NORTH CHARLESTON — A commissary kitchen that houses 30 small businesses is permanently shutting its doors after eight years in operation. Commissary kitchens provide mobile food companies space to cook and store ingredients. They are the lifeblood of the flourishing food truck and catering industries that serve communities across the Charleston area.
The closure of KTCHeN, at 6185 Rivers Ave., means each of its tenants will have to find a new place to prepare food for events such as pop-ups by the end of the month. KTCHeN is owned by Christopher and Keila Garate, who operate the bakery BKeDSHoP in downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Summerville.
The former food truck owners said they started the business to help others like themselves. In an email to their tenants, the owners said that facility violations prompted the property’s landlord to ask the commissary kitchen to vacate its space in a North Charleston strip mall by the end of the month. Story continues below “We have exhausted every opportunity to try to negotiate with our landlord to allow us to stay,” the email, shared with The Post and Courier, said.
“But unfortunately due to all the issues occurring with the grease dumping in the parking lot and other facility violations outside he has declared us in default with no opportunity to remedy the issue.” The Garates sent the notice on June 10, giving tenants 20 days to vacate their workspace and find a new commissary kitchen. The Post and Courier reached.