Learn more about La Cocina, please visit our main site here.

Mission Statement

La Cocina’s mission is to solve problems of equity in food business ownership for women, immigrants and people of color by providing affordable kitchen spaces, training, resources, and community to talented entrepreneurs so they can cultivate thriving businesses.

Our Vision

The vision of La Cocina is a local, national, and international economy that deeply values locally owned food businesses where communities come together, culture and flavors are shared, and economic well being is achieved. We exist to create a community of food entrepreneurs working not only for their own success but for the benefit of their families, neighbors, and the generations to come. We strive for a future where those disadvantaged by capitalism, racism, sexism, and able-ism can harness their talents, power, and creativity to create inclusive, thriving economic alternatives.

Concretely, we offer commercial kitchen spaces and programming at an affordable rate to working-class entrepreneurs, primarily women, immigrants, and BIPOC individuals. We support food business owners in building skills, accessing capital, and establishing businesses that support their families and contribute to vibrant, equitable communities through job creation and the stewardship of resources and our environment. We also consult with organizations nationally and internationally doing this work in order to create a groundswell of change and opportunity.

Our Story

La Cocina (pronounced la co-see-nah, meaning “The Kitchen” in Spanish) was inspired by its current home, San Francisco’s Mission District. This ethnically diverse and economically vulnerable neighborhood thrives in part due to the many small informal businesses that serve the community. Food lies at the heart of this community, and you don’t have to look far to find hidden entrepreneurs in the kitchens of many homes.

Recognizing a need to formalize these food businesses and opportunity created when you turn inconsistent and illegal home restaurants into sustainable legal businesses, organizations like Arriba Juntos, The Women’s Foundation of California, The Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment and one very special and visionary anonymous donor created La Cocina. La Cocina is both the space-a modern building and commercial kitchen that has been featured in Metropolis Magazine—and the program—an innovative business incubator that supports a growing roster of small businesses.

La Cocina was born out of a belief that a community of natural entrepreneurs, given the right resources, can create self-sufficient businesses that benefit themselves, their families, their community, and the whole city. The food that has come out of this kitchen since 2005 reflects that aspiration and, quite simply, tastes amazing.

WE ARE LA COCINA

La Cocina is a home for 40+ up-and-coming early stage businesses and a growing roster of graduates, representing all aspects of local food. As a result of these businesses and La Cocina’s support, community jobs have been created and thousands have been introduced to the flavors of the world. As a testament to their quality, the businesses of La Cocina sell their products locally, regionally, nationally, and even internationally.

To learn more about the businesses at La Cocina, visit us here.

Thank you to Erin Ng and Larissa Cleveland for much of the photography featured on this site.