Boynton Beach incubator helps cook up eateries

Secret Garden trains food-based startups

A Boynton Beach food incubator and a nearby commissary kitchen have been cooking up new food businesses for the community. One of them even went on to appear — and get money — on TV’s “Shark Tank.”

It all began in 2008 with the opening of the Secret Garden Cafe and Incubator, a shared kitchen and culinary training center at 410 E. Boynton Beach Blvd. And in a commercial kitchen, Hour Cucina, opened around the corner, at 411 S. Federal Highway.

Out of these two organizations came several businesses: La Petite Bakery and Delicious Town Biscotti and Baked Goods, both in Boynton Beach; Andre Gourmet Sauce Co. in West Palm Beach; and Sassy Palate of Delray Beach, which makes spreads, sauces and vinegar, according to the incubator program’s executive director, Sherry Johnson.

The Secret Garden incubator helps budding food businesses understand the federal, state and local requirements to make food for public consumption.

“Our job is to help get them licensed,” said Johnson, adding that understanding the process of getting an occupational license from both the city and county can be baffling.

Just around the corner from Secret Garden is Hour Cucina, a commissary started by Susan Levin. She started off baking at the Secret Garden then opened her own business, Delicious Town Biscotti and Baked Goods, in Boynton Beach. She decided to open her commercial kitchen for use by other entrepreneurs and chefs.

Levin, 64, had recently divorced and was looking to make extra money by selling biscotti at the green market. The Secret Garden helped her learn the ropes, and today Delicious Town has standing orders from coffee shops including The Seed in Boca Raton, Gizzi’s Coffee in Delray Beach, and Switch Box Coffee Roasters in Oakland Park.

Her biscotti is “crunchy on the outside, but you can bite through it and not need dental work,” Levin said. Flavors include almond and chocolate chip and almond berry swirl, a cross between bis--

cotti and rugelach, she said.

She makes custom flavors for the St. Augustine Distillery, and a special candy cane-sprinkled biscotti for the holidays. Her commissary also has hosted chefs and others beginning their food businesses.

“You want to see other people succeed,” Levin said.

In 2016, Fort Lauderdale firefighters James Arcaro and Steve Markley began making their smoked fish dip for their new business, Reely Hooked Fish Co. They needed a commercial kitchen and turned to Hour Cucina.

Only a year later, Arcaro and Markley pitched their business to CNBC-TV’s “Shark Tank” reality show and, despite having only $10,000 in sales at the time, snagged a $75,000 investment from investor Mark Cuban.

Reely Hooked is now located in St. Petersburg. With the help of Cuban’s team, Reely Hooked has been retooling the business to be more sustainable, and just began selling again to about 14 restaurants and retail stores, said Arcaro, 41.

But their business wouldn’t have happened, he said, without the initial guidance of Levin. “Susan was amazing during that process. She went above and beyond to educate us.”

Another business that got its start at Hour Cucina is Jolene’s Jar, a pickled vegetables business that Jolene Mirenna launched in Delray Beach in 2015. Mirenna said she sells products to more than 100 retail locations.

Businesses, like Delicious Town Biscotti, that open stores in Boynton Beach’s Community Redevelopment Agency district may be eligible for thousands of dollars in grants.

New businesses that locate a brick-and-mortar store within the CRA are eligible for grants to build out a space, to cover one year’s rent, and for permitting costs, according to Tracy Smith-Coffey, a CRA marketing and business development specialist. For information, go to catchboynton.com.