Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting & Open House
June 3, 2025
4 - 6 p.m.
215 West Mississippi Drive, Muscatine, IA
Join us for an exciting evening as we unveil a brand-new opportunity for local food entrepreneurs! Tour the space, meet the team, and discover how this initiative can help take your culinary venture to the next level.
What is the Culinary Incubator?
The Culinary Incubator is a commercial kitchen designed to support aspiring and established food business owners. Whether you're launching a new catering company, testing out a bakery concept, or scaling your existing operations, this space is your springboard to success.
Features:
- Fully equipped commercial kitchen
- Secure storage for ingredients and supplies
- Flexible rental options: one-time or recurring hourly use
- Vetted usage through the Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Who Can Use the Kitchen?
Before using the kitchen, entrepreneurs must have:
- A Food Manager’s License
- Liability Insurance
- A Business Plan
Don’t have all of these yet? No problem. The SBDC is here to guide you through the process.
Ongoing Support & Training
Through the SBDC, we offer continued education and resources for all kitchen users and small business owners. Topics include:
- MVP: Using Lean Startup Tools
- Modern Business Testing Tools
- Punch Above Your Weight Marketing
- Business Types & Structures 101
- Creative Content Development
- Disruptive Technologies for Small Business
- ServSafe Certification
You’ll also have access to monthly meetings and open office hours for one-on-one business counseling. Sessions in Muscatine – schedule coming soon.
The Iowa Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) provides one-on-one, confidential and free counseling to any business with 500 or less employees. Turn to us if you want to expand, launch a new product, open a brick and motor storefront, or operate your business virtually.
We can answer your business questions, discuss goals and next steps, help you find grants and craft applications. We can also get you connected with lenders, additional resources, and experts.
Want to talk business? We can meet you at any EICC campus or facility, or we can come to you. The SBDC at EICC provides services throughout Scott, Clinton, Jackson, and Muscatine counties.
Joel Youngs, Regional Director, Small Business Development Center
How to Get Involved
Interested in using the kitchen or learning more? Contact our coordinator to reserve your space: Courtney Cooper at 563-288-6001 or ckcooperFREEEICC.