Lobeck Taylor Foundation Launches Kitchen 66
By EMILY RAMSEY
Managing Editor
BUSINESS GUIDANCE: From left, Kitchen 66 founder and Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation (LTFF) CEO Elizabeth Frame Ellison stands with LTFF board member Kathy Taylor and Kitchen 66 Director Adele Beasley on May 3 at an open house for Kitchen 66, 907 S. Detroit Ave. in downtown Tulsa. Kitchen 66 is a food entrepreneurial program of LTFF that includes a cafe, a 9,000-square-foot kitchen, and programs to help food entrepreneurs develop and launch their businesses.
EMILY RAMSEY for GTR Newspapers
On May 3, the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation () opened the doors of one of its newest programs Kitchen 66, a food entrepreneurial space. The open house event introduced the community to the space, located at 907 S. Detroit Ave. in downtown Tulsa, and showcased some of the participating businesses.
The idea for Kitchen 66 really began about two years ago, says Elizabeth Frame Ellison, Kitchen 66 founder and of , due to her and her husband’s recognition of all of the resources that food entrepreneurs need to create and launch their business.
“We wanted to provide that support for entrepreneurs,” she says.
Kitchen 66 opened its cafe on Jan. 27, the same day as another program, 36 Degrees North, opened.
“Thirty-six Degrees North is more focused on technology. We wanted to provide (with Kitchen 66) something for the alternative entrepreneurs who also have great ideas so that they can contribute to our community.”
The reason for the name is Ellison’s eventual plan to relocate the space onto 11th Street and Route 66 to create a food hub, or market, as found in cities like San Francisco, with the Ferry Building Marketplace, and The Source in Denver.
The Kitchen 66 Cafe offers breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., with food offered from Kitchen 66 entrepreneurs and with the support of Topeca Coffee and Hodges Bend.
In addition to its cafe, Kitchen 66 offers two programs to help budding and established food entrepreneurs: a six-month launch program and a development course.
The Launch program consists of weekly meetings, use of Kitchen 66’s 9,000-square-foot commercial kitchen and guidance from advisors.
The Develop 66 program is a 4-month course, with a more self-guided approach, that helps participants create a business plan and provides food business seminars and a self-guided manual.
Interested individuals can also apply for a kitchen membership, which allows them access to the commercial kitchen, storage space, and Kitchen 66 co-branding and the option to attend Kitchen 66 workshops.
The first group of individuals, almost 30 businesses in total, working through the launch and develop programs, will graduate in July, with a new group of students starting in August.
Updated 05-24-2016
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