common house café
Common House Café is an exciting new initiative that invites licensed food businesses in the startup or expansion phase to join a collaborative and inclusive artisan food incubator, retail shop, and creative space designed to be the perfect backdrop for your business’s growth.
Here, local foodpreneurs can access essential kitchen equipment, showcase their products, receive training and mentorship, and network with fellow foodpreneurs.
join the waiting listAll the basic kitchen equipment and appliances you need to get started.
Prime location in the heart of the city with the support you need for success.
Program Information:
A launchpad for turning culinary passion into a thriving business.
Starting a food business is hard, especially if your goal is to get your product into retailers. Shelf space is limited, premium listing fees can apply, your product must compete against larger national brands and their advertising resources, and commercial kitchen space is hard to come by.
At the Hamilton Business Centre, we understand the obstacles when starting a food business and believe everyone deserves the chance to showcase their delicious goods to the world. So, if your a budding Hamilton foodpreneur in the startup or expansion phase and would like to get involved, pitch us your business today and join the waiting list!
Vendor Supports:
Essential Kitchen Appliances
Refrigerated deli cooler, hot food well, refrigerated sandwich prep table, coffee makers, pop fridge, soup kettles, conveyor toaster, prep tables, infrared thermometers, and more!
Prime Location
Located on the 1st floor of City Hall, Common House Café is a licensed and inspected facility with a large open concept design and seating for 40+ guests.
Marketing Support
In-house marketing support from Hamilton Business Centre consultants, community and internal partners, and a managed café website and social media accounts to promote vendor success.
Training & Mentorship
In-person and virtual training in business operations, finance, pricing, hiring, bringing commercial packaged goods to market, and 1-1 mentorship and consultation with legal and industry experts.
Program Eligibility:
Primary Vendor:
The primary vendor is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the café and can access any of the essential kitchen appliances provided.
The primary vendor must:
- Be in the start-up or expansion phase of their business
- Have a valid licensed and inspected food business in Hamilton
- Have the ability to operate Mon-Fri from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Commit to a minimum lease term agreement of 10 months
- Be able to provide basic breakfast, lunch, and coffee services
- Have the ability to provide catering services
- Participate in HBC training and mentorship for 6 months to support business success
Note: Only 1 primary vendor is permitted each lease term (currently waitlisted).
Secondary Vendors:
Secondary vendors provide prepacked food items that are displayed and sold in the café daily. Food items can include: baked goods, hot sauces, mustards, and more!
Secondary vendors must:
- Be in the start-up or expansion phase of business
- Have a valid licensed and inspected food business in Hamilton
- Be able to provide food item(s) prepackaged
- Commit to providing food item(s) for a minimum of 3–6-months on consistent basis as needed
- Participate in HBC training and mentorship for duration of food item being sold
Note: A maximum of 3-5 secondary vendors is permitted in the café at any given time.
Training & Mentorship:
Virtual & In-Person Training:
Food specific: Introduction to The Food and Beverage Industry, Packaging and Labelling Your Food Product, Making Your Food Product More Attractive to Retailers, How to Approach and Secure Retailers, Supporting In-store Sales, Scaling Your Food Business.
Business specific: Sales, Record Keeping, Market Research, Business Model Canvas, Key Business Practices, Time Management, Building Teams and Organizational Culture, Contracts and Leases, Hiring Employees vs Self Employed Contractors, Understanding Financial Statements, Intellectual Property, Business Planning, Cashflow, Marketing Messaging, Marketing Analytics.
Mentorship:
1-1 mentorship and consultation includes meeting with: legal experts, food product expert experts, business operations experts, and ongoing support and mentorship from the Hamilton Business Centre.