The Hive, Nantucket’s first shared-use commercial kitchen facility and food business incubator, is expected to open in July of 2024, Remain Ventures announced.
The building at 5 Amelia Drive was acquired by Remain Ventures in July 2022 as a vision of philanthropist Wendy Schmidt to create a profitable, shared-use food production facility to advance community efforts working toward a vibrant, local food system that supports small farmers, regenerative agriculture practices and a robust economy for food entrepreneurs.
“Rethinking the way we produce, distribute and share food is more essential than ever,” said Schmidt, founder and president of Remain Ventures. “Establishing an accessible, shared-space commissary kitchen on Nantucket at The Hive will further the ongoing island efforts to support local farmers and makers while also expanding the local and regional food system.”
Among a number of challenges that food producers on the island currently face is access to affordable commercial kitchens that are available year-round. The Hive aims to meet that need by providing a facility for food innovation that will include two production kitchens, four innovation kitchens, and demonstration space. The building will be leased to Nantucket entrepreneur Karen Macumber and her business Hive & Thrive, which will oversee all activities within The Hive, including the rental of space as well as operations and programming. Makers that rent kitchen space at Hive & Thrive will have access to bulk ordering of sustainable products and packaging, the latest in recipe costing and waste management technology, and the convenience of a central operator that will manage and maintain kitchens that are clean, safe, and fully compliant.
“Hive & Thrive will fill a much-needed gap in the community, allowing all sorts of makers and entrepreneurs the chance to bring new products to the market,” said Macumber. “Additionally, one kitchen is specially equipped to expand opportunities for local agricultural value-added products. By working with farmers in this way, we are confident that we will be helping to support a sustainable and local circular food economy.”
The renovation and expansion of the space to accommodate six commercial kitchens has required a complete re-engineering of the building’s infrastructure, including the installation of a new custom-made electrical panel currently being built to support the electrification of The Hive.
“Our top priorities are ensuring the space is safe, meets all health and safety requirements, and is functional and equipped to grow with our makers and our community’s needs long into the future,” said Cecil Barron Jensen, executive director of Remain Ventures. “We hope to have a grand opening of a fully functional The Hive by the end of July.”
When complete, The Hive will have state-of-the-art fully equipped commercial kitchens available to rent on an hourly basis. The facility will have common space available for meetings as well as a centralized online platform for food ordering, with pickup through a food locker system, as well as a vending machine that will allow customers to purchase packaged products.
Remain Nantucket and Remain Ventures are funded by Wendy Schmidt and her husband Eric to support the economic, social, and environmental vitality of the island of Nantucket. In addition to Remain Nantucket providing grants and sponsorships to support sustainable and cultural initiatives across the island, Remain Nantucket has worked in conjunction with Remain Ventures to revitalize the downtown district year-round through the preservation of historic buildings that are home to a mix of nonprofit and commercial businesses.
The vision of Remain Ventures is to foster a vibrant local and regional food system, incubate small businesses for launch and encourage the long-term environmental and economic health of the community. The Hive, located at 5 Amelia Drive, will be a state-of-the-art facility for food innovation with two production kitchens and four innovation kitchens. In addition, there will be a community engagement space on a three-season porch. Karen Macumber will operate food business incubator Hive & Thrive out of the building, which will offer a number of makers and producers affordable rental access to innovative commercial kitchen space.
