Welcome to Alimentary's listings of commercial kitchens to rent.

(Want to head straight to the listings? Please scroll down.)

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Have a kitchen to rent out to enterprising food start-ups? Please get in touch with us. We have lots of demand! We’ll have it listed in no time.

Alimentary's Hot Kitchens Initiative was featured in the Financial Post.

Are you looking for a consultant? Book a complimentary call with Aruna to discuss your needs.

FOOD HANDLER’S CERTIFICATION

Here is the FOOD HANDLER’S GUIDE for Ontario, Canada.
As a kitchen renter, at least one person from your team needs to have a valid Food Handler’s Certificate. Certification lasts five years.
Please note that due to COVID-19, some jurisdictions have suspended Food Handler Certification courses and testing.
Please consult the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s List of Approved Food Handler Certificate Providers for other testing options in Ontario, and in other provinces, countries, please consult your local public health agency for information.

Looking for a kitchen to rent?

If you are looking for a commercial kitchen to rent by the hour to prepare your food? Please scroll down to view the kitchens on offer. This list is growing so we recommend you bookmark this page for future reference.

Food start-up?

Starting a food business and need some advice? We may be able to help. We work with a variety of companies from well-established food retailers to boutique food producers. We offer special rates for food start-ups. Please enquire here.

New to renting commercial kitchens by the hour?

If you are new to renting Hot Kitchens, please look at the Tips for Food Start-ups below the Listings.

The prices and requirements vary with some venues requiring product liability insurance and others charging different rates for different times of the day, and different uses. Insurance is a live issue for kitchen rentals and is cited as the reason that many of Toronto's community centre kitchens are hesitant to rent out by the hour. Ask other food start-ups who their broker is and get coverage.

Need a kitchen in a city or neighbourhood not listed?

Let us know. The more requests we get for a certain city, the stronger the case becomes for opening a kitchen there.

In the meantime, if none of the kitchens listed suits your needs, a good strategy is to find a café or bar in the area in which you would like to do your cooking/baking/prep, ensure there is a legal loading dock or parking space within reach, and then approach the owners with a proposal to use their commercial kitchen space when they are closed/not using it. If you come prepared with information about your insurance coverage and the rate you’re prepared to pay, you’ll likely be ahead of the game. Bring a sample of your delicious food: a loving spoonful never hurt.

Expect to pay from $20/hour to as much as $300/hour with an average somewhere in the $35/hour range. If you’re prepared to work overnight, you can bargain for a lower price. Also, if your cooking is heat-free, you could try to argue for a lower price on the basis that your utility draw and risk will be less. Another way to bargain for a lower price is to book by the month (every Monday from 9-5, for example). 

Of course, you'll want to see confirmation that the kitchen is inspected by local Public Health authorities. It pays as well to leave the kitchen in as good or better condition than when you found it (i.e. clean and ready to use for the next crew). Some caterers will hire someone to do this for them while they head off to the gig. Check the Tips below for more information of benefit to renters.

Looking to list your kitchen?

If you would like to list your Hot Kitchen (commercial kitchen available for rent by the hour), please contact us, and we'd be happy to help you. We charge a one time profile set-up fee ($150 + tax), and a modest annual fee ($200 + tax) for listing your kitchen. These fees help defray the expenses associated with running this initiative. Fee rates are locked in for three years from your initial contract with us, which means even if our rates increase, existing customers are protected from that inflation.

Heavy traffic

Alimentary's Hot Kitchens site gets a lot of traffic because we provide the kind of information that renters need including photos, comprehensive details about the kitchen and contact information. We keep the listings up to date to save everyone time (= money).

Got a kitchen in Bombay? New York? Montreal?

We are happy to list kitchens wherever they may be. Lately, we have received many phone and email enquiries from London, Ontario, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Guelph, and Waterloo region. As long as your kitchen is certified for use by a food business, it would be a welcome addition. Our fees are modest, our service is comprehensive and is the best that we know of. We are confident the listing will pay for itself, often with the first booking. Please get in touch.

New to renting out your kitchen by the hour?

Things to think about include what sort of insurance coverage you want the renter to hold, whether you want to restrict certain ingredients, and who will manage the rentals on a day to day basis. For more information, please consult our Tips for Renting Out Your Kitchen, found by scrolling to the end of this page (below the Listings).

