Across the U.S., every restaurant, big or small, has been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Many entrepreneurs have had to make difficult decisions to temporarily close their restaurants and lay off staff while others have done their best to pivot and continue to do what they love: feed the community.
In an effort to help make a difference in our local community, Anova is partnering with La Cocina - a San Francisco kitchen incubator focused on low-income food entrepreneurs - to support 13 businesses across the San Francisco Bay area.
Through the partnership, Anova is donating Anova Precision® Cookers to La Cocina’s kitchen and chefs from around the world including Cambodia, Thailand, Senegal, Chile, Mexico and beyond. Donated devices are also being used to support California’s new Great Plates program, a meal delivery service helping bring food to vulnerable seniors in California. Last week, La Cocina used their new cookers to make a batch of 100 perfectly poached eggs that were delivered to seniors and families throughout San Francisco.
Breaking Barriers
Since 2005, La Cocina has exclusively focused on small business incubation. Their vision has always been to increase inclusivity in the food industry and offer equitable opportunity for marginalized communities - specifically working class women of color and immigrant women.
These groups have traditionally experienced a lack of opportunities in the formal job market, prompting many low-income women to start their own, informal food enterprises. These women, who sell homemade food on the streets or out of their homes, have learned to make their businesses profitable and sustainable on a very small scale. However, due to the lack of sufficent financial and social capital available for low-income entrepreneurs, they face large risks and significant barriers to entry into the formal food industry.
La Cocina provides a safe environment where working class food entrepreneurs can access the resources and workshops they need in order to survive the crucial start-up phase and become functioning parts of the local economy.
Today, La Cocina’s footprint stretches far and wide, with over 40+ successful businesses across the San Francisco Bay area.
Creating Lasting Change
Most La Cocina entrepreneurs approach their business as a pathway to economic freedom, seeking a way to take control of their economic lives. From community investment to hiring from within their local communities to creating a more robust, equitable and inclusive food economy, the outcomes of supporting these entrepreneurs have far reaching impacts impacting other systems such as housing, employment education, criminal justice and health.
Running a food business requires a lot of heart and hard work. Check out some easy ways to get involved and support the mission of La Cocina below:
- Donate towards La Cocina’s Emergency Relief Fund
- Ways to support all La Cocina businesses
- La Cocina businesses open during Covid
- La Cocina Black Owned businesses
- Purchase the La Cocina Cookbook
- Purchase a La Cocina Community Food Box
Until next time,
Anastasia