Chefs get new workspace

Immokalee, sometimes overlooked for business development in rural eastern Collier County, is about the get a heaping portion of entrepreneurial assistance.

It will come in the Florida Culinary Accelerator @ Immokalee. The Airpark Boulevard facility, say Collier officials, is designed to jump start chef entrepreneurs, farmers and small food businesses through an affordable, state-of-the-art kitchen that meets local, state and federal regulatory standards.

Construction of the 5,274-square-foot kitchen, which will be built in a renovated warehouse, is underway and expected to be completed by June 30. The facility, officials add, will also feature shared-use, food-processing space for a broad array of hot and cold products, produce, sauces, baked goods, juices and beverages. The University of Florida's Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences' Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee will provide an adjacent food-testing lab.