As an additional service, depending on the location, we are happy to arrange a site visit and consultation to help you get your kitchen ready to rent out. Please enquire here.

Ready to list with Alimentary's Hot Kitchens? 

Hurray! Get in touch and we'll get you started on your way to earning extra revenue from your kitchen. The bonus is that you will be helping foster a vibrant local food sector. We can get your listing up in a 24 hour turn around, once we have received all your materials.

HOT KITCHENS LISTINGS

Baby Point Kitchen at Café Santorini, Etobicoke, City of Toronto, Ontario – Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

421 Jane Street, York, ON M6S 3Z7 Canada
Contact: Lisa Singh
T: 1 (416) 522-9334
E: lisasinghcod@gmail.com

Rates:
INAUGURAL RATES (subject to change)
Prime Time: Mondays 9am to Saturdays 9pm
Shared kitchen only in Prime Time.
$20 per hour
 (three hour minimum)

Weeknight Exclusive Use of Kitchen
Monday to Friday 9pm-9am
$25 per hour rate (three hour minimum)

Weekend Exclusive Use of Kitchen
Saturday night, Sunday and Monday morning Schedule
Saturday 9pm to Monday 9am
$35 per hour
Please note that this kitchen can be rented in conjunction with the Baby Point Tasting Room.

Equipment and Facilities:
6 ft Prep Station

6 ft triple door Temperature Control food storage unit with 8 container prep station

Eurodib double deep frier

Vulcan double burner stove top

CookRite Flat Top Grill (24 inch)

Atqas Grill (36 inch)

Frymaster double deep frier

2 Petros Professional Vertical Rotisseries (Gyros Machine)
Electric Hot Soup Unit

Moyer Diebel Dishwasher

ITV Ice maker 

Imperial 28 inch Salamander
Automatic Potato Peeler

3 Shelf Convection Oven (36 inches)
Panasonic Microwave
French Fry Cutter

Standing Cooling Rack

8 ft Prep station with storage 

Various shelving
Digital and analogue scales
1 commercial handheld blender (Coupe)

1 Electric Deli meat cutter

Fry pans and small wares
Utensils

Storage:
Refrigerated, frozen and dry good storage available. Prices vary according to duration and frequency of kitchen rental. Please enquire.
1 8x4 ft Walk-in Refrigerator with storage shelving available

wall mounted shelving units

1 8x4 Walk-in Freezer with storage shelving
Dry goods storage (5 X 3.5 foot storage) both secured and unsecured.
Parking/Loading Dock: Parking available at rear of building with 1 rear entrance to this kitchen for loading. (regular door)
Public Transportation: Public Transportation available 24/7. TTC at door step.
Insurance Requirements: Cafe Santorini Baby Point Kitchen requires General Liability Insurance of $2 million.

Baby Point Pizza Kitchen at Café Santorini Etobicoke, City of Toronto, Ontario – Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

421 Jane Street, York, ON M6S 3Z7 Canada
Contact: Lisa Singh
T: 1 (416) 522-9334
E: lisasinghcod@gmail.com
Rates: We are a new enterprise, offering inaugural rates.
PIZZA KITCHEN (Unshared except for walk-in fridge & freezer)
7 Days a Week
$34.50.per hour

 9am-10pm
$20.00 per hour

 10pm-9am
Can be booked in conjunction with the Baby Point Tasting Room. Please enquire.

Equipment and Facilities:
Triple bin Chemsyn wash bay

Dishwasher
ice maker
5ft pizza prep table with storage
Temperature Control Pizza Topping Prep Station - 46 inches
100lbs flour storage bin
1 Digital scale
PizzaBoy Triple Pizza Oven
Winholt Equipment Heater Proofer
Standing storage unit on wheels  
Pizza cutters and utensils
Various Kitchen Utensils and bowls
Trays

Storage:
Refrigerated, frozen and dry good storage available. Prices vary according to duration and frequency of kitchen rental. Please enquire.
1 8x4 ft Shared walk-in Refrigerator with storage shelving available

wall mounted shelving units

1 8x4 Shared walk-in Freezer with storage shelving
Dry goods storage (5 X 3.5 foot storage) both secured and unsecured.
Parking/Loading Dock: Parking available at rear of building with 1 back entrance to this kitchen for loading. (regular door)
Public Transportation: Public Transportation available 24/7. TTC at door step.
Insurance Requirements: Cafe Santorini Baby Point Kitchen requires General Liability Insurance of $2 million.

