7 minute read
Foodie Labs Opens in St. Pete
A mission to help food industry startups brings a new concept to The ‘Burg.
BY MARCIA BIGGS
When Kristin Zelinsky decided to open a culinary hub for entrepreneurs and startups in downtown St. Petersburg, she was the perfect person to do it.
As a longtime Tampa Bay caterer and founder of Pro Kitchen Hub in Tampa, the St. Pete resident knew the financial hardship and risks inherent in opening a startup food business. She saw talented young chefs open then close restaurants due to financial failure and marketing inexperience. She saw the demand for home delivery and carry-out explode during the pandemic as more people worked from home. She also knew she had the knowledge and expertise to help local entrepreneurs on the path to their dreams.
“I was a caterer for 25 years, and one of the largest obstacles to starting a food business is the high cost of setting up a commercial kitchen,” said Zelinski. Along with business partner Jim Pachance, they came up with a concept: Offer local startups a fully equipped kitchen, storage and sales hub from which they can operate in a carry-out or delivery capacity only. The membershipbased business would cover all costs and provide professional advice and assistance along the way.
“We came up with the model for Foodie Labs just before Covid hit, but that proved to us our concept would work,” Zelinski explained. “We saw more people were moving to food pickup and delivery, and that remains strong. This is a way for us to focus on getting good small businesses up and running at a lower cost.”
Foodie Labs charges a monthly rate with a 12-month contract that includes kitchen space (shared or a permanent “ghost” kitchen), utilities and equipment. A major incentive, says Zelinski, is the lack of start-up expenses for a new operation.
“For startups, any space in St. Pete will need to be retrofit, you need to buy equipment, wait for permits, put deposits on utilities. We eliminate the need for all that. This is a support system; we are mentors who can help with anything.”
The culinary hub they imagined would serve as a center for caterers or small restaurant startups, food trucks needing a home base to prepare and cook, and home bakers and cooks specializing in anything from specialty breads and bagels to home-made marinades and jams. An attached event space and demonstration kitchen would be an inviting addition.
Zelinski secured a lease on a property at the ArtsXchange campus in the Warehouse Arts District. Last November, after a year and a half of planning, gutting, renovations and equipment installation (not to mention permitting delays), Foodie Labs was a reality. A 5,000-square-foot kitchen facility is adjoined by a 1,000-square-foot event space that features a demonstration kitchen. Garage-style roll-up doors at the front and rear of the event space look out onto the Pinellas Trail in back and the ArtsXchange campus in the front.
The “labs” gleam with six new industrial kitchens appointed with flattop griddles, chargrill fryers, sinks, a convection oven and access to refrigeration units. Elsewhere are countertops, sinks and cooking/baking equipment for shared use.
Customers order via a QR code or online at thefoodielabs.menu, then come to a pickup window. Several tables are on site for a quick nosh; delivery is also available.
On the last Friday evening in January, Foodie Labs swung open their doors at the ArtsXchange and welcomed the community to their first Culinary Night Market. Tucked into the event space were 15 vendors offering up smiles and samples from freshly made breads, desserts, jams, marinades, spices, meats and other specialties. A vendor sold fresh fruits and vegetables, as a guitar player strummed and sang. In front, a growing crowd of locals gathered around tables, chatting and showing off their goodies.
Zelinski was glowing like a rock star during her opening night performance.
“When I started the food hub business in 2015, Tampa was where the food scene was,” she said. “St. Pete wasn’t ready for this. Now it absolutely is.”
Culinary Night Markets are open to the public from 5-9pm the last Friday of each month and during Second Saturday ArtWalks. Foodie Labs is located at 515 22nd Street S., St. Petersburg.
How to Order from Foodie Labs
Go to thefoodielabs.com and select from Vendors for ordering carryout or delivery; select Caterers to see businesses available to cater. Note that kitchens have different hours and days of operations and certain menu items may not be available.
Here’s a look at the current lineup:
Bagel Babe – Hand rolled, boiled and baked selection of New York style bagels in nine varieties and a full menu of bagel sandwiches.
A Good Human – Focus on plant-based ingredients, natural, preservative-free, non-GMO ingredients, with gluten-free options.
Cybel – Freshly made French-Moroccan bistro-style cooking by Chef Touf.
Shaner’s Surf & Turf – Meats and seafoods artfully prepared and accompanied by signature sides.
Toasty Bros – Gourmet sandwiches
Peanut Butter Rush – Varieties of peanut butter pie layered with your choice of crushed Oreos, chocolate chip cookies, strawberry preserves and graham cracker, packed into a 4-ounce jars.
Meet the Bagel Babe
When Jessie Vallorosi moved to St. Pete from New Jersey in 2021 to join her sister, she figured she would continue her work as a certified athletic trainer. But bagels got in the way.
“My ambition was to start my own business,” says the 27-yearold, “but after I moved to Florida I kept hearing people say the bagels here just aren’t the same as the ones up north. So I made it my prerogative to try and make some bagels. I was working full-time as an athletic trainer but decided to experiment with making bagels in my home kitchen.”
At the same time, her parents joined Jessica and her sister, Jamie, by moving to St. Pete. They soon became the bagel tasters and testers, as Jessie continued her quest for the perfect New York style bagel. Finally, in May 2023 she decided to open an online store selling bagels as a cottage kitchen upstart. The idea didn’t float.
“I quickly learned it’s hard to sell bagels online,” she admitted. “You need a storefront presence so people can see, smell and taste the bagels.”
That’s when she heard about Foodie Labs, which was gaining buzz as a new facility catering to startups. She signed up for her own dedicated “ghost” kitchen, and the Bagel Babe was born.
Today, the family of bagel-lovers is up to their elbows in dough. Jessie figures she rolls, boils and bakes 150 to 200 bagels six days a week. At her side, dad Nick mans the grill making bagel sandwiches to go, and mom Jennifer does packaging and delivery. Sis Jamie pitched in with marketing by creating the Bagel Babe branding (think Barbie sporting a bagel inner tube), working social media and pinch hitting when necessary.
Since opening in November, business is booming, says Jessie. She sells wholesale to several local establishments, does catering and ships three days a week. “It’s amazing to see the progress — we started from nothing. I grew up on bagels and no one in my family knew anything about making them, so I’m really proud of how far we’ve gotten.
“Being with Foodie Labs has been a great stepping stone for our business. Kristin’s expertise in business and catering is a great resource, knowing that she can help us get our own brick and mortar in the future.”
