The CIAS researchers found that successful community kitchens have clear goals, committed leadership, and solid plans for long-term profitability. Successful community kitchens have clear goals. Recruiting potential kitchen users works best when the effort also has clear philosophical, economic, and social objectives. One Wisconsin community kitchen in the planning stage seeks specifically to promote local agriculture. The Kewaunee County Agricultural Tourism Association is working on developing this community kitchen to serve the needs of small, local farms.
Market research is an important step in the process of developing kitchen goals.
It should survey potential clients and community leaders who will carry out the vision for the community kitchen project. The kitchen project must generate enough support and energy in the community for it to survive past its original organizers, says Stevenson. We found a well-targeted survey instrumental in planning our community kitchen, says Karla Miller of the West CAP Crossroads Kitchen Incubator in Menomonie, one of three Wisconsin kitchens. The survey asked potential clients about equipment needs and the number of hours they would use the kitchen. Surveying existing community facilities during the market research phase can also be helpful.