Kitchen24 - North York, Ontario - Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

100 Marmora Street Suite 200, North York, ON M9M 2X5 Canada
Contact: Steve Kidron
T: +1 (416) 792-4505
E: info@kitchen24.ca
Rates: We offer different pricing based on individual needs from drop-in rates of $35 per hour to long term rental options.
Kitchen24 offers professional space for video production and photo shoots; as well as a cooking studio for demos, meetings, testing etc. There is lounge space, a conference room and offices available for industry events, cooking classes, product presentation, cooking competitions. Kitchen24 also offers team-building experiences.

Equipment and Facilities:
 -Ranges
-Rack oven
-Fryer
Cookware 
Convection oven
Baking area
Prep tables 
Test kitchen
Demo kitchen

Storage: Cold, dry and freezer storage available.
Parking/Loading Dock: There is plenty of free parking on the premises.
There is a loading dock and also freight elevators.
Public Transportation: 
Buses:
96 Wilson
996 Wilson Express
119 Wilson Station
118 Thistle Down
165 Wilson Road North
396 Wilson Night Bus
Insurance requirements: Kitchen24 requires General Liability Insurance of $5 million.

Better Food Factory - Milton Ontario, Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

723 Main Street East, Milton, Ontario L9T 3Z3 Canada
Contact: William Garcia
T: +1 (289) 878-5327
E: betterfoodfactory@gmail.com
GLUTEN-FREE KITCHEN
Rates: Non-members $35/hour;
Members: Pay per use: $25/hr
25 prepaid hours: $20/hr
50 prepaid hours: $18/hr
80 prepaid hours: $16/hr
A well-appointed, spacious, gluten-free kitchen in Milton, located in the Halton Hills region of the Greater Toronto Area, with easy access from Highway 401.

Equipment:
6 independent workstations with stainless steel tables and 110 outlets
6 convection ovens with 5 trays each
20 quart mixer
10 quart mixer
6 quart mixers
Induction cooktops
Walk-in freezer
Fridge space
3 and 2 compartment sinks

Also:
Consultancy services
Small batches label printing
Plenty dry storage space
Free Wi-Fi
Meeting room
Photo room
Lunch area
And more.

Storage: cold, dry and freezer storage available (long term for members).
Parking: Free parking for customers on site and loading dock.
Public Transportation: 600 meters from Milton GO station plus buses. Insurance requirements: $2 million liability insurance.
Special restrictions?: Gluten-free kitchen.

COMING SOON…

Baby Point Tasting Room at Cafe Santorini, Etobicoke, City of Toronto, Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

Book your client and corporate tastings in a private tasting room outfitted with a prep area, and bar facilities.

Tips for Food Start-ups Looking for Commercial Kitchens to Rent

1. Ensure the space is inspected by the local health authority and was awarded a Pass. Ask to see evidence of this and take a photograph of it for your records. Explain that you need it for your insurance.

2.  Have insurance. If you are preparing food for the general public or for a client as in for a wedding, and especially if you are getting paid for it, manage your risk. Depending upon what you're doing, you'll likely need product liability insurance, in addition to whatever corporate or company insurance you need. Some kitchens will require this before they will let you remove the food you've prepared from their kitchens. 

3. Get your Food Handler’s Certificate (if in Toronto) or similar in your region. You need to know what a commercial kitchen is/needs and the rules of proper food preparation for the general public. Make this knowledge second nature and keep your accreditation up to date.

4. Ensure that the kitchen you are renting is zoned commercial as well as is inspected by the local Public Health Authority. This may seem onerous, but if you carry product liability insurance, your insurer will likely want to know where you produce your product, and more than one broker/insurance company has checked an address only to discover, much to the chagrin of the producer, that the location isn’t even zoned for commercial use. If your neighbour’s aunt’s basement is zoned commercial, she’ll have evidence to this effect. Ask to see it, and photograph it. (And ask also to see evidence that the kitchen is a commercial (inspected) kitchen (see (1) above)).

5. Be clear about the terms of your rental including the start time, what condition you expect the facilities to be in (i.e. clean and ready to use), whether a staff person will be on site to help with locking/unlocking and questions about where things are, whether, and if so where, you can store dry, refrigerated or frozen supplies. Determine who is responsible for clean-up and what the deadline is for your exit. A good rental facility will allow for some lag time between bookings to ensure everything is ready for clients. 

