From business plan to hands-on for food entrepreneurs in Elgin

Opening a restaurant, buying a food truck, or starting a food catering or manufacturing business can be a daunting proposition with all its intricacies, from the theoretical to the practical.

The goal of a new four-month program in Elgin is to educate would-be entrepreneurs in all the components of starting a food business, including hands-on experience, to maximize people's chances of being successful.

Dream Kitchen EDU will allow people to figure out what they are getting into before launching their business, said President Kevin Echevarria. "I'm especially excited about the hands-on stuff," he said.

The first two months of the program will consist of Tuesday and Thursday evening classes, with guest panelists from a variety of area businesses. Classes will be held at Elgin Community College, from which Dream Kitchen EDU is renting space.

That will be followed by six weeks of practical, hands-on food preparation and manufacturing at Shared Dream Kitchen, 1544 Fleetwood Drive in Elgin, and a "pop-up" food showcase at Local-Vore, 11 Douglas Ave., Elgin. Shared Dream Kitchen is a shared commercial kitchen space, and Local-Vore is a shared restaurant space; Echevarria leads both enterprises.

The program culminates with two weeks during which students finalize their business plan and pitch.

The program's cost is $2,500 per company plus $500 per individual. The best business plan and pitch wins a $3,000 prize.

Dream Kitchen EDU, which launches Aug. 22, is a partnership among Echevarria, Sybil Ege, former executive director of the Small Business Development Center at ECC that closed last year, and John Richards, a 25-year veteran of the consumer packaged food industry.

Ege said she and Richards approached Echevarria in November with their idea.

"We talked about how his Shared Dream Kitchen was a wonderful way for people to learn how to cook and prepare to sell their goods, but it didn't teach them how to run a business," she said. "The failure rate in restaurants, in particular, is extremely high, and wouldn't it be a great idea to try to incorporate an education component?"

Echevarria said he embraced the concept. It can take a long time for budding food entrepreneurs - such as those who join Shared Dream Kitchen - to get their business going, and a sound business plan can make all the difference.

"One of the challenges we'd had at Shared Dream Kitchen is that we grow at the level that our members can grow," he said. "If a company comes in and they do well, we do well because they end up using more time."

Dream Kitchen EDU launches Aug. 22. Ten people have registered, four are pending and the maximum is 20 students, Echevarria said. There are opportunities for $250 scholarships for individuals, and $500 for teams of two. For more information, visit dreamkitchen.edu.