Date: October 24, 2011
Contact: Gregory Heller
Tel: 215-895-4075

Center for Culinary Enterprises Renovation Kicks Off
Project Will Be Philadelphia’s First Food Business Center

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Construction has recently begun on the Center for Culinary Enterprises (CCE) in West Philadelphia. When completed in July 2012, this project will be Philadelphia’s first large-scale food business center and one of the nation’s most comprehensive commercial kitchen facilities. The project is designed to be an engine for creating food-related jobs and businesses, and to provide resources to emerging food entrepreneurs.

The CCE is a 13,000+ square-foot project located at 310-318 S. 48th Street. The project will include three state-of-the-art, licensed commercial kitchens, for rent to culinary entrepreneurs; a youth-run training restaurant; the eKitchen Multimedia Learning Center; and two additional retail spaces. It will renovate a long-vacant eyesore and bring new restaurants to the community.

The project is developed by The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation, and the general contractor is Perryman Building and Construction Services Inc., a Philadelphia-based, certified minority-owned business. The architect is Philadelphia-based Friday Architects/Planners, Inc. Construction financing is provided by U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration and Firstrust Bank. The project is additionally supported by a number of government and private funders, including:

- City of Philadelphia, Department of Commerce
- Deloitte
- Kresge Foundation
- Pennsylvania DCED
- Philadelphia LISC/SCI-West
- Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation
- Wells Fargo Regional Community Development Corporation

The CCE will be a generator of jobs and economic development impacts. Outcomes include:

- Each year, at least 10 new food businesses are projected to be launched or accelerated.
- The CCE is projected to create 13 full-time jobs and 32 part-time jobs on-site.
- The business clients who utilize the shared-use kitchens are projected to create between 36 and 63 jobs annually.
- The estimated full-time-equivalent (FTE) job creation in Year One is projected at 54 to 81 and the estimated 3-year FTE job creation is projected at 126 to 207.
- The CCE will work to annually place 50 individuals in workforce positions in the culinary industry, and train 100 high school students in restaurant and hospitality management.
- The community health and nutrition programming is anticipated to serve at least 400 individuals each year.

The Enterprise Center CDC’s President, Della Clark, said of the project, “We very are excited to get construction underway, and grateful to our funders for their vision and commitment. This project will help food entrepreneurs overcome challenges and accelerate their businesses by providing them with the certified commercial kitchens, resources, and access to capital and contracts that they need to compete in the marketplace.”

For additional information about the Center for Culinary Enterprises, contact Gregory Heller at The Enterprise Center CDC at 215-895-4075 / gheller@theenterprisecentercdc.org or visit www.philafood.org.

About The Enterprise Center CDC: The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation (TEC-CDC) is a neighborhood-based nonprofit organization in West Philadelphia. Founded in 2001 by The Enterprise Center, a respected minority business accelerator, TEC-CDC extends The Enterprise Center’s focus on entrepreneurship and wealth creation through strategic investments, programs, and initiatives in West Philadelphia. TEC-CDC is part of The Enterprise Center family of organizations.

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We are pleased to announce the award of the Center for Culinary Enterprises construction contract to Perryman Building and Construction Services Inc. of Philadelphia, PA. This project was publicly bid, and was awarded to the lowest responsible bidder.