6. If you’re new to this rental facility, you may want someone representing the owner to sign off that you have left the facility in a clean and good condition when you vacate. Arrange for this when making the booking, not as you are leaving.

7. If you plan to rent by the month, get everything in writing regarding the terms, and don’t give any money until you’ve had a trusted lawyer or legal eagle read over the lease. A commercial lease is not the same beast as a residential tenant’s lease. Renter beware. Also, as a food start-up, you’ll want a “get-out-free” card or equivalent. In other words, you don’t want to wind up on the hook for the rental of a facility you don’t need 3 years after you’ve wound your food business down. Make sure the notice for ending the lease is short and sweet even if this means a higher rent. We all think we’ll last forever; few of us make it past three years. 

8. Aim to leave the space cleaner and better than how you found it. If it’s a dump when you arrive, find another kitchen for your next gig. It’s not really worth it to get blue in the face about this stuff. You’re a client. Take your business elsewhere. 

9. If it’s a publicly accessible kitchen, pop in on it or volunteer to help another cook on a day when it’s booked, so you can familiarize yourself with its idiosyncrasies. This is especially useful if you’re booking the kitchen for a big or important gig--catering your mom’s wedding, cooking for the Occupy encampment of 300, etc., catering an Alimentary Initiatives affair (if you specialize in fungi, fermentation or algae, do get in touch please).

10. Stay away from kitchens that seem shady, where there is no sign, where there is no paper work, where you feel intimidated, etc. There are some unscrupulous types who know how desperate food start-ups are … beware of them and be vigilant for red flags.

Tips for Renting Out Your Kitchen

 1.  Figure out what you are and what you are not renting out. For example, if you have storage space to offer, either dry or refrigerated, let your potential clients know. If there is equipment you don't want anyone but your mom and you messing with, make that clear. Best to put this in writing and post it in the kitchen as well as make it part of your rental contracts. 

2. Take some great photographs of your kitchen to give potential renters a clear idea of the amount of space, the state of the equipment and etc. Make sure your kitchen is sparkling and bright when you photograph it. If you would like to post a description and the photos here, please get in touch.

3.  Be clear about the condition in which you intend to have it ready for the tenant, and the condition in which you expect it to be left. 

4. Who's going to open the kitchen for the renter? Who's going to lock up? Have a person's name and cell number ready for the renter, so that if things go awry they have someone to contact. It's a good idea to have this posted in the kitchen too.

5.  Decide about your position regarding insurance. Many kitchens don't ask for renters to have their own insurance, but a few do. What level of risk are you comfortable with? Are you adequately insured in case things should get pear-shaped? Where is your fire equipment? Make sure your renters know how to use it, and where the emergency exits are.

6.  Keep an up-to-date tally of what is and what isn't working in your kitchen and try to repair broken-down equipment promptly or else remove it from your list of available equipment. 

7. Plan at least an hour's lag between bookings to ensure that in the instance in which a client does not clean up after herself, you can get the place clean for the next client.

8. Figure out a deposit to cover cleaning if someone leaves the kitchen in a state. Or charge a deposit to those clients who've left you in the lurch with respect to a clean kitchen. It's a good idea to build in an extra "cleaning fee" in those cases in which a kitchen is left in a shambles because a cook ran out of time before her big gig. You can always return it, if the kitchen is left in a sparkling condition.

9.  Be punctual. If a client has rented the kitchen from 9:00 am, someone should be there at 8:30 am to open up and ensure everything is clean and in working order. 

10. If there is a lot of expensive equipment, you may want to do a quick checklist inventory with the client so you both agree about the state of the equipment at the outset of the rental. Have that printed, and at the beginning of the rental, have both your representative and the renter sign it as an acknowledgement of the state of things at the outset of that day's rental. And then at the end of the rental, review the same equipment to ensure it's in top nick.

We’ve got to say it…

Legal

These tips are offered free of charge. Alimentary Systems Inc., the parent company of Alimentary Initiatives, accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following these recommendations. It is the responsibility of each start-up or individual and of each kitchen manager/owner to ascertain for herself or himself that the conditions of rental or letting meet their requirements for risk management. 

While Alimentary Systems Inc. endeavours to ensure the detail of the listings is accurate, the company does not accept liability for any misrepresentation or inaccuracies with respect to the detail of facilities described.