Culinary Company Expands In Austin

AUSTIN, TX — Opportunity Austin, the Greater Austin Chamber's five-county economic development initiative, announced Monday that PREP — the largest provider of multi-user culinary production space in the Southeast — is expanding to Austin with its first location.

The new site at 1300 East Anderson Lane expansion is the result of a close collaboration among PREP, the chamber, and the City of Austin, officials said. PREP’s mission is to help small to medium-sized businesses build and scale by providing affordable, permit-ready production facilities and value-added services to its member community, officials described.

The facility is estimated to support more than 200 jobs, according to a chamber press advidory. Upon completion in Summer 2020, the PREP ATX facility will feature more than 30 private production kitchens, 16 dedicated stations for early-stage entrepreneurs, prep, storage and dump/wash-down stations for mobile food vendors, common amenities including cold and dry storage, loading bays, a teaching & demonstration kitchen, and a co-working space for members to network, collaborate and learn how to optimize their businesses.

In addition to turnkey facilities and services, PREP supports its members with ongoing training, education, mentorship, procurement, sales opportunities and access to capital.

“PREP will be a great addition to the Austin region's food and beverage industry, allowing local culinary entrepreneurs access to affordable, permit-ready commercial kitchen space and flexible sizing options as companies grow," Austin Chamber Senior Vice President of Economic Development Charisse Bodisch said in a prepared statement. "PREP will serve as a culinary ‘innovation hub’ by promoting collaboration amongst member companies and providing resources for on-site training, mentorship and commercialization. They will also create many food and beverage job opportunities of varying skill levels in the area. We are excited to welcome PREP to Austin as a fantastic addition to the local culinary scene."

PREP Director Drew Barrett said Austin was a natural choice for PREP’s first expansion due to the region's vast array of culinary innovators, entrepreneurial spirit and community of residents with a passion for home-grown food and beverage brands: “We’re thrilled to be joining and empowering the already vibrant food and beverage scene here in Austin," Barrett said in a prepared statement "The entrepreneurs in this city are second to none, and PREP’s infrastructure and resources will help accelerate groups building new businesses and scaling existing companies in the region, further solidifying Austin as one of the best places in the country to build culinary ventures."

Added City of Austin Acting Global Business Expansion Manager Julia Campbell: “PREP’s proposed 55,000-square-foot commercial kitchen facility will address a gap in Austin’s food system infrastructure by providing affordable space for entrepreneurs and small businesses, of which there is currently very little," she said "In addition, the project will support the creation of middle-skill jobs, benefits to the local community, and property tax to the City. For these reasons, PREP’s welcomed development will be a significant contribution to the Austin community."

For more information visit the PREP website at www.PREPATX.com.