Fork Food Lab

What Fork Food Lab does

Fork Food Lab operates as Maine's only nonprofit food business incubator and shared commercial kitchen facility, headquartered at 95-97 Darling Avenue in South Portland, Maine. Founded in 2015, the organization provides membership-based access to a 42,000-square-foot licensed commercial facility containing commercial-grade cooking and food production equipment (convection ovens, combination ovens, blast chillers, vacuum sealers, mixers, flat-top grills, high-temp dishwashers, and related small wares), ample storage, and 24/7 building access for over 80 member food businesses. Its core offering is shared kitchen infrastructure serving aspiring and early-stage food entrepreneurs — including food trucks, caterers, consumer packaged goods producers, cooking class operators, and pop-up concepts — with a structured onboarding flow that requires a Food Protection Management Course, liability insurance, and state and city licensing.

The business model combines recurring monthly membership fees across multiple tiers, usage-based kitchen access fees, direct sales of member products through the "A Taste of Fork" initiative, private kitchen and event rentals, and grant/donation funding consistent with its nonprofit status. Fork Food Lab complements physical infrastructure with food business incubation services — including licensing assistance, equipment training, and business development resources — delivered through strategic partnerships with SCORE of Southern Maine, the Maine Small Business Development Center, the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs, and the Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets. Reported member outcomes include $18.6 million in cumulative member sales and 246 jobs created.

In January 2026, Fork Food Lab was rescued from a scheduled foreclosure auction when local investors organized as Darling Fork LLC — Justin Alfond, the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, John Wasileski, with support from Coastal Enterprises Inc. — acquired the underlying property. The organization continues to plan Phase 2 expansion projects, including the Tom Settlemire Vegetable & Fruit Processing Center, a USDA-inspected meat processing facility, and a dedicated event/pop-up venue space.

Name

Fork Food Lab

Legal name

Fork Food Lab

Website

https://forkfoodlab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fork Food Lab is a nonprofit food business incubator operating a 42,000-square-foot shared commercial kitchen in South Portland, Maine, serving 80+ member food entrepreneurs with 24/7 facility access, commercial equipment, and business development resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Month-to-month or long-term negotiated agreements where member food businesses pay a monthly membership fee for kitchen access. Multiple membership tiers accommodate businesses at different stages of growth.
2. Kitchen Use Fees: Fees charged for kitchen usage by members and external parties. Part of the core operational revenue.
3. Direct Sales of Member Products (A Taste of Fork): The organization generates revenue through direct sales of member products via initiatives like 'A Taste of Fork'.
4. Grants and Donations: As a nonprofit organization, Fork Food Lab is funded by grants (e.g., $750,000 USDA grant), donations, and fundraising events. The organization has also received support from foundations and is actively raising funds for Phase 2 expansion including event/pop-up space and USDA-inspected meat processing space.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fork Food Lab operates a membership-based shared commercial kitchen and food business incubator facility in South Portland, Maine. The 30,000+ square foot licensed facility provides commercial cooking equipment, storage, and 24/7 access for food entrepreneurs to launch or scale food businesses. It also delivers food business incubation services including licensing guidance, equipment training, and partnerships with SCORE, MCE, and Maine SBDC for mentoring and business planning support.

