Restaurant boot camp
Yuma Commercial Kitchen helps to scale from idea to marketplace
Anew concept kicking off this week will prepare food entrepreneurs for the next step in their business growth.
Let’s say that someone is making and selling tamales from home, but they want to get their tamales into local stores.
Or perhaps a food stand vendor has an idea for a new product but has no idea how to make it a reality. Or a food truck vendor is ready to open a dine-in restaurant but is not sure how to make it happen.
It’s these kinds of entrepreneurs that the new Yuma Commercial Kitchen, a food business incubator program and restaurant startup boot camp aims to help. The program will be offered in English and Spanish.
Led by the Arizona Western College Small Business Development Center, the goal is to help culinary professionals realize their dreams by providing a low-cost, full-service commercial kitchen space along with a boot camp that teaches them the ins and outs of the industry.
The commercial kitchen gives participants the opportunity to test new food items or develop new products in a low-risk environment without having to buy the equipment or
LEFT: The Yuma Commercial Kitchen, located at Arizona Western College, gives food and beverage businesses a low-risk and low-cost opportunity to test, scale and develop product without the cost and liability in equipping, managing and maintaining their own commercial culinary facility.
FAR LEFT: Bob Gedeon, professor of culinary arts at Arizona Western College, demonstrates proper knife techniques. He will lead a class designed to help entrepreneurs take their food business to the next level.
self-serve bays for cars. They’re also considering additional bays for interior cleaning, Allison said.
“We know the pain point is the line, especially in the winter time, when the winter visitors get here, but hopefully this will solve that,” Allison said.
“Best of all” is a new access road that will tie directly to 32nd Street for better access to the car wash. Right now customers enter through Avenue 8E or 32nd Street but they must drive around the gym to reach the facility.
Allison said they’re hoping the project is completed by the end of the year, but most likely it won’t happen until the first quarter of 2023.
“We’re excited to bring all that to Yuma. Thank you, guys, for all your business. We really appreciate you, and hopefully this makes everybody a little more happier,” Allison said in a message to customers.
After Mueller opened the car wash, Allison bought it from him, but now they are partners in the business.
“I originally bought the car wash from him in January, but he and I got along pretty well so we decided to expand the business, and he bought back in,” Allison explained.
For more information, call 928-503-1274.
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There’s a new cake maker in town.
Angie Extraordinary Cakes
makes custom cakes, cupcakes, cake pops and treats for any special occasion.
The owner is Karen Robles, a pastry chef with 10 years of experience in baking cakes and pastries in her hometown of San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico. She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Baking and Pastries Certificate Program in California in 2011.
“Now that I moved to Yuma, I decided to bring to all of you my passion and taste, hoping you guys love it,” Robles said.
To view her cakes and pastries, visit her Facebook and Instagram pages. For more information about her services, send her a message via her social media accounts or give her a call at 928-7504346.
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There’s a brand new Papa Murphy’s Take
‘n’ Bake Pizza in Yuma. It’s located at 2383 W. 24th St., next to Starbucks and behind Walgreens.
I learned this from a reader, who emailed me and let me know that the folks who run the Pacific Avenue location had opened another location.
“I thought I’d never like Take and Bake pizza, but now that this location is close to my home, I gave it a chance. It was easy to bake at home and tasted great. They’ve made me a fan,” he wrote.
The 24th Street location is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. To reach this location, call 928-615-3940.
The other location is still open at 2951 S. Pacific Ave., this one from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To reach this location, call 928-317-8400.
“It’s always a joy to see businesses doing well in Yuma,” the reader said. I couldn’t agree more!
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Yuma’s newest Dollar General is now open at 10270 E. North Frontage Road, at the corner of Avenida Compadres, in the Foothills.
I checked out the newly built store and it’s nice and roomy. It still had some empty spaces on Friday, but more inventory is on its way and it will fill up nicely.
The store is open everyday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Founded in 1939 and dubbed “America’s neighborhood general store,” Dollar General strives to make shopping “hassle-free and affordable” with convenient, easy-toshop stores in 47 states. The company’s mission is to deliver “everyday low prices” on items including food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, housewares, seasonal items, paper products and more “from America’s most-trusted brands and products,” along with high-quality private brands.
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And I need to correct some information published in last week’s Comings and Goings. The item on the reopening of the Assistance League of Yuma Thrift Store should have said that the goal is to help children succeed in school by providing new clothing.
I had included additional goals that are part of the national organization, but not the local organization. I apologize for the error!
The Assistance League recently celebrated the reopening of its thrift shop at 1054 S. 4th Ave. (with parking in the rear).
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Here are the Yuma Commercial Construction Project Updates for the past three weeks:
• CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY ISSUED: Kohl’s Store, Sephora, 1350 S. Castle Dome Ave., after tenant improvements; Talas Harbor for a new behavioral facility at 7201 E. 31st Place.
• BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED: ARKOS Health Care, 1200 S. Castle Dome Ave., Suites A-B, for tenant improvements; Las Delicias De Mi Abuela Mexican Food Restaurant, 344 W. 24th St., for tenant improvements; Love’s Travel Center, 2931 E. Gila Ridge Road, for a service garage addition; and New Mountain Church, 3939 S. Avenue 3E, Suite 130, for tenant improvements.
• NEW PLANS SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW: Arcoiris Early Learning Center, 833 S. 2nd Ave., for interior alterations; GCE Construction, 3136 E. 33rd Place, for an office remodel; Rio Santa Fe Apartments 1600 W. 12th St., for leasing office repairs; and Yuma County Public Health, 2725 S. Avenue B, for a new warehouse building. mknaub@yumasun.com.