pittsburgh,” he said.
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As of 2016, according to an industry snapshot report of kitchen incubators, there were close to 150 shared- use commissary kitchens in the U. S., with most of them concentrated in urban areas. That number has only increased, as people continue to dine out, focus on local foods and demand infrastructure that allows for growth.
There have been a couple of models for the newer shared- use kitchens, according
to the industry snapshot, with some providing space and rent “and little else,” while others offer business assistance classes, low- interest lending and contract and distribution help.
Brian Mendelssohn noted their current businesses already have personal connections to local food companies such as Rolling Pepperoni, whose product is sold at the theater and beer bar. “We sell a lot of that food,” he said.
It didn’t make sense to him that small food businesses have been investing in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in build- out costs in rented buildings where the price per square foot is hitting outer limits no longer accessible for many independent businesses here.
“You’d have to use it all day, every day to make that profitable,” he said. “If you’re not a large caterer, it’s not going to work for you.”
The brothers also intend to work with a to- be- named nonprofit that will serve as a feeder to the spaces, and they will be offering scholarship programs for women- and minority- owned companies.
The cost to rent the kitchen space per month starts at about $ 650, which includes a work table and storage area. Add- ons include heavy oven use, cold and frozen storage, and more. The brothers said a majority of users’ rent will be between $ 650 to $ 800 — far less than the cost of a standalone kitchen.
Fulton Commons also will offer seminars on running a small business for food folks, complete with guest speakers — as well as experience the Mendelssohns have to offer, including their work with Smoke Taqueria of Lawrenceville and other restaurant businesses connected to their other properties.
Down on the ground floor, the kitchen area features individualized workspaces, as well as communal areas with room for 60- and 20- gallon steel kettles, standard and combi ovens, varioussized Hobart mixers and a flattop grill. There’s also an area for taking food photos with perfect light and what Irwin referred to as a food photo table for taking Instagram shots.
Outside the kitchen, there’s a green space adjacent to the doors for deliveries, though it’ll also be an area with tables for sitting outside. Eventually, they’ll schedule farmers markets, where they can also showcase the items cooks are making inside.
Fulton Commons goes beyond offering chefs a place to work: The first floor features a co- working space with room for 150 clients — and 35 offices available to lease.
Those co- working spaces are as divergent as the brothers say they are from each other, with some sections offering super sound- proofed walls for quiet community areas as well as individual offices, with themes like an old library and a schoolhouse, while other more social areas will offer a Miami Art Deco vibe and another area inspired by Wes Anderson movie sets.
Each section offers open seating community workspaces ($ 125 a month), fixed desks ($ 175 a month) and offices ( starting at $ 400 a month) in the price structures.
Events can also be booked at the space in the event room, which can house more than 100 people.
The lower floor has room for expansion into private kitchens, as the building gets a better sense of what cooking clients want from individualized rooms. The Mendelssohns are also building out a podcast room in the future.
Situated in Manchester, Fulton Commons will serve as another draw as a handful of businesses open in the area — including Leo. A Public House from Michael Barnhouse of Lola Bistro, which opened a few months ago, as well as Adda Coffee & Tea and other businesses on Western Avenue in nearby Allegheny West.
But although Fulton Commons adds infrastructure to the neighborhood, the Mendelssohns insist that they’re not in it for increasing the real estate value as places like Lawrenceville and Downtown price out independent businesses.
They want to make it easier for creative folks to stay in Pittsburgh and earn a living. “We want to remove all barriers to entry,” Irwin Mendelssohn said.
“We saw the growth of commissary kitchens nationally and with the strong local food scene, we thought this would be a great fit for Pittsburgh.” — Irwin Mendelssohn, Botero Development