Product overview

Fork Food Lab operates as Maine's only non-profit food business incubator offering a single integrated platform centered on its 30,000+ square foot shared commercial kitchen facility. The core offering consists of membership-based access to commercial cooking equipment with 24/7 availability, supported by food business incubation services including one-to-one evaluations, mentoring, and business planning resources. Additional components include an Event & Pop-Up Space for private rentals and community events, A Taste of Fork direct sales for member products, and a Membership Inquiry system with prerequisite training requirements. Current Phase 2 expansion includes a Tom Settlemire Vegetable & Fruit Processing Center and USDA-inspected meat processing space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shared Commercial Kitchen Facility Membership-based shared manufacturing and processing facility providing commercial cooking equipment, storage, small wares, disposable items, and 24/7 access for food entrepreneurs to start or scale their food businesses.
• Food Business Incubation Program One-to-one evaluations and strategic community partnerships providing pre-venture business planning, mentoring, licensing guidance, equipment training, loan assistance, and resources for new and existing food entrepreneurs.
• Event and Pop-Up Space Rentals Event and pop-up venue space available for limited private rentals for workshops, classes, and community events, with tours offered to prospective members and strategic community partners.
• A Taste of Fork Direct sales channel for member-created food products, generating revenue for Fork Food Lab while promoting member businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fork Food Lab member businesses have generated $18.6 million in sales
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SCORE of Southern MainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFork Food Lab partnered with SCORE of Southern Maine to deliver a workshop series on starting a Food Truck or other Mobile Unit. Three-part workshop series covering how to start, funding and scaling, and Q&A with food truck operators (The Pink Waffle, Black Salt, The Greeks of Peaks). SCORE provides mentors and business templates/tools.
• Maine Center for EntrepreneurscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing Maine entrepreneurs with tools, resources, mentorship, and world-class training. A key strategic partner in Fork Food Lab's startup support ecosystem.
• Maine Small Business Development Center (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Maine SBDC provides certified business advisors who assist Fork Food Lab members with business feasibility, planning, capital acquisition, financial management, and more. SBDC advisors are recommended as a prerequisite for prospective members developing a business plan.
• Maine Federation of Farmers' MarketsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Fork Food Lab to co-deliver a seminar on how to join a Maine farmers' market. Featured alongside Fork Food Lab's Deputy Executive Director Corinne Tompkins in educational programming for new businesses and farms.
• Maine Grocers and Food Producers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-coordinator of the 'Selling More Maine Foods' business education series for value-add food and beverage producers, alongside Fork Food Lab, Maine Food Strategy, and Maine Center of Entrepreneurs.
• Maine Food StrategyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-coordinator of the 'Selling More Maine Foods' workshop series for value-add food and beverage producers.
• The Kitchen NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner contributor to the 'Selling More Maine Foods' workshop series, providing session content on labeling essentials and labeling claims/certifications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Hatchery Chicago: Non-profit food business incubator in Chicago providing shared commercial kitchen space and business development resources to food entrepreneurs. Highly comparable as a non-profit shared kitchen with a similar member-incubation model.
• La Cocina: San Francisco-based non-profit food business incubator supporting low-income food entrepreneurs with affordable commercial kitchen access, mentorship, and market channels. Closely mirrors Fork Food Lab's mission, non-profit structure, and member-incubation approach.
• Hot Bread Kitchen: NYC-based non-profit that provides shared commercial kitchen space and workforce development to immigrant food entrepreneurs. Comparable as a non-profit shared kitchen with workforce development and small business incubation goals.
• Union Kitchen: Washington DC food business incubator offering shared commercial kitchen space, mentorship, and distribution support to food entrepreneurs. Comparable shared-kitchen + incubation model with a regional focus.
• Local Food Hub: Virginia-based non-profit food hub supporting local farmers and food entrepreneurs with processing, distribution, and business services. Comparable non-profit food systems mission and member support focus.

Broad incumbents

• Kitchen United: For-profit shared kitchen and ghost-kitchen operator with multiple locations. Comparable as a shared commercial kitchen provider but broader, for-profit, and focused more on delivery/ghost-kitchen use cases than on incubation.
• CloudKitchens: Large-scale operator of shared commercial kitchen facilities for food delivery and virtual restaurant brands. Comparable shared-kitchen offering but for-profit, technology-driven, and not focused on early-stage incubation.

Regional players

• FoodHub / Sydney Community Kitchen: Community-focused shared kitchen facility in Australia offering affordable commercial kitchen access to small food businesses. Comparable shared-kitchen model in a different geography.
• The Depanneur: Toronto-based shared kitchen and food event space that hosts culinary workshops, pop-ups, and food entrepreneur rentals. Comparable shared-kitchen + culinary workshop model in a different geography.

Others

• SCORE: U.S. small business mentorship non-profit that is itself a strategic partner to Fork Food Lab. Comparable as a non-profit supporting small business formation, mentorship, and resource provision, though operating through mentorship rather than physical infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ForkFoodLab
• Instagraminstagram.com/forkfoodlab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fork Food Lab