Commissary & shared kitchens
Licensed production space for food trucks, carts, caterers, and packaged-food makers who need a base of operation.
Mobile and temporary food operators in Cleveland generally need a licensed base of operation — a commissary — for prep, water, and waste. Shared kitchens also serve caterers and CPG startups who are not ready for their own build-out.
What to ask before you sign
Take this into the call. No vendor gets to edit this list.
- Will you sign a commissary agreement in the form my licensing agency requires, and have your letters been accepted before?
- Is the space licensed for what I actually plan to do — retail food, wholesale/processing, catering? These are different licenses.
- What is included: dry and cold storage, potable water fill, wastewater disposal, warewashing, parking or overnight truck storage?
- How is time booked, what are the peak-hour rules, and what happens if I run over?
- What equipment is shared versus reservable, and what do I need to bring?
- What are the insurance requirements, the deposit, and the minimum monthly commitment?
Listings
Listed alphabetically. Order is never sold or influenced by sponsorship.
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Central Kitchen Cleveland
Shared kitchen and food business incubator renting fully-equipped commercial kitchen space to food entrepreneurs on an as-needed basis.
Services: Shared commercial kitchen · Food business incubation · As-needed scheduling
Serves: Cuyahoga County
Confirm current operating status, insurance requirements, and whether they will execute a commissary agreement in the form your licensor requires.
Verified Aug 8, 2026
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Prep Kitchen-CLE
Shared commercial kitchen in Cleveland's Duck Island / Ohio City area offering hourly access across multiple rentable spaces, with no membership fee structure.
Services: Hourly kitchen rental · Prep space · Chef's table / event space
Serves: Cuyahoga County
Publicly listed rates have started around $20–$25/hour with no membership fee. Confirm current rates, storage availability, and whether they will sign a commissary agreement for a mobile unit.
1305 Washington Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113
Verified Aug 8, 2026
Related guides
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Food safety certification in Ohio, and where to get it near Cleveland
Ohio has two certifications, not one. Which you need depends on your risk level and your license date — and one of them has no exam at all. Plus the approved providers in all seven Northeast Ohio counties.
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Starting a food truck in Cleveland — permits, costs, and the commissary rule
The four separate approvals a Cleveland food truck needs, who issues each one, what they cost, and the commissary requirement that catches pushcart operators.
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Selling food you make at home in Ohio
Cottage food needs no license and no inspection. A home bakery costs $10 a year and lets you sell things cottage food cannot. Which track you are on depends entirely on what you make.
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Commissaries and servicing areas — what Ohio actually requires
The word "commissary" does not appear in Ohio's food code. The thing it describes does, under a different name, with requirements attached — and knowing which term applies to you decides who you have to satisfy.
Listings are free and unpaid. We verify contact details before publishing and re-check periodically, but businesses change — if something here is wrong, tell us. Inclusion is not an endorsement, and this site does not accept commissions or referral fees from listed vendors. Dean Supply publishes this site and appears in the directory on the same terms as everyone else.