Codey’s NOLA is a commissary kitchen and co-op looking to inspire young entrepreneurs and culinary artists and is creating a space where a food entrepreneur is surrounded by a culture of community, reciprocity, and innovation.
Codey’s founder Sinnidra Taylor transitioned from education to the food industry in 2018. She quickly realized the barriers that food entrepreneurs face, especially in New Orleans. When she saw that there was limited support for people who didn’t have experience in the food business, she was motivated to create a place where people could learn about the industry.
“The lack of support for food entrepreneurs was surprising to me because New Orleans is a city that’s known for its food,” Taylor said. “I assumed there would be a lot more support in the culinary arts field.”
Taylor started Codey’s in October 2020 when the pandemic magnified the problems that exist in the food industry. She used funds that she received for her own business, Crazy Waffle Bar, to invest in a building where she could build a culinary home for food entrepreneurs. Her plan was to create a program that would address the barrier of lack of access to affordable commercial kitchen space.
Taylor explained, “A commercial kitchen space can be expensive. So, I wanted to create a place where people who want to work in the food industry could learn and collaborate.”
Taylor hopes to create an environment where people can learn about the food industry and how business works and carry that education into the next level of their life- whether they want to be caterers or run a restaurant.
Codey’s goal is to increase the survival rate of locally rooted food businesses, sustain and stimulate New Orleans’ food culture, contribute to the local economy, advocate for equitable access to growth opportunities, and contribute to generational wealth creation among disenfranchised communities.
The organization is currently open and offering classes.
Entrepreneurs who were a part of Codey’s program in the past teach others how to build a business and make their business legal. Codey’s has also teamed up with Southern University to round out the inspiring business owners’ education.
Friends of Codey’s NOLA is the company’s non-profit that secures educational opportunities for food entrepreneurs and subsidizes the kitchen rent. All of the support for Codey’s NOLA comes through donations to the non-profit.
Currently, Codey’s offers catering for events. Although the kitchen specializes in New Orleans favorites such as gumbo and jambalaya, Taylor said that the catering options are limitless because of its access to food educators who specialize in different types of cuisine.
“Because we are collaborative, we can put together any type of menu that a client might want,” she said.
Plans for Codey’s include building out a second building that will include a marketplace where people can order food and enjoy it on site. But, for now, Taylor is focused on her mission of spreading education to future New Orleans food industry workers.
You can donate to Codey’s NOLA here.
