LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - A new business in Lexington's East End just celebrated its grand opening.
It has a unique twist; it's a multi-faceted business concept that helps the community through food.
The East End shared kitchen is located on Seventh Street and Maple Street.
It's a multi-use space venue for a variety of food-related business. Inside, they will have food business education to help small business entrepreneurs get off on a good start instead of taking a big risk with opening up a restaurant.
"A lot of people like to think, 'Well, I can cook, so I can fix me a plate, and somebody's going to come in and buy it,' which is fine, but there's a lot of cost with supplies a lot of food so the market goes up and down so prices change," East End Shared Kitchen CEO Taji Wadkins.
It will also be a place where the neighborhood can come together and share their cooking skills.
Wadkins wants to share his five years of experience in restaurant ownership with the community.
"We're able to pass down that information to the new people that are coming up who want to be a successful restaurant owner," Wadkins said. "So we just feel like the east end shared kitchen provides them with that platform."
Co-owner Thomas Hughley is bringing his twenty years in the restaurant business to this kitchen table.
"So we just kind of know a lot of family recipes and a lot of cooking that we just kind of bring out and share with different people," Hughley said.
Chef Hughley says the East End Shared Kitchen will be open to nonprofits to cook for the homeless and others in need.
Wadkins says the kitchen will allow a space for healthy food options as well.
"It's bigger than just food. This is a place where you can get educated on the type of food that you are cooking, the type of food that you are ingesting," said Wadkins.
People have already requested to use the East End Shared Kitchen. Times to use or rent the place can be found by emailing sharedkitchen@gmail.com.