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January 19, 2010

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Tue Jan 19, 2010, 06:41 PM CST

Deli du Jour launches ‘Share-a-Kitchen’ program for aspiring restaurateurs

By Scott Meeker

smeeker@joplinglobe.com

There’s no secret recipe when it comes to opening a restaurant.

Already, several Joplin restaurants have shuttered their doors this year because of the tough economic climate.

Susan Tuohy, owner of Deli du Jour, 2310 S. Main St., doesn’t have a magic formula for success, but she has come up with an ingredient with a taste that budding restaurateurs may find appealing.

Tuohy is launching the “Share-a-Kitchen” program — a low-risk opportunity for people to step into the culinary business.

“This is for somebody that has a food product that is tried and true, that their family and friends rave about ,” Tuohy said. “Somebody who wants to have their own little business.”

Deli du Jour — which opened seven years ago and specializes in meats and cheeses from around the world, as well as catering services — is open on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. That leaves plenty of time, Tuohy said, for people to make use of her full-service kitchen.

“This isn’t a no-cost deal. No business costs nothing,” she said. “But it’s low cost.”

She said that her kitchen will be available for rental in a minimum of two-hour blocks, $35 for the first hour and $15 for the second, and dropping to as low as $12 an hour. It’s affordable, but the arrangement will mean that those using the kitchen will have to be responsible with how they use their time.

“People will have to become very efficient,” Tuohy said. “They’ll have to tote their food in, get the job done, clean up and leave.”

Ryan Talken, environmental health coordinator for the Joplin Health Department, said that the concept of creating a business incubator from an existing restaurant’s kitchen is one that has been around for some time in other cities.

“We just haven’t had it here. It’s been talked about before but it never got off the ground,” Talken said.

He said that the health department would meet with people interested in the program to discuss what food they would be producing and how it would be sold.

“If they needed to be in contact with the state, we would put them in contact,” Talken said. “A person who wants to sell an item wholesale would have to contact the state. For example, if you were making cookies and want to sell them to another person who would then resell them.”

Cookies, as it happens, are just one of the possibilities that participants in the program could choose.

Tuohy said the kitchen would be ideal for a variety of baked goods, candies and other items.

“I can even offer up the retailing of their products if they choose to package them with the guidance of the state of Missouri’s requirements for labeling and nutrition facts,” she said.

In addition to complying with health department guidelines, Tuohy said that participants will also have to obtain a sales tax license and have insurance for liability reasons.

Still, after adding up the costs, it’s a low-cost way for aspiring restaurateurs to test the waters before jumping in.

“They won’t be taking out a loan, and they won’t be answering to a bank,” Tuohy said. “They can wash their hands of all of that while doing a test run to see if this product is really going to be something that could make them money.”

There’s also an option ingredient Tuohy can add to the mix as well — some free advice.

“Anybody that would be coming in here is an entrepreneur. Been there, done that,” said Tuohy, whose background is in business education. “I would have some words of wisdom for them if they want it. If not, that’s fine too.”

More information

Participants in the “Share-a-Kitchen” program at Deli du Jour will be responsible for providing their own ingredients, supplies and specialty utensils. Storage space will be available at the deli at no charge. For more information, contact Susan Tuohy at 623-4990 or 540-3231.

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